God’s Plan for Israel (19th Sunday in Ordinary Time)

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After speaking of the glorious inheritance of eternal salvation in our previous readings, St. Paul now turns to the question of why the Jews, whom God originally chose as His people, have rejected Christ. Paul shows his anguish at the unbelief of his countrymen, even going so far to state he would allow himself to be cut off if it meant salvation for the Jews.

Herein lies the paradox of Paul’s thought. On the one hand, the Jews are specially blessed to have been chosen by God to receive His revelations:“Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God” (Romans 3:1-2). Thus, being Jewish gave a great advantage over being Gentile when it came to knowing God’s will.

On the other hand, it is not Jewishness that matters when it comes to eternal life. As he states:“But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel” (Romans 9:6). Elsewhere, he explains that Christians are the true heirs of God’s promises to Abraham, saying, “if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:29). Thus, it is those who confess Jesus as Lord who will be saved, regardless of whether they are Jew or Gentile (Romans 10:9-13).

Furthermore, the unbelief of the Jews was instrumental in God’s plan to bring the Gospel to the nations. Paul explains this in the following words:

“So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!” (Romans 11:11-12)

We who have received the Gospel should rejoice that it has come to us, and ought to pray that Jewish people will come to know Jesus as the Messiah who was foretold to them. In that way, they too may receive salvation.

J. Luis Dizon