My friend Lenny told me that he read Romans 11 yesterday.

Of course I was concerned, because the Bible is supernatrually living and active – and full of very confounding and scandalizing stuff!

Lenny said, “Yes indeed! Wild stuff in the Bible! Super scandalous stuff! Divine logic is mystifying!! God let His chosen people stubbornly stumble away SO THAT He could open up the party to all the outsiders and outcasts. Israel’s stubbornness didn’t derail the plan; it became the plan. It created a detour of grace that swept the Gentiles into the Kingdom, and this inclusion of the Gentiles was specifically designed to make Israel JEALOUS! And then comes the punchline!! God literally trapped everyone in their own mess and disobedience so that no one could claim they earned a seat at the table. He CONSIGNED everyone disobedience/rebellion so that He could ambush every last one of us with lavish, unmerited mercy.“