Monday after Populus Sion, the Second Sunday in Advent
Posted on December 7, 2020 by under
Scripture: Romans 2:1-16 (NKJV)
2:1 Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. 3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: 7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; 10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God.
12 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law 13 (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; 14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) 16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.
Devotion
“…God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.”
God will judge, according to “my” gospel, the Apostle says. His Gospel? Well, yes, in this very important sense: the Gospel does not float around out there in the ether somewhere. God locates it in men. In this case, in the person and preaching of St. Paul.
Today we celebrate the festival of St. Ambrose, the ancient bishop of Milan and counselor to St. Monika, mother of St. Augustine. Why do we celebrate saints’ days? Not because we want them to help us lobby God for whatever we want, or because we want credit for some of their “extra” good works. And certainly not because we think they each have special departments where they give special help (St. Ambrose is, among other things, considered the “patron saint” of beekeepers). No, we celebrate because 1. God saved them, 2. God used them to accomplish good in this world, and 3. we pray that God would help us to follow their good example.
Ambrose was a man in whom God located the Gospel. He confessed the Faith clearly. The Gospel God located in him saved many in his day. God has the same use of the Gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Christ that He has located in each of us.
Prayer: Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Thine Only-Begotten Son, so that by His coming we may be enabled to serve Thee with pure minds; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
