Romans 15, 22-33
In order to fully understand this passage we must first of all dip into Galations where in he second chapter Paul recalls the vents that led to his commissioning as the apostle to the gentiles. As we read there from verse 8, and I quote, "For by God's power I was made an apostle to the Gentiles just as Peter was made an apostle to the Jews. James, Peter and John, who seemed to be the leaders recognized that God had given me this special task; so they shook hands with Barnabas and me as a sign that we were all partners. We agreed that Barnabas and I would work among the gentiles and they among the jews. All they asked was that we should remember the needy in their group, which is the very thing I have been eager to do."
This then is the reason that Paul in sharing his plans to come to Rome on his way to Spain says that he must first of all return to Jerusalem to take their the offering for the poor from the Churches in Macedonia and Achaia.
There are a couple of points that we must raise here. Firstly why was an offering to be taken to the poor Christians in Jerusalem - weren't there poor folk in the other churches? Didn't the local church have enough to do with its money without worrying about the folk in Jerusalem? And the answer is yes - there poor Christians in the local situation and yes all the money could have been used locally - but the situation in Jerusalem was different. In a city like Jerusalem much of the available employment was connected in some with the temple. All th priests and temple authorities were Sadducees who were totally opposed to Jesus and his followers as we well know from else where in scripture. It seems likely therefore that on becoming a Christian there followed an almost immediate job loss. Things must have been very hard for the young Christians in Jerusalem harder than elsewhere. There Paul is not only eager to fulfil his promise to the other apostles but also to teach the young churches an important lesson and one we would do well to learn all over again! Willie Barclay puts it this way, "There was no better way of demonstrating in the most practical way the unity of the church. This was a way of teaching the young churches that they were not isolated units but members of a great Church throughout all the world. The great value of giving to others is that it makes us remember that we are not members of a congregation but of a church which is as wide as the world. There was no better way of putting Christianity into practical action. It was easy enough to talk about Christian generosity and to preach about it; here was a chance to turn Christian words into Christian deeds."
So it is in our own day. We need to see beyond the four walls that either mentally or physically define our congregation. We have made some small steps in that direction in our embryonic partnership with Lochwood Parish Church. But our givings still give cause for concern and what will suffer won't be us but those who are relying on our Mission and Aid giving. Can we really live with this? It speaks of disobedience to God......
In the dreadful situation in Rwanda thousands have had to flee into Tanzania. Many are Christians torn from home and church and now without even their Bibles. Here is a real practical need amongst our fellow Christians - the National Bible Society is appealing for funds to send Bibles to Tanzania. If you would like to help then send some money now! Or give it to me and I will send it for you!
And we need to keep doing this as a congregation -turning our eyes outwards and our hearts and hands just as I demonstrated earlier in the service.
Now we come to the last part of this chapter. Those final few verse where Paul begs them to pray fervently for him. He wants prayers for safety, prayers for acceptance of his ministry and prayers that he will come to them.
Paul's desires are quite plain then : he wants to journey to Jerusalem and be accepted there and joyfully distribute the gifts. Then he wants to visit Rome full of joy and enjoy a refreshing visit with them. And then he wants to go onto Spain and proclaim the Gospel there. It is this he asks folk to pray about it. He wants to be wrapped up snug in a warm blanket of prayer. And we have no reason to doubt that he was. But within that prayer there is a crucial phrase, "if it is God's will".
If it is God's will - how often people forget to add that to their prayers or indeed to realise how important it is to seek to do only the Lord's will.
Paul knew that in returning to Jerusalem he was walking into the Lion's Den. he was going to come once again into the sphere of those who hated him. he showed the highest courage in so doing and was also complying with God's plan for him which was quite different from Paul's plan. So Paul goes having asked for their prayers and having given them his blessing. In Jerusalem he will be arrested. He is to spend two years in prison in Caesarea and then be taken to Rome where he will spend a further two years in jail before being executed for being a Christian.
God's plans for Paul you see were quite different to Paul's plans for the things of God. This is why we must at all times pray that what we do is part of God's will and submit ourselves totally to God's will.
Paul knew the risks of fulfilling his obligations to the poor in Jerusalem - he knew it could lead to this. But he did it all the same. He didn't get someone else to take the money while he sped on to Rome and Spain for while all human logic might dictate that as the sensible course Paul's only concern was to fulfil his duty and obligation to God and to his fellow Christians.
Let it be our way also!