Romans 10:1-13 “We Are Enlightened”

Many of you have said that you want to hear about my and Helen’s trip to Hellas. We have been to Hellas and back indeed. Ha ha. You know I would love to just stand up here and give you the rerun of the travelog; however, I am compelled to preach the Word of God instead. I propose a compromise. We will do both.

The first morning in Athens, Helen and I got up quite early and headed out to the place where Saint Paul preached his sermon–the Aeriopagus. This rock just opposite the Acropolis in Athens is a prime place to watch the sunrise over the Parthenon this time of year. It was indeed amazing for us to consider as we sat there on the rocks that this was the first time that the people heard the Good News of eternal life through faith in Jesus.

In fact, the Greek Orthodox Church has installed a huge bronze plaque that says exactly that in Greek. “This is where the Greek nation first heard the promise of eternal life.” Unfortunately, the plaque is only in Greek, so most of the visitors know nothing of the significance of the mound of rock. They just like the view. This almost inspired me to preach to those that were there! Saint Paul really comes alive when you begin to stand in the places he preached! WE also know that the people of Athens more or less rejected Paul and a church at that time was not established in Athens at all. Saint Paul in his frustration went on to the church in Corinth, where he wrote this letter to Rome.

Our scripture for today starts with a great concept from Paul that gives strength and courage to all Christians: “It is my heart’s desire that all come to know Christ.” Strangely enough in the Greek the word “heart” is missing, as well as the word “desire.” The editors are trying to express something that is in a particular Greek word here that seems very hard to translate into English. The word is ευδοκία. And, I love this word because it reminds me of a specific lady I knew who was my neighbor on the island of Alonissos. I was a young man at the time. So, I politely addressed my neighbor as Kuria Evdokia–or Lady Evdokia.

Kuria Evdokia was a round, bordering elderly mothering type who sat out on her front veranda everyday with baklava and lemonade with which she would treat any passers-by. If you did chance to stop to partake of the fare, she would regale you with story after story while laughing and smiling. She was a simple pleasure to be with–even if you could not understand all that she said because of your limited ability in Greek. It was her pleasure to engage with you.

This is the understanding of ευδοκία. We as Christians find great pleasure in telling all who pass by that eternal life through Jesus Christ is real. Healing in this life is real. This is our greatest pleasure! This is the treat we offer. This is the blessing we share with others around us.

As a bit of irony: One day I came by Kuria Evdokia’s house to see that all of her husband’s clothes were scattered on the sidewalk. She said that I could take anything that I wanted because she had kicked her husband out of the house. Wow, that was a side of her that was unexpected–but knowing the husband was quite understandable.

Then, it became my pleasure to pick up all of the clothes and hold on to them for the husband who was out fishing at the time, so that he would have clothes to wear in the coming days. This is also ευδοκία! Caring for others’ well being and wanting them to be blessed in their lives no matter the circumstance. So, the family ευδοκία taught me all about ευδοκία!

I hope that you take this understanding of wanting to reach out and bless others with the joy and love of Christ home with you today!

Now, the real topic of this sermon that I want to emphasize this morning is about “enlightenment.” Look at verse 2 of today’s scripture: “They have a zeal for God, but it is not enlightened.” I really like this translation of the Greek “epignosso.” Other bibles translate this word as “knowledge” rather than “enlightenment.” But, the “epi” in front of the word “gnosso” makes it what goes around knowledge. It is in fact the light of knowledge that Paul is talking about. If you know Christ, then the whole world is seen in the light of Christ. The whole world is seen with the light of salvation as its goal.

In verse four is that wonderful line “For Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.” The “end” here is the word “telos” in the Greek. Better understood to be the “goal” or the finish line. Like Jared’s recent sermon: the victory we have in Christ as we reach the finish line.

Saint Paul gives us a great warning that we must heed. The finish line is that we all come to Christ. We can read this in Revelation 20 that Jesus will be sitting on the great throne up in heaven. The book of life will be opened. Our lives will be read by Jesus. And by His grace alone, we will find the salvation unto eternal life with God.

However, if we think we have been so enlightened as to be able to say who gets eternal life and who does not, rather than referring to Jesus on the throne, we have kicked Jesus off of the throne, and put ourselves in His place. We have blasphemed. We are not so enlightened as to be able to determine who ascends to heaven. This knowledge only belongs to God. Our only pleasure should be in getting as many people to ascend to God as we can!

I think we have all been in the situation in which our faith is being judged by others. Rarely do we hear the affirmation: “You are of such great and sincere faith that you are surely rising up to God.” No, what we usually get is somebody telling us “Your faith is too weak. You have failed. The devil’s got your soul already.”

To be honest, this was the prime issue for the early church in Rome. You had one group of Christians pointing out all of the failings of the other group of Christians. Those who were of the Jewish tradition and had come to believe were now saying that the non-Jewish Christians, the Gentiles, were not going to be saved because they were eating pork and doing other things that were against the Jewish law.

This is an amazing idea that ALL should stand before God in awe or that ALL should be saved. You see, when I check my own heart on this, I am not sure that I am there yet with this notion of total salvation of all people. I want to be able to feel this desire in my heart! I am just am not sure that my human failings allow that yet.

Not too long before Paul was in Corinth writing this letter to the church in Rome, he and Silas were in prison. Maybe it was this experience that enlightened Paul to the idea of desiring only the salvation of all people. From Acts 16:25-34, “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was an earthquake so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains were unfastened. When the jailor woke up and saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted in a loud voice, ‘Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.’ The jailor called for lights, and rushing in he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them outside and asked, ‘What do I need to do to be saved?’ They answered, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. . . .’”

I know myself well enough that if I were imprisoned falsely and the Lord opened the door for me to escape, I would not be hanging around to talk theology with the jailor! I would be sooo out of there! Yet, Paul’s concern is not for himself. His concern is for the prisoners and the jailor. He wants them to be saved! Isn’t that an amazing story?!

Paul was being really selfless in his wanting to save others—that his one heart’s desire is for others to be saved even above himself. Then, I started to think about the actual act of saving others. Even though it takes a selfless heart to want to save others to Christ, there are some rewards to it as well. I have never felt more affirmed in my own faith then when I have helped lead someone to Christ. It is powerful.

I have been a first responder with a volunteer firefighting unit. I have held people’s lives in my hands. Those of you who are doctors and nurses here will know what I mean for sure. It is a wonderful thing to be able to save another’s life. It is a beautiful thing. It is a dynamic moment in which to reflect on the greater meaning of life.

As great as that moment of saving physical life has been for me, it pales absolutely in comparison to saving one’s spiritual life to God. It is such a rush. I am not going to say that it is like a drug, but it can be unbelievably joyous. Part of it comes from feeling our own salvation once more. When we baptize, for instance, we remember our own baptism. When you save someone to Christ, you remember when you were saved to Christ.

Paul writes to us that we cannot judge who is going to hell and who is going to heaven, BUT if a person calls on the name of Jesus and confesses in his or her belief, then that person will be saved. If that person can speak his or her faith, then salvation is assured. That is the very last verse of our reading for today.

It is such a sweet, sweet sound to hear those words being spoken by another person: “I believe in God and Jesus Christ.” This is Paul’s one heart’s desire to hear those words being spoken again and again until all people are saved unto heaven through Jesus. We are enlightened.

Amen