Scratches and Forks
Romans 5: 1 - 8
Intro: A very wealthy king possessed an extremely large, exquisite ruby. He sat for hours admiring the depth of color and sparkle. On day he noticed a huge scratch across the middle of the stone causing the king to be terribly upset so much so that he would be willing to give ½ of his kingdom to the person who could return his gem to its original beauty. A jeweler attempted to buff away the scratch; but it didn’t work. A priest prayed over the stone, but it remained unchanged. A simple sculptor took the stone and with very delicate tools, worked on it for hours. Finally, he returned the stone to the king who discovered the sculptor used the scratch in the stone as the stem for a beautiful rose he had carved into the stone. The sculptor brough peace to the king by combining the beauty of the stone with the tragedy of the scratch.
I VS 1 “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
A The central theme of this verse is found in the word peace. The Greek word is erene / e????? which can mean peace, quietness, rest or peace in contrast with strife. It is used often to refer to a new relationship between God and humanity brought about by the sacrifice of Jesus.
B So, the peace of which Paul speaks here isn’t just the absence of trouble. It refers to the fact that God has offers us a new relationship.
C We may not be at peace with those around us. We may not experience peace in our home, family or nation. But, we can and should be at peace with God.
II VS 3 “Not only so, but we also glory (rejoice) in our sufferings…” The problem we have with this verse is the word sufferings.
A We all suffer. The problem we experience here is the word glory or rejoicing. Nobody wants to suffer. Nor do we want to rejoice in it. That sounds a little crazy, doesn’t it?
B Perhaps it will sound a little better if we understand the meanings that are present in GK. The GK word is thilipsis / ????? which can be translated as “Pressure / affliction/ anguish / persecution / tribulations / trouble.” The common understanding of the word for us would be “pressure”
C I think most people do everything they can to avoid pressure whether it be physical or psychological. But this is not the complete picture.
III The remainder of VS. 3 & 4 say “we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character hope.
A We have a choice when tough times come; we can be bitter or we can allow God to make us better. The choice is bitter or better.
B Suffering is inevitable, but misery is optional. The choice is ours. God is more concerned with us being holy than He is with our being happy. He is more concerned with our character than our comfort.
C Pressure or suffering can do one of 2 things: it can make something stronger or cause it to crumble. Vs. 5 says, “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” We have hope which is a gift from God. It is only God who can bring life out of suffering, changing despair and suffering into something better.
Concl: A woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness summoned her pastor to discuss her final wishes. After discussing the funeral service, she said she wanted to be buried with a fork in her right hand. “Why a fork?” the pastor asked. “From my childhood on when seated at a dinner table, as the dishes from the main course were being cleared, I was told to keep my fork. It was then that I knew something sweet and savory, something better and wonderful was coming. I want people to see me in that casket with a fork in my hand and wonder, “what’s with the fork?”
