The Romance of Romans-Part 119

Romans Chapter 15 cont'd

But first I have to go to Jerusalem to bring a gift to the believers there. God moved upon the hearts of the believers in Macedonia and Achaia to take a collection for the poor believers there. They were very pleased to do this because they realized that they are indebted to the Jewish believers for the spiritual heritage that they have shared with the Gentiles and they feel an obligation to serve them in a material way as a token of their gratitude. After I deliver this "spiritual fruit basket" to them, I will come by to see you on my way to Spain. And I am confident that I will come to you overflowing with the fullness of the blessing contained in the good news of Christ.

Comments:

When Paul was first converted to Christ, the apostles in Jerusalem were suspicious of him and his motivations. Along the way, he had his tensions with those leaders from Jerusalem as they were all seeking to understand what God actually required of the gentiles who were turning to faith in Jesus. They were very unlike the Jewish believers in their cultural backgrounds and there was some religious pressure on them to conform to various cultural preferences of the Jewish believers that were not essential to obeying the gospel and to pleasing God via genuine spirituality in Christ.

However, it is very interesting to note that as they hammered out their different strategic thrusts in ministry they heartily agreed on one thing from the very start:

And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do. Gal 2:6-10

Paul remembered his commitment to his brothers in Jerusalem and, ironically, when they found themselves many years later suffering from a poverty primarily due to a drought, Paul inspired the gentile believers across his mission fields to give generously, in a material way, to these very people.

May we also open our hearts to Christ to be eager...in light of the many things we are eager for...to help those in need...so help us God.