NOTES for Rom 12:9-21

Paul's words about sincere love seem quite clear, at least, in the context of the understanding of the love which is proper to the not transformed world. Of course, for the fallen man, it is not so simple to be sincere in love. And the problem here is not either in the feelings and or in the ideas, which sometimes darken the image of the neighbor. Of course, feelings and ideas play their role in the relationships between men. But the main role in relationship is played all the same by the will, the choice made by man. And here is, it turns out that it is very difficult for the fallen man to be responsible and coherent.

The endurance is the external expression of the spiritual integrity, but after the fall people are not born spiritually upright. It is still necessary to obtain the spiritual integrity, and it can be obtained only by one means: by the strict and successive observation of the Torah, the commandments given by God. As we see, the apostle is also calling for the same thing, advising to the seekers of sincere love to become cling to good and hate the evil. But according to the life of the Kingdom, it is already necessary to speak about love not only as a relationship to God or the neighbor. Love for the Kingdom becomes a natural environment of life, a space, inside which develop and form all the relationships.

Such space for relationships also exists for the relationships of the not transformed world, but here this environment is psychic, and thus, natural, as part of the nature (although its completely special part) is the psyche itself. And the environment of the Kingdom becomes love, which is not a part of the nature: because it appears thanks to this breath of God, by which the Kingdom is penetrated from the center to the most distant borders. In particular the love of the Kingdom is this spiritual environment, inside which arise and develop all the relationships of its inhabitants. In fact, it is in particular these relationships that form the structure of the Kingdom, give it the shape. And here sincerity has a singular value: because it is in particular it that defines the quality of a relationship.

Sincerity of relations in the not transformed world defines, above all, the stability of the interpersonal relationships; in the Kingdom it defines the stability of the Kingdom. It is not surprising that it can exist only on the condition of the complete sincerity of the relations of each of its inhabitants to all the rest. And that is why nobody will enter the Kingdom, if he does not manifest in his relations to the neighbor this sincerity: because not having it, man will become not the edifying, but the destroyer of the Kingdom. Destroyer, who cannot have a place in the Kingdom.

How striking the words of the apostle Paul about relationships between men contrast with what we see around us. The Disrespect of one another, the humiliation of human dignity is outstanding characteristics of our life. It is such a common thing that we stopped realizing it.

That is why the words of the apostle are "as a gulp of fresh air ". Remarkable that they are very concrete, as they say now words. The apostle explains in detail what means "In everything, treat people the same way you want them to treat you". The concreteness of these indications gives us the possibility of realizing them in our life, in our relationship one another. It is important that it is particularly in this, and not in something else, that is already given to us in this life, in this world, the possibility to touch the Sky, the Kingdom of the forthcoming century.

And still: the words " fervent in spirit; serving the Lord" said in this text have a logical link with all the rest. Be in brotherly love – serving the Lord. When Christians say that it is given to them to meet the Resuscitated Jesus, it is in no way of a metaphor of art, but the simple truth. We only need for that to be in brotherly love one to another with affection; and moreover, not only to close relatives and friends, but to one another- to all.

Every Christian knows that his work is witness, witness to Christ and to the Kingdom that Christ brought into the world. And the more actively he bears witness, the more people around him will be saved. But what is witness? Usually by witness we mean words and actions that can let those around us understand what the Kingdom is and what kind of life its inhabitants live. But what about the people to whom we are bearing witness? Is the Kingdom what they are thinking about?

The question may seem strange, since every Christian knows that it is precisely in the Kingdom that all difficulties are overcome and all problems are resolved. No religion, of course, will help here, but participation in the fullness of the Kingdom can help. It is no accident that healings become one of the main witnesses to the power of the Kingdom during the time of the Savior's earthly ministry.

Of course, every healing turns out to be a witness. But why healings specifically? The simplest answer is that this is what people expected first of all. More than that, some of them, and perhaps most of them, at first expected from Jesus only healing once they had heard about Him, and only after receiving what they wanted did they begin to think about something greater, though not all did and not always. But Jesus did not begrudge these people the Kingdom, its power, or its life. He understood that until a person is convinced that the problem that had poisoned his whole life up to that point can be resolved, he will not believe in any Kingdom as a reality and will not accept it as reality.

And the apostle, as can be seen, understands this very well too. Witness to the Kingdom, however paradoxical it may sound, must begin not with abstract words about the Kingdom, and not even with one's own experience of life in it, but with the person to whom one has to bear witness, with his life, with his problems. But not, of course, in order simply to talk about what hurts and tear the wounds open even more, but in order to testify to him about the possibility of resolving his problems and changing his life if he decides to take a step after Christ. Not in order to become an adherent of some religion new to him, which most likely will not help him at all, but in order to become an inhabitant of His Kingdom, where problems, of course, do not disappear by themselves as if by magic, but where they can find their resolution.

Every Christian knows that his work is a witness, a witness about Christ and about this Kingdom, which Christ brought into the world. And the more active he witnesses, the more people around are saved. But what is witness? Usually by witness we understand the words and acts, which can make clear to those who surround us, what is the Kingdom and which life live its inhabitants. And who are even the people, to whom we witness? Do they need this Kingdom? The question may seem odd: for, every Christian knows that it is exactly in the Kingdom that all the difficulties are overcome and all the problems - solved. No religion will help of course here, but the communion in the plenitude of the Kingdom can help. It is not accidentally if one of the main witnesses of the power of the Kingdom in the time of the earthly ministry of the Savior was healing. Of course, every healing is a witness. But why is especially healing? The simplest answer: because it is in particular what people waited first of all.

Furthermore: some of them (and maybe, most) at the beginning, having only heard about Jesus, they expected from him only healing, and only once having received the wished, began to think higher (in more not all, and not always). But Jesus was not sorry to give to these people the Kingdom, its strength, its life. He understood that, as long as man will not be persuaded that the problem poisoning up till now all his life is soluble, he will not believe in such Kingdom as a reality, an will not accept it as reality.

And the apostle, as seen, also understands it perfectly. The witness of the Kingdom, as it may seem paradoxical, should not begin with the abstracted words about the Kingdom and not even with the personal experience of life in this Kingdom, but rather it would be necessary to begin with this person to whom we want to witness, with his life, his problems.

And of course not just to speak about painful things and revive even more wounds, but to show him the possibility of a resolution of his problems and the change of his life in case if he will decide to make the step to Christ. Not in order to become a follower of a certain new religion (which will probably, not help him), but in order to become an inhabitant of His Kingdom, where problems of course, don’t disappear by themselves magically, but where they can find their solution.

Speaking of relationships among the faithful, Paul advises them to follow the example of those who in those days were commonly called "the poor" or "the humble." Once, eight centuries before the coming of the Messiah, in the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem, this was the name given to the prophet's followers, who gave rise to an entire religious movement. Its participants called themselves "the poor" or "the humble," although the issue was usually not their material condition but their spiritual state. These people considered their main goal to be preparation for meeting the Messiah, whose imminent coming Isaiah spoke of.

They called themselves "the poor" and "the humble" because they understood that only by renouncing everything one has in this world and completely giving oneself over to God's will can a person hope to enter the Messiah's Kingdom. And Paul, addressing his fellow believers, calls them to the humility of which the "poor" of the pre-exilic age had already spoken. What does the apostle understand by humility when the issue is one's attitude toward a neighbor, toward a fellow member in Christ? First of all, what in Russian translation is called, not very successfully, "being of one mind." One might think that the issue is shared views on one or another question.

In reality the corresponding Greek expression means "to think of another in the same way." And the issue is, on the one hand, not to single anyone out or give anyone preference, and on the other hand, not to place oneself above others either. Such a call may seem impossible to fulfill: people are different, and these differences cannot be ignored. But Paul does not call us to ignore the difference between people. He proposes only not to single some out over others, not to place some higher and others lower on the basis of a person's abilities or personal merits.

And in this sense not to give preference to oneself either, "not to be proud of oneself," as the apostle says. Indeed, true humility consists not in considering oneself lower than everyone, but in ceasing to evaluate both oneself and others. Of course, we are all different, and these differences must be seen. But it is not worth trying to determine who is more significant in God's eyes, who is higher and who lower in this respect. God Himself can determine this when the need arises. And we can do His work perfectly well without thinking at all about how much higher or lower we are in His eyes compared with any of our neighbors.

Evil can affect us in many different ways: through enmity and violence from other people, catastrophes, illness, death... But none of this defeats us as long as we do not let it into our inner, spiritual world. The victory of evil is when vindictiveness, grumbling, and despondency seize us from within. It cannot be defeated by just retribution; there is only one path to victory, and Christ has shown it: active love, self-sacrifice for the salvation of sinners.

Evil can influence us by various means: the hostility and the violence from other people, disasters, diseases, death... But all this does not vanquish us, until we admit them into our internal, spiritual world. The victory of evil is when rancor, murmuring, despondency grasps us from within. Evil cannot be overcome with a just reward, there is only one way to overcome evil, and the Christ manifested it - efficient love, self-sacrifice for the salvation of the sinners.