Romans 16: 25-27 (links validated 11/21/23)

William Manchester wrote a scintillating biography of American General Douglas MacArthur entitled, American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur: 1880-1964. In it he vividly describes MacArthur’s concept of glory. Manchester writes how people like MacArthur would “[slog] in the mud, enduring filth, living in stinking clothing and crawling over jagged soil under crisscrosses of barbed wire to have a bloody dash with a bestial enemy.” “Why?” asks Manchester. “The explanation was that men like MacArthur, raised to believe in Victorian heroism, invested even the nightmare of trench warfare with extravagant chimeras of fantastic glory.”

always good insights!

Stan Mast tells of reading a report about the first official scrimmage of the Cleveland Cavaliers after LeBron James rejoined that team back in 2014. James was and, arguably, remains the best player in the National Basketball Association. People and organizations have honored James and given him awards ever since he began to play basketball. He already has all that “glory.” But the article described how glorious James was in this first scrimmage — how he passed, rebounded, dunked, shot, and defended. The article’s author noted how, in fact, the entire Cavalier team was better because he was there. “This report,” writes Mast, “proclaimed the glory of LeBron James in a way that made him seem even more glorious. His glory was magnified for all to see.” That, concludes Mast, is something like what Paul calls us to do with God in our own lives and in the world. We give the already glorious God glory because of God’s grace that God most clearly displayed in Jesus Christ.

“Don’t call it a list!” That is the refrain from a classic Fred Craddock sermon on this passage from Romans 16. It is filled with Craddock’s signature wit, humor, and keen pastoral insight. I highly recommend taking the 20 minutes to give it a listen...