Are you a remnant?
by Kathy Matuschka
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So, too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace (Romans 11:5).
Read Romans 11:1–12
As a child, I first heard the word ‘remnant’ to describe leftover fabric. A remnant was a short piece of fabric left at the end of a roll or a section that had some sort of fault that prevented it from being sold at its regular price. Although not large enough to make a full project, it could be used in various ways. For example, one could use a remnant to add a frill to lengthen a favourite dress that had become too short. And, of course, an interesting piece of fabric can be used in a game of imagination – this never changes!
As a child, I loved looking through remnants for the most interesting fabrics and patterns. They were like buried treasure! But they were also accessible because I had enough money in my purse to buy a piece if I chose to.
Do you consider yourself (or your congregation) as a remnant in the way Paul describes believers in today’s text? And if so, how do you feel about this calling? Are you a leftover scrap that may never be noticed or used, or are you buried treasure? Perhaps your feelings about this calling vary!
When he wrote to the Romans, St Paul didn’t know what was to become of the Jewish remnant – the far-too-few Hebrew people who accepted Jesus as the Messiah. Today, too, we struggle to understand what God plans for the church. Like a short piece of fabric, we may not feel of much use.
But God’s word reminds us that we have been chosen by grace. To highlight what this means, Paul goes on to say: ‘And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace’ (verse 6). We land again on the centre of this beloved book: we are chosen by grace and remain citizens of God’s new kingdom by grace. It is not because of anything we may or may not be able to do, but by God’s mercy.
And mysteriously, it is only because of God’s grace that God chooses to establish and constantly renew the church.
Dear Jesus, sometimes I feel a bit scrappy and bewildered about how I came to be where I am. I wonder what I’m doing and how I might be of any use in your kingdom. Thank you for choosing me by grace. Help me to live each day in your love, Amen.
Kathy Matuschka works as a hospital chaplain and worships at Our Saviour Lutheran Church Rochedale in Brisbane. As parents of three adult children, Kathy and her husband Mark have been taking great delight lately in learning how to be grandparents.
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