Expressing the heart of Jesus

Romans 9:3-5 For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen. In today’s verse we discover the source of Paul’s sorrow and grief. We can see how Paul went from joy in the love of God in Christ from which he can’t be separated to the sorrow and grief over those who are separated from God’s love. The love of Christ for his Jewish brothers in the flesh who were still unbelieving swelled inside him. The sorrow and grief came as he contemplated how God’s love for them had been expressed through how He had blessed them. The Jews are God blessed forever because He chose to use them as the ethnic group to give the Christ, the savior of the world, through them. The Jewish people had blessing after blessing from God’s providence. At the same time, God gave them very difficult trials which caused them great sorrow, grief, and bitterness. Do you see the difference between Paul and his countrymen. The source of their sorrow and grief was self-focused. The sorrow and grief Paul experienced was Christ-focused and others-focused. We experience this same thing in our hearts when we can see the blessings of God’s love in the lives of people we love, but they can’t see God’s goodness. Notice the attitude of Christ in Paul. “For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren.” He said, “I could wish” but his being separated from God’s love couldn’t accomplish their restoration. But Jesus could wish it, and indeed, did it! He became a curse for us that we might be brought to God. The apostle John wrote, John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” Paul was testifying to the love of Christ in his heart for his brothers in the flesh. They have the witness of God’s love in their history, yet they do not know the love of God in Christ Jesus. Although we can’t lay down our lives to secure salvation for those we love, we can lay down our lives for them in practical ways when God puts them in our paths. When they are separated from us and wish to do us harm, as the Jews did with Paul, we can have sorrow and grief in our hearts for them, we can wish the best for them, and we can pray for them. In those ways, we are living to love with Jesus—expressing His love for them. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com