No More Separation

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39 ESV) Being “on the road” often means being separated from the ones we love and the things that are most familiar. We have been “on the Roman Road” and have reached Paul’s climactic ending to all the obstacles that get in the way of our faith in God. Everything imaginable is addressed in these verses as Paul shows us the depths of God’s love for us.

Our community here at International Lutheran Church is familiar with the challenges of separation and being “on the road.” Many of us have the shared experience of leaving those familiar things of our childhood and traveling to places far from home. Many of us have felt the discomfort of being separated from family, friends and loved ones. As Chenhsi and I make our last presentations and prepare to return to Korea, we are again feeling the lump in our throats of saying goodbye for another season. Thankfully this feeling never gets easier, only harder, reminding us of what is truly important.

This is why Paul's words are so relevant for us today. As he closes the argument concerning our life in Christ and the challenges we face because we are connected to Jesus, we see that there are two important truths to keep us on the right track. First, God is working all things for our good. His plan for us is not bad but for our good, even the difficult things we face. Suffering, hardship, challenges, and setbacks are not a sign of God's anger or displeasure, but rather He uses even these things to bring about His plan for good. Second, we need to know that nothing can separate us from God's love, or from God Himself. Paul's list is still relevant today as we face all these things still now. We may describe them in different ways, but he has included everything possible - past, present, future, even life or death.

But how is it that Paul can be so certain? This is the critical part of the Gospel. For us to be inseparable from God, this action must be carried out by God Himself. This He has done in sending our Savior who on the cross was separated from His Heavenly Father so that we would be reunited with Him. By Christ’s death, God definitively separated us from all that would separate us from Him. In the Gospel lesson for today the three parables that end Matthew 13 remind us of how we are precious to God. Not only did He go looking for us to find us, but He also sold ALL He had to make us His own. This is why Paul can say, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:11). Nothing can separate us from Him or His love. This is good news for us, and for the whole world.

We are not the only generation to experience the challenges of migration, immigration, displacement, and the rapid change of worldwide unrest. This is why these words from Romans continue to encourage and strengthen us. In every age, God wants us all to know the good news that He has removed all the barriers that would ever separate us from Himself, and that we would be encouraged to share this Good News wherever He sends us!

Pastor Carl