Reading for Friday, 5th Week of Lent

Romans 11:25-39

“For without regret are the gifts and calling of God.” (Rom 11:29)

Next week, of course, is Holy Week. And so in the Daily Office Lectionary, we conclude our journey through Paul’s Letter to the Romans.

Throughout this letter, Paul has tried to convince Jews and Gentiles that they are lost in their sin, and have no power to help themselves. But the One who has the power to judge will even give himself, in Jesus Christ, to satisfy divine justice (Rom 3:23-26). Even when we accept the Good News, but fall short of the life of grace, God’s own Spirit helps us in our weakness, so that “all things work together for good to those who love God” (Rom 8:28).

This week, we have seen how God deals with outright rejection: with timeless patience. We still have yet to see how the fulfillment of God’s promises to the children of Abraham will happen. Yesterday, we heard Paul’s warning to the Gentile Christians not to become smug toward the Jewish people. Sadly, far too often, we Christians have been exactly that.

But Paul knew the depth of God’s grace in his own life. And if he was here today, I believe that he would continue to trust God’s grace to set things right, to bring about a time when there would no longer be any need to “regret” the wrongs we have done to each other. God in his mercy does not sneak a look back at some old memory of hurt. God does not pick at the old scar.
As we prepare to walk with Jesus on his journey to the Cross, regret is appropriate for us. But let us remember that for God, regret is not the last word. That last word is Grace.