“An ever-present danger”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Tuesday, July 26, 2022
Romans 16:17-27 (Forward, p. 89) CEV p. 1187
Right now, as we are in the midst of a move which combines two residences, we are faced with the question of foodstuffs. Already, I have turfed out items that seemed questionable in terms of their ‘shelf-life’, because, there are those ever-present dangers of contamination and spoilage. In the matter of foodstuffs, it is better to be safe than sorry.
In today’s passage from Romans, the apostle Paul is also saying this with regards to the faith. There is the glorious good news, the message about Jesus Christ which he has proclaimed, a message that for ages and ages was kept secret but which now at last has been told. This is God’s good news for all nations!
But now there are those who have snuck into the Body of Christ, the Church, with other messages and motives. As he says, so very bluntly, “My friends, I beg you to watch out for anyone who causes trouble and divides the church by refusing to do what all of you were taught. Stay away from them! They want to serve themselves and not Christ the Lord. Their flattery and fancy talk fool people who don’t know any better” (vs. 17-18).
Notice two things about this group of people: they refuse to obey—to do what they were taught—and they are self-serving, serving themselves and not the Lord—or, by extension, the Church either. And, sad to say, their speech is flowery and convincing, such that those who don’t know any better might easily be led astray.
Nevertheless, the majority of Paul’s listeners have not been so easily fooled. Quoting Paul again, “I am glad that everyone knows how well you obey the Lord. But still, I want you to understand what is good and not have anything to do with evil” (verse 19). Or, for that matter, with false teachings and bad examples, which contaminate the Church.
It is interesting to note how Paul ends this particular section (verse 20): “Then God, who gives peace, will soon crush Satan under your feet. I pray that our Lord Jesus will be kind to you.” It would seem as if he is linking this contaminating influence to the work of the evil one, as if he is working in and through them.
Furthermore, as the believers remain faithful to the word and teachings and obedient to God’s will, they will be blessed with peace, the peace that comes only from God, and with His mercy and His grace. Furthermore, there won’t be the danger of the true faith, and the obedience of faith, being contaminated by something else. Amen.
Forward notes: “I want you to be wise in what is good and guileless in what is evil” (verse 19b).
“The phrase ‘snake oil salesman’ has always made me think of the old west, of rattlesnakes in the desert and dubious frontier apothecaries. Many of these miracle cures were not only useless but also downright harmful, leading to the creation of the American Food and Drug Administration. People’s willingness to believe in anything that gave them hope was getting them killed.
“In several of our readings today, people’s desire to make their own truth is shown for the risk it can be. In Judges [Judges 2:1-5,11-23], God is disappointed and at times furious that the Israelites are so easily led astray by the gods and idols of their neighbors. In Romans, Paul warns that people with bad motives can cause harm to communities. And Matthew’s Gospel [Matthew 27:32-44] shows the lengths to which some leaders will go to preserve their power. For Christians, faith is a matter of life and death, of victory over death and new life in Christ. Our allegiance and worship is a gift—but to what ends?”
Moving Forward: “When have you been desperate to believe in a quick fix or easy cure?”