There’s an old tale about a Presbyterian ministerial candidate being examined for ordination by the gathered clergy and elders of the presbytery: for more than an hour one minister after another stood up to do some probing of the thoroughness and the acceptability of the candidate’s theology. Then one old codger asked the daunting question, “Would you be willing to be damned to hell, for the greater glory of God?” This was a question commonly asked to give the candidate the opportunity of expressing reverence before the inscrutable will of the sovereign Lord. But on this occasion, perhaps because he was feeling a bit weary of the process, the candidate responded, “Sir, I would be willing for this whole presbytery to be damned to hell, for the greater glory of God.”

The theology behind that question comes from Paul’s confession in today’s reading: “I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh” (Romans 9:3). Again in the next chapter: “my dearest wish and my prayer to God is for them, that they may be saved” (10:1). And it seems to be very much in question whether this desire of his will be fulfilled. We recall that “there is no one who is righteous, not even one” (3:10). And “Israel, who did strive for the righteousness that is based on the law, did not succeed in fulfilling that law” (9:31). “Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking” (11:7).

That sounds pretty definitive. But this is not the last word. Paul asks, “Have they stumbled so as to fall?” and answers firmly: “By no means!” (11:11). He offers this decisive declaration: “all Israel will be saved” (11:26). But given what he said earlier, how is this possible? It is because “the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (11:29).

Thus the bottom line seems to be this: if it is up to us to generate righteousness and deserve our way to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles are equally doomed to failure; but if God is the one who has chosen to save us, giving us grace and calling us to salvation, then this gift and calling cannot be annulled. The reality of salvation is what God has made it to be. “From him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever” (11:36).

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With all our hearts we give you thanks, O Lord: for we have fallen short with distressing regularity, yet you refuse to give up on us. You have established your covenant and have resolved you will not change your mind about this, even though we are constantly failing to live up to it. Our strength is not enough: but we trust in you, Lord, and in your steadfast redemption.