It Isn’t Fair!    Romans 3.1-8

If interviewed, some of you reading this right now would honestly say, ‘Life isn’t fair.’  Things haven’t gone the way you planned.  You have lived uprightly and honestly, and yet you’ve gotten the ‘short end of the stick’ while someone else has walked away scot-free.  How does that happen? 

When you decided to put your trust in God, you thought that life would be better—the skies bluer, each day brighter—you thought you would feel an ongoing sense of meaningful purpose to your life.  ‘Hasn’t been like that.   Life just doesn’t seem fair. 

The truth is—Life isn’t fair, but God is.

The Jewish people grew up with strong religious pride, knowing they were God’s chosen people . . . the Elect.   Yet, here’s Paul, a Jew himself, bringing them down a couple notches, essentially ‘calling them out’ on their self-righteousness in Romans chapter two.  As he moves into chapter three, you can almost hear a staunch Jew heatedly questioning Paul, saying 'it isn't fair!' and then his response, and a back-and-forth dialog. (The Scripture lies within the quotes, and my comments outside.)

“Then what advantage has the Jew?  Or what is the value of circumcision?”  Their feeling: How can we be considered ‘chosen’ if you are just lumping us together with the Gentiles—aren’t there privileges that go with being the children of Israel?

“Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.”  A few years’ back, I went to a Jewish service during High Holy Days.  One of the things that most impacted me was the handling of the Torah.  The scrolls were reverently removed from the Aron Kodesh (Holy Ark), and after having read a select passage aloud in Hebrew, the Torah was marched around the men first, (who were of course seated separately from the women).  Some of the men sort of danced, and most endeavored to kiss the scrolls as a sign of love and respect.  “When the Congregation takes out the Scroll of the Torah to read in it, the Heavenly Gates of Mercy are opened, and G-d’s love is aroused.”#

What is my point?  The Jewish people treasure the Torah.   Paul reminds them that they were the ones to whom God entrusted it…first.  Moses was face-to-face with God on Mt. Sinai when God gave him the Ten Commandments.  Therefore, they were a privileged people.

Paul continues,  ^“What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?  By no means.  Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, "That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged."  But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.)”

Paul rebuts the underlying feeling of the Jews—that because they were the Elect, because they were his ‘Chosen’, they should not be judged as harshly for their sin, if at all.  Actually, because God bestowed the Torah on them, they were held to a higher standard!  To whom much is given, much is required…is it not?  They were to heed his commandments and obey them.  Their disobedience did not make God unrighteous or his law imperfect, it showed them who they were.

Was God unrighteous to judge them?  “By no means! For then how could God judge the world? But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.”  Romans 3.1-8, ESV

You can picture them—like a petulant little girl, with her arms crossed and lower lip thrust out…The Jews were saying to Paul, ‘It isn’t fair!  It isn’t fair that we should be judged right along with the Gentiles!’

No, maybe life isn’t fair, Sarai, Saul, Mara, but God is fair.  He expects of his children—aye, he demands of the Elect what he demands of all, “Be holy, even as I am holy.”  Why?  Because while life isn't fair, God is.

Christine

#Zohar