Therefore - Romans 12.1-8

20 August 2020

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

Romans 12.1-8

 In 17th century Italy, in the town of Cremona, lived a young boy named Antonio. Antonio was sad because he lived in a town that was famous for its music, but he could neither sing nor play.

 Antonio’s voice was high and squeaky, so he was not welcome in the Cremona Boys’ Choir. When he took violin lessons, the neighbors persuaded his parents to make him stop. Yet, Antonio still wanted to make music.

 

Antonio’s friends kidded him because it seemed that his only talent was carving, but he did not give up. One day the boy learned that a world-famous violinmaker named Amati lived in Cremona. The next morning Antonio went to visit Amati and begged to serve as his apprentice. For many years he studied and worked. Antonio’s knack for carving grew into a skill; his hobby became his craft. Patiently he fashioned many violins, striving to make each one better and more beautiful than the one before.

 

When Antonio died, he left over 1500 violins, each one bearing a label that said "Antonio Stradivarius." Today they are the most sought after violins in all the world. The clarity of tone and careful craftsmanship remain untouched by the centuries. Antonio Stradivarius could neither sing nor play, but he did what he could, and now, over 300 years later, his violins still make beautiful music.

 

This story reminds us that even though Antonio couldn’t play music or sing very well, this didn’t stop him from making music.  He used what skills he did have to enable others to make beautiful music through the instruments he made. And he had someone to mentor him in the use of that gift.  That is precisely what Paul is getting out in our second reading for today from Romans.  I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

 

One of my mentors many years ago told me: “Any time you read the word, therefore, circle it.”  I’ve tried to follow that advice.  The little word therefore is very important here.  Therefore, because of everything God has done, that the apostle Paul has written about in the first 11 chapters of Romans, comes to a head here in chapter 12.  Therefore present yourselves as a living sacrifice. 

 

Why?  Sacrifices are often thought of as a way to please someone.  You sacrifice for someone – you give something up for them, sometimes to please them, or as a duty (this is what I should do) or so that someone else can say, “good job,” or “way to go,” or “I’m proud of you.”  But here it is more the sense of doing it – of being a living sacrifice – as thankful response. 

 

Because of the mercies of God, therefore, present your bodies as a living sacrifice.  So what has God done?  What are the “mercies of God” that Paul refers to?  In a nutshell they are the first 11 chapters of Romans.   

It's like Paul is saying at the beginning of Romans 12, "Since God has given such wonderful mercies to us, the least we can do is present our bodies to God as a living sacrifice!"

Prayer:  Lord, you have given us life; you’ve given us our minds; you’ve given us friends and family; you’ve given us the ability to think and to reason; you’ve given us ways to live a life or purpose.  Guide us in our living, for we open our minds to know you and to fear you.  In your name we pray.  Amen.