Matins Devotion: January 7, 2024

Romans 1:1-17

When St. Paul says that he is not ashamed of the Gospel, he says this with regard to his apostolic calling. He has been called to serve everyone the Lord puts in his way. And no matter how they respond, he will not shy from proclaiming the saving blood of Christ. He’ll proclaim this to Jews, Greeks, Barbarians, to the wise and the foolish alike.

How, then, does this apply to us as Christians? On the one hand, we should always be ready to give a defense of the hope that is within us as St. Peter tells us. But on the other hand, we’re not called into Paul’s apostolic office. We’re not called to preach in every corner of the world. We can order chimichangas without having to call our waiter to repentance. How exactly does this “not ashamed of the Gospel” thing work for the average Christian?

Well, I think a simple answer is this: We are to live with the Gospel covering us and radiating from us. We are to talk about the salvation of Jesus Christ as freely as we talk about our children or sports or the weather. We are to live as though we have nothing to prove to unbelievers, to say what we believe is true and to not fear their reaction because we know we have the favor of God that has made us righteous. Why would we trade that favor for theirs?

And, in a strange sort of way, not being ashamed of the Gospel also means that we have nothing to prove to our fellow Christians. We don’t need to take on a pious vocabulary around them that we don’t use otherwise. We don’t need to call our waiters to repentance over chimichangas when we’re at dinner with them so they can see we’re just as dedicated and devout as they are. Your salvation comes from the blood of Christ, not from impressing other people covered in that blood.

In all of this, for the average Christian, not being ashamed of the Gospel means being normal, natural, living as one who rejoices in the name of Christ and doesn’t feel the need to use that name as a kind of lipstick to put on when the other Christian girls make you feel less pretty. It means not being afraid to pray in front of your waiter over chimichangas, just as it means not waiting to pray until he can see you. Not being ashamed of the Gospel means being who God has made you and being at peace in all things.