Romans 9: Part 3

Continuing the look at Romans 9:

Romans 9:19-21:  Who do you think you are to talk back to God? Does the clay say to the potter, “Why did you make me like this?”  Doesn’t the potter have the power over the clay to make one pot for special purposes and another for garbage from the same lump of clay?

I am crafty. I like to make things – I make cards out of paper and ink, I make scarves and socks out of yarn using sticks. I have even tried to make objects out of polymer clay. Nothing I’ve made out of polymer clay ever is exactly what I want it to be.

Does the clay say, “Hey! Why are you shaping me like that?” No. And I think Paul is telling us that we shouldn’t be questioning God’s fairness in his mercy. And yet, there is this mystery between the potter and the clay. The clay doesn’t always do what the potter desires – at least, my clay doesn’t.

It reminded me of Job. Yes, I don’t really like Job. I’ve made my peace with the book, as long as I ignore the first little bit. I do like the part at the end, when God enters into conversation with Job. God doesn’t explain why what has happened, happened. God instead says, “Where you then when I set the foundation of the earth?”

God is God and I am not.  God is the creator – the maker, and who are we to question the fairness of God’s mercy? And yet, we do. All the time. We judge who should receive mercy and who is not worthy. We judge ourselves; we judge others.

Is it a lack of trust, do you think? Do we trust God enough to actually be the judge?