Sharing Blessings

 DEVOTION

THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS

SHARING BLESSINGS

Rom 15:23-29

23 But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to see you, 24 I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to visit you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. 27 They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. 28 So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this fruit, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. 29 I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ.

NIV

We are coming to the conclusion of this letter and Paul is making some personal comments regarding his travel plans that include his desire to visit these believers in Rome. We know that he will get to Rome but not the way he intended to, and we would think that even in his house arrest life, some of these believers make a visit to him. But for now, the only thing we can glean from this personal comments is the point that other believers had taken up an offering to help the poor in the church in Jerusalem. This would mean that Gentile believers were helping Jews that were in need. This is just another example of the unity of faith within the body of Christ. Certainly, the modern church is working in this same sense as we give our tithes and offering that include, through the direction of either the church board or whatever form of organization each church has, a line item for the poor, such as a benevolent fund or something like that. In addition, most churches give some support to those who have been called to missionary work, not that they are poor, but they are not in full-time employment with income of their own for they dedicate their full-time efforts to their calling, much like the pastors of the church. Nevertheless, it is right to look after those who are in need, and in some way, through our tithe and offerings, we are doing that. In addition, Paul was speaking about being able to share in the spiritual blessing of other believers. Here the Gentiles were sharing the spiritual blessing of the Jews, because in some sense Jesus came to the Jews, and was rejected in the general sense by the Jews. Of course, there were those who believed, but the nation as a whole rejected Jesus as the Messiah and therefore the Gentiles were brought the good news. But that was the plan all along, as Jesus commissioned his twelve to go into all the world to preach the good news. Still, it is good to share in the spiritual blessings of others. When there is someone or a church that has been spiritually blessed, the rest of us should rejoice in their blessings because we too have been blessed by knowing Jesus as our Lord and Savior,  which is the spiritual blessing Paul is talking about. There should always be rejoicing when others receive this spiritual blessing and there should always be the sharing of our material blessings with those who are in need.