“It is yourself you condemn when you judge others…” –Romans 2:1b
“…persevering in doing good…” –Romans 2:7b
During his March 5 Angelus address, Pope Francis recommended
that Christians turn to the Bible when we are engaged in spiritual battle. Even asking what if we turned to a little
pocket Bible as often as we turned to our mobile phones.
Okay! I take the bait. I’ve begun reading Paul’s letter to the Romans
for my Lenten reading. The choice was very happenstance, as far as that goes. I
had begun to read Jeremiah on my own, but the Bible group I study with voted to
read Romans, therefore that is what I will read –partly in preparation for the
study group, but most definitely for my own contemplation and spiritual growth.
And so, here is my first meditation on Paul’s longest
letter.
In the opening chapters there is a striking element. Paul
develops an image in chapter one of God’s wrath not as a judgment imposed upon
sinners, but as a natural consequence of their rejection of God. Because they reject Him, God abandons them “to
degrading passions” and “unacceptable thoughts and indecent behavior” (cf. 1: 26-32).
Chapter 1 builds to a crescendo in intensity as Paul proclaims that though these sinners are
“well aware of God’s ordinance[s]” they not only choose to behave in degrading
ways, but “applaud others who do the same” (1:32). So, on some level we are being primed to
anticipate a statement of how these figures should be treated by the Christian
community. And perhaps that is exactly
what we get at the beginning of chapter 2, when Paul warns us: “It is yourself
you condemn when you judge others…”
It fascinates me that a somewhat detailed description of sin
and depravity is followed by a warning against judging. It fascinates me
because it seems to me Paul is making a powerful statement not about sin and
judgment, but about God’s generosity and mercy.
Where we might expect Paul to recommend casting out the sinner, or
avoiding the sin, etc, he instead admonishes us to avoid judging others, lest
we condemn ourselves. And he reminds us
that God’s generosity is “meant to bring you to repentance” (cf.2:4b). This reminder and admonition, call us to
humble ourselves not just before the saints, but also before the sinners. Perhaps,
especially before the sinners. We must treat them generously and with
compassion –if we would be children of the generous and merciful God. If we would be the body of Christ. Because by our compassion and generosity
perhaps we will become –even for a moment-- a sign –an icon-- for someone, of
God’s great love.
The last thing that struck me in this beautifully rich very
early passage from Paul’s letter is his note about those who aim for “glory and
honor and immortality by persevering in doing good…” in verse 7. Coming right after his admonition about judging
and his comment about God’s generosity, I was struck by the thought: How do I
know who is “persevering in doing good?”
I may have no idea what the good is that you are doing? And I certainly
can’t know how much it costs you to persevere in that effort. Perhaps the good you are doing is to be
gentle with a difficult boss, perhaps it is to walk away when others begin to
gossip, or to quiet yourself at the end of the day and bow down on your knees
before God and simply put your trust in His generous love and mercy. I do not
know. I cannot know your heart. And perhaps the good you persevere in will look
to the world like nothing but wasted effort and failure. But, again –who am I
to judge? I’m sure that a death on the cross looked like failure to a lot of 1st
century Romans and Jews.
