Genealogy of Grace
The last Sunday of October is always Reformation Sunday. It is celebrated in many protestant churches around the world, commemorating the spiritual and social transformation ignited by Martin Luther in 1517. The Reformation was an eruption of spiritual appetite and energy. It was set in motion when Dr. Luther, a priest and theologian and professor of the Roman Catholic Church, posted on the cathedral door a document listing 95 ideas he wished to debate. These were doctrines and practices of the Christian world of the Middle Ages. He doubted some, rejected others, and desired to reform most. Like a tsunami, his spirit of freedom and faith spread throughout Europe and before it was over, the united of the Christian church in Europe was shattered by the formation of the Church of England, the Lutheran Church of German, the Calvinistic churches of France, Switzerland, and elsewhere, and the smaller churches of what we now call the Radical Reformation, the anabaptists, the Mennonites, and other sometimes small and nameless communities of faith. We Baptists trace our heritage to this Radical wing of the Reformation.
Martin Luther underwent his personal transformation through a study of Paul’s great letter to the Romans. It is considered one of the most influential pieces of literature in the history of western culture. It is worthy of reading; it is worthy of a year’s supply of sermons; it is worthy of our time this morning, as we consider what we now call the last chapter of this letter: chapter 16:1-24.
1.
One of the great pleasures of the preacher is introducing to the people the portions of Holy Scripture that are memorable, powerful, and useful to the Christian life. And that is the privilege I have this morning.
There are many important assertions, statements, and quotations in Paul’s Letter to the Romans that are worthy of our attention. In chapter one, he writes: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation.” In chapter three, Paul writes, “There is no difference between the Jew and the Gentile, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and all are set right with God freely by the grace that has come through Jesus Christ.” In chapter five, the great apostle writes, “Sence we have been set right with God through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” In chapter eight, there are three verses I wish to quote today. Verse one reads: “There is not no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Verse 28 reads: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love God and who have been called according to the purposes of God.” Verse 38 states: “I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any power, neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation is able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Finally, I would be remis if I did not add to this list the first two verses of chapter 12: “I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of Gods mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and leasing to God. Do not confirm to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Any of these, and more, are worthy of our attention this morning; but I want to focus not on the great teachings and exhortations I have read to you. I want to draw your attention to the last chapter, the roll call of faith, the genealogy of grace that Paul dictated to Tertius that one day long ago in a Roman prison somewhere in the mediterranean world. Let me read in your hearing chapter 16, verses 1-24.
II.
I love chapter sixteen because it is a list of names. These are people important to Paul and his spiritual journey. These are people significant to his career as a gospel worker, as a theologian, as an evangelist, as what we call today a community organizer. Paul traveled the Mediterranean world organizing small faith communities, committed to the way of Jesus and the worship of God and the care of others.
It is important to note, as we reflect on these words, that Paul had never been to Rome. He was incarcerated somewhere in a jail or prison, perhaps Caesarea, perhaps Ephesus, perhaps Corinth. We do not know, although most scholars have an opinion! Jails in the ancien8t world are different than today. They were small, locally run, and provided no clothing, food, or medicine for their inmates. Today, the United States has embraced a policy of mass incarceration. Much of this is rooted in the racist culture of the United States and in serious mismanagement of the drug scourge. I have watched the old films of Johnny Cash singing at the San Quinton prison in California; the audience is also totally white. But now, prison populations are heavily black and brown.
Ancient Rome and its affiliate jurisdictions had no such policy of mass incarceration. Paul was arrested often for disturbing the piece and violating local regulations about religion. In his letter to the Corinthians, he sums up the hardships of his life, including incarceration, beating, and stoning. He depended upon friends and colleagues to bind up his wounds, provide his food, and write his letters. And it is many of these people that he names in this 16th chapter of Romans.
Here is his roll call of 27 names: Phoebe, Pricilla, Aquilla, Epenetus, Mary, Andronicus, Junia, Ampliatus, Urbanus, Stachys, Apelles, Aristobulus, Herodion, Narcissus, Tryphena, Tryphosa, Persis, Rufus, Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, Philologus, Julis, Nereus, and Olympas. Twenty-seven people, and I note there are 27 people in our sanctuary today, plus this preacher! Paul knew them all by name, just as I know the name of every person here today.
Paul concludes this great treatise on salvation and grace and the purposes of God in the world with this sweet, personal rollcall of friendship. We know very little about most of these people, but I want to draw attention to two. At the top of the list is Phoebe, a deacon at the church in Cenchreae and a benefactor of much gospel work. She is listed first, scholars assert, because she was delivering the letter from Paul to Rome. She is a woman of great standing. I wonder if we have any Phoebes in our congregation today!
Then, Paul mentions Priscilla and Aquila, “My co-workers in Christ Jesus” he calls them. I took a liking to this couple when I moved to Pittsburgh and became pastor to an entire congregation of transplanted people. In our congregation were people from four continents and many states. It pushed me to reread the Bible and explore the life and times of Priscilla and Aquila. The couple first appears in Corinth, then in Ephesus, back in Corinth, and finally in Rome. As they moved around the Mediterranean Sea, they worked with the network of Christian leaders to tell the Jesus story and serve the Jesus people.
III.
Can you make a list of the people who have shaped you, taught you, loved you, forgiven you, and opened doors for you?
This time of thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for the people who have blessed your life.
Like Paul the apostle, I have my own list. I thank God for my pastor Clarence Walker who baptized me. I was ten years old. He said to me as I stood in the water, “Don’t look at the people. You will get nervous.” I am sure that is a quote from some book of the bible.
I thank God for pastor Walter Price who took a collection from his friends and said to me, “Dwight, if you ever decide to go to Israel, this money is here for you.” One year later, Jan and I took off for Tel Aviv and found ourselves living in Jerusalem during the Yom Kippur War.
I thank God for President Bill Crouch, who said to me when he hired me, “I want you to do a radio program.” That launched The Meetinghouse in 1998.
I thank God for Craig Dykstra. He was vice president of the Lilly Endowment. We were talking unscripted and unplanned about a new idea, and he said to me: “Here is what we are going to do. We are going to give you the money and let you do it.” Thus, was born the Academy of Preachers.
I thank God for my dad who knelt beside me in the second-floor bedroom I shared with my brother. I was nine years old, and he showed me how to pray and trust Jesus.
I thank God for my mother who sent me a book when I was a freshman in college. I still have that book, Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis. It started me on an intellectual journey that brought me enormous joy.
This is part of my genealogy of grace. What names are on your roll call of gospel workers who brought you to Christ and led you in the things of time and eternity?
Here is one last question: is there somebody who would put your name on their genealogy of grace? Is there somebody who will call your name when they are making out their rollcall of gospel workers?
I invite you to make that your ambition.
I recently attended a wedding. The minister included in her homily this charge to the young couple, I think it is a good summary of what godly, Christ-entered influence looks like today: “Embrace mystery. Cultivate curiosity. Cherish difference. Challenge injustice. Plant kindness. Breathe gratitude. Spark joy. Never, ever doubt the power of love to heal and transform.”
You be that person today. And somebody will put your name in their genealogy of grace.
