Romans 1:8-13 (NIV)
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.
I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong–that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.
Paul often begins his letters with praise and thanksgiving. In this case, he thanks God because the faithfulness of the Roman Church has been reported all over the empire and beyond. Even though there had not been any active persecution by the government yet, being a steadfast Christian in a pagan society is never easy. It requires continually swimming against the tide of the times.
Often when pagans turned to Jesus and away from the gods of that society, they were seen by family members, friends and neighbors as threats to the very existence of the village of city. They believed that, at best, the jealous gods would withhold blessings from all the people. But at worst, they would send curses and destruction. So, Christians were often shunned, shamed, or actively driven out. (It is the same in many places around the world today!)
But the Roman Christians had stood firm to the point that news of their faithfulness had spread far outside the city, and Paul had heard of it clear over in Ephesus.
Paul was a powerful and faithful man of prayer whose prayer list was truly enormous and growing. He held every congregation that he knew of before God’s throne, including the Romans, though he had not yet been to the city. He longed to go to Rome, to see the magnificent sites and to have an opportunity to build up and teach the Christians there. He himself had withstood opposition and persecution so often that it had become a norm in his life. He knew how to ride those waves well and hoped that finally his plans to visit Rome could come to fruition so that he could share his insights with the Church.
He also hoped to bring new people into the kingdom of God while he was there, especially among the large Jewish population in Rome. And he also realized that the Roman Christians could strengthen and encourage him, and that he could learn from them as well.
Father, it’s a bit of a paradox that often the Church’s best days are the days in which the Christians face opposition. That’s because in times like those, we must turn to You wholeheartedly and rely on You to provide the strength and stamina that we need to be able to stand strong. Such times strip away all the frills and return Your people to the “one thing (that) is needed” (Luke 10:42), which is You. Help us to remember that, Lord, so that even in times when we aren’t facing persecution we stay strong and focused on You and Your mission for us. Amen.