Reading Romans Backwards: A Community Needing Peace (pt 3)
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When Peace Looks Like Jesus
When Peace Looks Like Jesus
We are in the midst of Reading Romans Backwards.
We started at the end, and there in chapter 16, we met the cast of characters that have often been erased, or deemphasized when reading or study the letter to the Romans. We heard Paul call them (and us?) to stop judging one another and to welcome and be welcomed to the table as siblings in Christ. At this table, power and privilege are turned toward peace.
And now in chapters 12 and 13 we hear more about what this call to peace looks like. And it looks like Jesus.
As followers of Jesus, we are in the process of being conformed to Christ… not just in how we think, or what we believe, but in our lived theology. Our every day lives. (Show me how you live and I’ll tell you what you believe!)
The call is to orient ourselves in three particular ways:
We are called to a God orientation, a Body-Of-Christ Orientation, and a Public Orientation
So we’ll read our passage in three sections...
1 So, brothers and sisters, because of God’s mercies, I encourage you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God. This is your appropriate priestly service. 2 Don’t be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you can figure out what God’s will is—what is good and pleasing and mature.
1. A God Orientation
Sacrifice and prayer are the typical priestly functions. In Judaism and in worship of other gods. But here, Paul is saying that Christian worship is also marked by sacrifice & prayer…but in unique ways.
Christian sacrifice is a whole life lived before God.
And Christian prayer, as the rest of romans and the NT will flesh out, is inherently Trinitarian.
We pray to the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit. TO, THROUGH & IN
A God Orientation then is a life of sacrifice and prayer - and our God-ward focus acts as our map and our locator. (Map without a YOU ARE HERE marker is not super helpful.)
3 Because of the grace that God gave me, I can say to each one of you: don’t think of yourself more highly than you ought to think. Instead, be reasonable since God has measured out a portion of faith to each one of you. 4 We have many parts in one body, but the parts don’t all have the same function. 5 In the same way, though there are many of us, we are one body in Christ, and individually we belong to each other. 6 We have different gifts that are consistent with God’s grace that has been given to us. If your gift is prophecy, you should prophesy in proportion to your faith. 7 If your gift is service, devote yourself to serving. If your gift is teaching, devote yourself to teaching. 8 If your gift is encouragement, devote yourself to encouraging. The one giving should do it with no strings attached. The leader should lead with passion. The one showing mercy should be cheerful.
1. A God Orientation
2. A Body of Christ Orientation
A God Orientation turns out to be a “life with others” orientation, too.
Warning against “supermindedness” which is all about clinging to power and privilege
A call to generosity and welcome.
“To welcome is to cease being the Judge and to become a sibling. To welcome is to create space for peace and unity.” Scot McKnight
1. A God Orientation
2. A Body of Christ Orientation
3. A Public Orientation
Love
9 Love should be shown without pretending. Hate evil, and hold on to what is good. 10 Love each other like the members of your family. Be the best at showing honor to each other. 11 Don’t hesitate to be enthusiastic—be on fire in the Spirit as you serve the Lord! 12 Be happy in your hope, stand your ground when you’re in trouble, and devote yourselves to prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of God’s people, and welcome strangers into your home. 14 Bless people who harass you—bless and don’t curse them. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, and cry with those who are crying. 16 Consider everyone as equal, and don’t think that you’re better than anyone else. Instead associate with people who have no status. Don’t think that you’re so smart. 17 Don’t pay back anyone for their evil actions with evil actions, but show respect for what everyone else believes is good.
18 If possible, to the best of your ability, live at peace with all people. 19 Don’t try to get revenge for yourselves, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath. It is written, Revenge belongs to me; I will pay it back, says the Lord.20 Instead, If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. By doing this, you will pile burning coals of fire upon his head.21 Don’t be defeated by evil, but defeat evil with good.
Love and civility
1 Every person should place themselves under the authority of the government. There isn’t any authority unless it comes from God, and the authorities that are there have been put in place by God. 2 So anyone who opposes the authority is standing against what God has established. People who take this kind of stand will get punished. 3 The authorities don’t frighten people who are doing the right thing. Rather, they frighten people who are doing wrong. Would you rather not be afraid of authority? Do what’s right, and you will receive its approval. 4 It is God’s servant given for your benefit. But if you do what’s wrong, be afraid because it doesn’t have weapons to enforce the law for nothing. It is God’s servant put in place to carry out his punishment on those who do what is wrong. 5 That is why it is necessary to place yourself under the government’s authority, not only to avoid God’s punishment but also for the sake of your conscience. 6 You should also pay taxes for the same reason, because the authorities are God’s assistants, concerned with this very thing. 7 So pay everyone what you owe them. Pay the taxes you owe, pay the duties you are charged, give respect to those you should respect, and honor those you should honor.
Love and civility and benevolence
8 Don’t be in debt to anyone, except for the obligation to love each other. Whoever loves another person has fulfilled the Law. 9 The commandments, Don’t commit adultery, don’t murder, don’t steal, don’t desire what others have, and any other commandments, are all summed up in one word: You must love your neighbor as yourself.10 Love doesn’t do anything wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is what fulfills the Law.
1. A God Orientation
2. A Body of Christ Orientation
3. A Public Orientation
This is the peace that Paul is calling the Roman believers to… a peace that we too are invited into. A peace that looks like Jesus.