In Romans 9-11, Paul is lamenting the fact that his own people, the Jews, had come into conflict with God. They had rejected what God really wanted for them and from them. In today’s reading, Paul addresses the question of where exactly the Jewish people went wrong. They certainly didn’t lack zeal but, as Paul says here, their zeal was misdirected. What God really wants is for us to come to him as dependent children in love and faith. But they had changed the simple faith into a religion of moral spiritual achievement. They were trying to make themselves right by their own effort and this isn’t what God really wants. God wants children, not just servants. Because of what Jesus has done, Paul has told us, we can return to God and entrust ourselves to him again (faith), and if we do this we will be forgiven. We don’t have to establish our own righteousness; we just have to have faith. But Paul has seen most of his people reject Jesus, because Jesus didn’t support their religion. Ironically, they chose their endeavour of trying to get themselves right, over Jesus, who was God coming to embrace them in love and grace. It is really important that we get this message. What God really wants from you is not moral and spiritual achievements. He just wants you to come to him with childlike faith knowing that you can’t live without him. He wants little children not spiritual gurus.
Tell God how much you need him.
Read Romans 9:30-10:21
