Romans 11:11-14

I ask then, did they stumble that they might fall? May it never be! But by their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy. Now if their fall is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fullness? For I speak to you who are Gentiles. Since then as I am an apostle to Gentiles, I glorify my ministry; if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh, and may save some of them.

When I read passages like this it is obvious to me that God is a lover. Like I have said before, God stops at nothing to show His love for us. His love for the Jews is still going strong today, only today it is taking a different form. Paul doesn’t believe that God has turned His back on the Jews permanently. He is just making them jealous. That is the kind of thing a lover does.

When the bulk of the Jews rejected Jesus, Jesus, as was God’s plan all along, went out and took Gentiles to be His people. So you can see that by the stumbling of the Jews, many people came to know God. Paul tells us that if the Jews stumbling caused such a great thing, their return to God will be even greater!

One of the things my heart longs for, is to see that day when the Jews will realize that Jesus is their Messiah. What an amazing and beautiful day that will be. For now, the Gentiles are still coming to God and for now, Paul’s letter to the Romans in the Bible still seeks to “provoke to jealousy” and it still “saves some” of the Jews.