Through their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles. (Romans 11:11)
The story of the Jews and their walk with God takes place
over thousands of years. When you consider their part in God’s plan and
the many ways in which they contributed to his plan of salvation, the
sheer scope is awe inspiring. All of those moments throughout history
when God spoke to them or acted through them—Abraham, Moses, Elijah,
Joseph, and Mary—lead toward the singular remarkable occurrence of
God becoming man.
And right at this moment, at the pinnacle of the
long journey toward salvation for all, the Jews seem to stumble. Many
of them failed to recognize the Messiah, and some even pushed the Romans
to execute him!
But whether or not their actions were in line
with God’s wishes, here we see the firmness of his purpose, as well as
his astounding wisdom. No matter how difficult we make it for him, he
can use even our failures and blunders. In this case, God turned the
error of the Jewish leaders on its head and used it as a tool to bring
his salvation and love to everyone. If they had not handed Jesus over,
there would be no cross—and no resurrection!
We might not always
get it right either. Even when we think we are following God’s plan—as
the Jewish leaders no doubt thought—we make mistakes. But the good news
is that whether we meant to turn away from God or not, he has a way of
using even our mistakes and failings for good. So when we slip up, we
shouldn’t think that all is lost. God can redeem every situation, as
well as every person!
What a comforting thought to take with us
when we get caught up worrying about past missteps! And let it be a
reminder to help us look at everyone as God does: not perfect, but still
a part of his plan, still having the potential to do great things
for him. His mercy should be both an encouragement and an example for
us!
from wau.org
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