Timeout!

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:1-10 ESV).

Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin is shown in this picture calling a timeout during the 2013 AT&T Cotton Bowl game between the Aggies and Oklahoma Sooners played at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX. At the time A&M was leading with a narrow margin of 14-13. A&M would go on to win 41-13 in a showcase of Johnny Manziel’s ability after he had won the Heisman Trophy. This time out was a critical moment in the flow of the game. As I was reading the text for today I thought about the clear meanings of “timeout” to an American audience. To parents, it’s a time when a child gets isolated, providing the child an opportunity for reflection upon the link between actions and consequences. And, of course, the other comes out of athletics. It is used to stop play so that a team’s coach can review strategy, articulate an upcoming play, give the players a breather or a pep talk, or to change the momentum of the game. From the moment Paul began his Letter to the Romans, we’ve seen Paul’s outlining of the Gospel as first for the Jew and then for the Gentile (Romans 1:16-17). It’s for everyone who believes. But now, questions hang heavy in the air, particularly about Israel. The apostle will deal with this later in the letter (cf. Romans 11:1-11). Basically, Paul calls a timeout. He reminds us that God isn’t disposing of people groups. It isn’t first for the Jew then discard them to move on to the Gentiles as the new chosen people. The Gospel invites all through faith in Christ to be a part of God’s redemptive plan. It was a critical time in the early church. It is such a time today. As we get closer to Palm Sunday we need to take a timeout. We are all on the same team regardless of how we worship, or where we meet. Jesus died for all of us that we might bring the victory to all! Everyone can be a part of this family through Christ.