clay pots

Good morning sisters and brothers,
At the end of yesterday's reading Paul approached the question of why many Jewish people didn't follow Jesus with the idea of God's choice. Today he fleshes out that argument a little bit. He argues that God chooses who will open their hearts to God and whose heart God will harden. He uses the image of clay to illustrate the same point. God shows power and mercy in many different ways, including choosing surprising people to lead the way. When we look at Paul's life we see one way this works: God hardened Paul's heart to persecute the church and then showed the depth of his grace by calling him as the most famous apostle. God's calling is surprising, and he is not done with any of us yet.

God bless,
Sam

Romans 9:14-24

14What then are we to say? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! 15For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16So it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who shows mercy. 17For the scripture says to Pharaoh, “I have raised you up for the very purpose of showing my power in you, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18So then he has mercy on whomever he chooses, and he hardens the heart of whomever he chooses.



19You will say to me then, “Why then does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 20But who indeed are you, a human being, to argue with God? Will what is molded say to the one who molds it, “Why have you made me like this?” 21Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one object for special use and another for ordinary use? 22What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience the objects of wrath that are made for destruction; 23and what if he has done so in order to make known the riches of his glory for the objects of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24including us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?