Morning Musing: Romans 11:17-18

“Now if some of the branches were broken off,  and you, though a wild olive branch, were grafted in among them and have come to share in the rich root of the cultivated olive tree, do not boast that you are better than those branches. But if you do boast—you do not sustain the root, but the root sustains you.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

The relationship between Christians and Jews over the last 2,000 years has been complicated. While at least a sizable percentage of evangelical Christians today are very supportive of the nation of Israel, professed followers of Jesus have at other times been the chief persecutors of Jewish people. Such behavior and prejudice finds no support in the Scriptures at all, but Paul seemed to anticipate at least a belittling attitude toward his genetic people on behalf of his spiritual people. Let’s take the next few days and walk through his argument against such thinking starting with the illogical nature of spiritual arrogance.

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Digging in Deeper: Romans 2:2-4

“Now we know that God’s judgment on those who do such things is based on the truth. Do you think — anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same — that you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you despise the riches of his kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Self-righteousness is not a good look. What exactly is self-righteousness, though? Oxford says it is having an unfounded certainty of one’s moral superiority. Essentially, it’s the feeling that you are better than the people around you. Of course, you don’t feel that, but I’ll bet you know a bunch of other folks who seem to as far as you are concerned. In somewhat more robust theological terms, self-righteousness is the mindset that you have made yourself right with God. If our culture generally condemns the Oxford sort of self-righteousness, it ranges from being more ambivalent to openly encouraging of this second sort. Paul doesn’t agree. Let’s talk about why.

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