So Close and Yet So Far Away

"How shall they hear without a preacher?" -St. Paul

Paul's reflective discourse on the proclamation of the gospel is a contemplative response to his own confusion (frustration?) with Israel's deaf condition. The pen must have been heavy in the apostle's hand. Forced to face the reality of Israel's rejection of Christ as their Messiah.

Being as I reject the simplicity of inspiration by dictation, I anticipate these may have been words which he did not want to write. The humbled Pharisee grapples with the tension between establishing ones own righteousness versus submitting to the righteousness of God. A righteousness (all his own) that he is at times is willing to "bring up," (see Philippians 3) though it always seems to leave a bitter taste in his mouth. As if it was somehow not good enough. Paul finds solace in Moses (just like an x-pharisee to go there) in referring to Deuteronomy 30. For it is there the old prophet calls the people to "love the Lord your God." God's willingness to covenant with them and in effect make them the "covenant community" anticipated a response. A relationship if you will. To know him is to be humbled before him, to be compelled to worship him. One can not help but obey him.

Subsequently, one must be familiar with the context out of which Paul grasps the "righteousness which is of the law." Once that is understood the tension between the "righteousness which is of the law" and the "righteousness out of faith" melts away. For they are one in the same. Paul's tension is not with Torah then but with how Israel practiced Torah and to some extent what they believed about it. Or to put it another way, they believed too much in themselves.

Salvation is so close and yet so far away. This is Paul's hope/lament. The source of all Hope becomes the tool of great pain. Has the Church like Israel reduced Paul's words into a mere formula for salvation? While I will not go so far as to say it is not formulaic it is certainly far more.
The same compelling faith called for by Moses is echoed by Paul (see 10.8 "that is"). If it is reduced to the formulaic is it not the same falacious faith of Israel? A faith in one's own words versus a faith transfixed in God's word. His word of promise.

So we press on, preach on, for how shall they believe in whom they have not heard? Maybe that is our problem. Like Israel, the Church has become hard of hearing. So God reaches, to a disobedient and obstinate people. For our salvation is nearer than we imagined, he is in your mouth and in your heart (8). He is closer than you think and never far away. Sola Fide, WHB