Romans 15:14-16 (The Message and TNIV)
Paul seems to begin verse 14 with an outright lie. I mean, I've listened to every word of this letter from verse 1 of Chapter 1, through verse 13 of Chapter 15 yesterday. For Paul to say he is "completely satisfied" with who they are and what they are doing blows my mind. So what in the world does he mean?
I speculate that Paul, amidst his intense passion for the kingdom of Jesus, realizes that his language has been strong and might be misunderstood as criticism. Haven't you been there too? I have. There are times with my kids when I so want them to do well, that my language takes on an unwanted tone. I think Paul felt this way, thus the need to clarify.
His intensity is not reflective of their behavior, but rather the gravity of the message he has delivered to them. If the Message is going to take root in the world, it must take root in the people at Rome. Paul cannot do this alone and he has to have their help, so he is pushing them to new heights. The serving of the spiritual needs of the "non-Jewish outsiders" is of vital importance to the kingdom of Jesus, thus ought to be of vital importance to Jewish Christians there as well.
This beckoning is as relevant for us today as it was for the Romans. The kingdom of Jesus is not about exclusion, but including those who have been left out, tossed out and run out. They've been included by Him, now we must follow the Christ that we say we follow. Right?
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