The Readings: Joshua 9:22–10:15; Romans 15:14-24; Matthew 27:1-10

Picking up with Rom 15:7, Paul is reprising the story he presented in Rom 1-8. God promises that Abraham will be “the father of many nations” (4:17); the Messiah makes it happen; Paul has no insignificant role in this long-anticipated end-time ingathering of the Gentiles.

Arguing for understanding Rom 7:14-25 as describing Paul’s Christian experience, Cranfield recalls Shakespeare:

                                             But I can see his pride
Peep through each part of him? (Henry 8^th I.i.68f)

And, of course, Paul in today’s text is not immune. But in the midst of plenty of reasons for discouragement, the sense that God is at work creating joy and beauty and that we get to be part of that—we could use more of that “thing with feathers” (yesterday’s post).