Romans 15:23-29 (NIV)
But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to see you, I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to visit you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while. Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there. For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this fruit, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ.
Paul’s sights were set firmly forward. The gospel had reached well into all the area between Israel and Rome, and he knew he could leave the unreached pockets in the hands of those who were already followers. They were faithful to the Great Commission and would see to it that the light reached all those dark areas quickly.
His focus now was on the areas west and north of Rome, the vast majority of which was completely unreached gentile territory. His plan was to visit Rome for a while, encourage the Church there, gather funds to support his mission efforts, and then head toward Spain.
But first, he had to return to Jerusalem, to help deliver the gift that had been raised by the Churches in Macedonia and Asia for the impoverished Churches in Israel (1 Corinthians 16:1-4, 2 Corinthians 8:1-15).j Once that task was done, Paul planned to head to Rome, and then on to the far western limits of the Empire.
The Holy Spirit had not yet revealed to Paul that he would indeed return to Rome after his visit to Jerusalem, but that it would be three years before he got to Rome, and that he would arrive in chains. He was going to be arrested in the temple just a few days after his arrival, and would survive multiple attempts on his life, and even a shipwreck! (Acts 21:26-28:16)
But even if he had known that all that was going to happen to him, it really wouldn’t have mattered. Paul was always at the Lord’s disposal, considering himself to be a bondservant of Jesus (Romans 1:1, Philippians 1:1, Titus 1:1), willing to face even imprisonment and death for the cause of the gospel to which he had dedicated his life (Acts 21:13).
The bottom line is that Paul did ultimately make it to Rome, true to his word and God’s promise. And, also true to God’s plan, he really did come in the blessing of Christ, and had a powerful impact on the Church there, bringing many to Jesus and helping those already in the faith to grow.
Father, Paul was nothing if not single-minded. He had given himself to the cause of Christ, seeing it as his duty to keep pushing the boundaries of Your kingdom out further and further into the spiritual wilderness, helping multiplied thousands to not only find the path of life but to enter fully in, to take hold of that for which Christ had taken hold of him (Philippians 3:12). Father, I pray that You would set that kind of passionate fire in my own heart. Help me to give my all every day to grow Your kingdom as Jesus has commissioned all of us to do (Matthew 28:18-20). Amen.