May all people know the love of God

August 18, 2002, Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

	Fr. Richard Ver Bust

In today's second reading, Paul continues to reflect on the role of Israel. He believes its failure to accept Jesus Christ is a temporary one. We saw how he grieved over this unwillingness of Israel to follow Jesus even though they had been the beneficiaries of a long history of God's love. Paul praises God for the wonderful blessings bestowed on Israel.

Our reading opens with an address to the Gentile members of the Church of Rome. He reminds them that his mission is to the Gentiles. He takes pride in what he has done in creating many churches throughout the Roman Empire. He cautions these Gentiles not to be arrogant because they have received the benefits of God's call. They have no right to look down on Israel.

Paul believes that it is his task to challenge his fellow countrymen and create jealousy of what has happened to the Gentiles. His work with the Gentiles might encourage them to realize what they have failed to do. He certainly considers himself to be a descendent of the people of Israel. We know from the Acts of the Apostles that he still continued to go to the temple when he was in Jerusalem. He takes this seriously when uses the expression they are "my flesh." He has a sense of real solidarity with them and their history.

Paul recognized the wonderful gift God was giving to the Gentiles in their call to faith. So he thought Israel, in seeing this act, may awaken to the sense of what God had done. He believed this could stimulate his fellow Israelites to accept Christ. He built upon this reversal of fortunes. He thought that in Israel's rejection of the gospel, the Gentiles had benefited, so maybe the Gentile's acceptance would lead to the conversion of the Jews.

Paul expressed his idea in greater depth in the second half of our reading. He recalls God's love expressed in the lives of the patriarchs of Israel. Through them Israel had been called to a wonderful task and they had been his special people. In the Book of Exodus, God had said even though all the earth is mine, you will be my chosen people. They would serve him as priests and bring salvation to the entire world.

Once chosen, the promise and election was irrevocable. Paul said that the Gentiles had sinned in worshiping false gods. It might be that out of the mercy God showed to the Gentiles a mark of forgiveness would be shown to Israel. He believed that God who had so loved Israel once could not now turn his back on them.

This means that neither group should look down on the other. Paul's teaching certainly is a basis for a rejection of anti-Semitism. He could never accept what developed in history. Since Vatican II and with the teaching of Pope John Paul II we realize how we failed. This is the reason that during the Jubilee Year the Pope asked for forgiveness for what Christians had done to Jews.

God is gracious in giving these acts of mercy to both Israel and the Gentiles. Neither group had earned this gift. The Psalm we pray today, Psalm 67, praises God for the wonderful things the Lord has done for the people of Israel. This blessing might make other people more conscious of who God is and how loving God is. The psalm ends with a prayer that all people may know this blessing.

(Fr. Ver Bust holds the title of professor emeritus in religious studies at St. Norbert College, De Pere.)