Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.—Romans 10:1
I have been thinking on this verse now for several days. At first I was convicted because reading the cross reference verses made me realize just how far short I fall in loving and sympathizing with those around me.
I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.—Romans 9:1-5
If it were possible, Paul would rather go to hell and suffer eternally if by that His Jewish brethren could be saved. Pretty convicting…. Moses had a similar heart:
Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold! Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written."—Exodus 32:31-32
As I continued thinking, however, my heart was also encouraged because it became clear to me that Paul’s desire and prayer for Israel did not come from Paul…they came from the Lord. God’s desires became Paul’s desires simply because Paul delighted in His God with a single-minded devotion. For Paul..to live was Christ and to die was gain. He trusted God to use all that happened to him…the good, the bad and the ugly…to further God’s sovereign plans.
As Paul prayed for the nation who rejected him, misunderstood him, persecuted him and hated him, the Spirit of God produced and shed abroad His supernatural love in Paul’s heart enabling him to love Israel with God’s perfect love. The true spirit of Christianity is that of love and sympathy. It leads to prayer even for persecutors and to hope for even the most hard hearted and hard to love people in our own lives. Paul’s words also made me remember these words from Jesus.
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!
Here is where this verse became not just convicting but also eminently practical for me. As I obey the Spirit of God and pray for the people around me, God works a miracle in my heart. He takes my unlovely, critical, cynical and bitter thoughts toward both my enemies and my friends and in return gives me His love, compassion and right desires for them. He releases me from the prison of making another’s attitude (good or bad) about me. I don’t have to argue with them or analyze them. I can simply bless them by praying for them and in the process my own heart changes. Like Jesus, I begin to care about them. By His Spirit, my heart fills with love, unites with theirs and begins to love them by desiring God’s best for them.
Beloved, Jesus was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him and by His stripes we are healed. And yet, He prays for us continually. Be like Jesus.
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.—Hebrews 4:14-16
Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.—Hebrews 7:25
So he answered and said, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself.'"
And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live."—Luke 10:27-28
But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,—Matthew 5:44
For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.—John 6:38
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him—Colossians 3:12-17
