28 Jun 2026, Romans 12:9-21, 'The Bible Reads Me'

28 Jun 2026, Romans 12:9-21, The Bible Reads Me

I wonder how many of you might know Rev Ray Creeby. When I was serving at Payneham Road Uniting Church, I had the privilege of meeting him. He was one of the five retired ministers in the congregation. He has since passed on, so I cannot ask for his permission to share this story, but knowing him, I believe he would gladly allow it.

I've always had a habit of arriving at church about an hour before the Sunday service. The church is usually quiet and empty, which gives me time to go over my sermon, pray, and make my final preparations.

One Sunday morning, as I pulled into the car park, I noticed an old Subaru Outback. It was Ray's car, almost as old as he was! He smiled and waved from inside the car. I waved back, wondering why he was there so early, and then headed into my office. As I walked in, I found myself thinking, "Why is Ray here already?" I even wondered.. Daylight saving?

But once the Worship began, I realised why he had arrived an hour early. That morning, he was on the roster to read the Bible.

A few months later, on another Sunday, his old car was parked again. That’s when I knew for sure: he was arriving early just to practice reading the Bible. Whenever Ray was scheduled to read Scripture, he came to church early... simply to practise. I was amazed. I thought to myself, "Does Ray really need a time just to practise reading the Bible?"

I thought this because, before becoming a minister, Ray had been a professional stage actor. He was tall, with a rich, powerful voice and wonderfully clear diction. His Bible reading sometimes resonated even more than my sermons!

So one day, I asked him, "Ray, do you really need to practise?"

He said, "Of course. I still get nervous." At the time, I didn't really understand. I thought, "With a voice like yours, surely reading it once or twice would be enough."

But just yesterday, during the morning worship on the final day of our Synod meeting, I experienced that very same trembling myself. The Synod worship team had asked me to read the Scripture. And the passage was the exact one we are reflecting on this morning. Romans 12:9 to 21. In that moment, my mind went straight back to Ray. ‘Ah... now I understand how he felt.’

While the lectionary text for today is actually from Matthew, I felt compelled to base today's message on this passage in Romans precisely because of this experience.

So I started preparing about three weeks ago. I listened to the passage over and over. I read it aloud. I paid attention to every sentence and every word. I must have read it more than a million times. Yesterday morning, I got up early and read it again before the service. I really did my best. (Eric was there. You can ask him later if I did all right!)

But something unexpected happened. At first, I was simply trying to read the passage well. I wanted the right pronunciation, the right pace, and the right pauses. Much like Ray, I suppose.

But as I kept reading Romans 12, I realised something profound. The passage was reading me.  "Let love be genuine." Is my love really genuine? "Bless those who persecute you." Do I really do that? Yes… the passage was reading me.

I don't think today's passage is difficult to understand. In fact, it's one of the simplest passages in the Bible.

“Love one another. Do what is good. Be generous. Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep…" None of those commands are hard to understand. A child could understand them.

Yet, while it is incredibly easy to understand, is it easy to live?

That's another story.

Think about this for a moment. What if Paul had written,

"Brothers and sisters, pray for ten hours a day." "Fast twice a week." "Give generously.” “Volunteer your time.” Those would be difficult. But at least we might think, "If I try hard enough, maybe one day I can do it."

But that's not what Paul says. Instead, he says, "Let love be genuine." "Honour one another above yourselves." "Bless those who persecute you." "Never take revenge." These aren't just things to do.

They describe the kind of person God wants us to become. “True Christian” Can we become that person just by trying harder?

We might be able to force a smile. We might be able to hide our anger. But genuine love...blessing those who hurt us...refusing to take revenge... We cannot do those things by willpower alone.

So how is it possible?

The answer begins before Romans 12. Paul doesn't start by saying, "Be a better person." For the first eleven chapters of Romans, he tells us the gospel. He reminds us how lost we were.

How much God loves us. What Jesus has done for us on the cross.

Only then does Paul come to chapter 12 and say,

"Therefore..." In other words, because God has loved you...

because Christ died for you... because God has shown you mercy... Therefore, live this way.

Seven years ago, in August of 2019, I attended one of the most deeply moving funerals of my life. I had never met the woman who had died. I was there simply because the South Korean Embassy in Canberra had contacted me. They explained that someone really important to our history had died. They asked me to represent the Korean community, to simply say thank you and comfort her family.

The funeral was held at a Catholic church in Kingswood, here in Adelaide. I wondered, "Who was this person?"

So I looked into her story. Her name was Jan Ruff O'Herne. She was born into a Dutch family in Indonesia. During the Second World War, when the Japanese military occupied Java, she was only twenty-one years old. She was taken to a military prison camp and suffered terrible abuse as a sexual slave. It's just... a really painful word to say. Somehow, she survived. After the war, she married a British serviceman, and in 1960 they settled here in Adelaide. For the next fifty years, she told no one. Not even her husband. Not her children. Not her closest friends.

Can you imagine carrying that pain alone for fifty years? Then, in 1992, Korean survivors began speaking in public about what had happened to them during the war. Their courage gave Jan the courage to tell her own story.

From then on, she travelled around the world, speaking for survivors and calling for justice, human rights, peace and a sincere apology.

That was when I understood why the Embassy wanted someone from the Korean community to be there. During the funeral, it was time for the Bible reading. But no one walked to the lectern.

There was a brief silence. Then a voice came through the speakers. An elderly voice. A gentle voice. A slightly trembling voice. It was Jan's own voice. She had recorded Romans 12 before she died.

"Bless those who persecute you." "Repay no one evil for evil."

"Never avenge yourselves." "If your enemy is hungry, feed him."

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Just imagine this, quietly, people around the church began to cry. Fighting back the tears was... so hard. It wasn't because the reading was beautifully performed. It was because these were her final words to the world. Think about it. The person reading those words was someone who had experienced terrible evil.

And yet her final message was filled with forgiveness instead of revenge. It was just too much... I just fell apart.

Looking back, I realised something. Jan wasn't just reading the Bible... I'm convinced it was reading her.

My friends, I don't know what was in Jan's heart at the very end.

I don't know whether she was able to forgive those who hurt her completely. I don't know whether she still longed for an apology.

But when I hear her trembling voice reading Romans 12, I think I already know the answer.

So, how do we actually live this out?

I can only tell you what I learned this past week. I simply kept reading this passage. Again. And again. I wasn't trying to discover something new. I just stayed with these words.

Then, somewhere along the way, something changed.

Before my mind understood the passage, my heart began to respond. I have to say again, as I was reading the Bible, I realised that the Bible was reading me. It was a holy and mysterious moment. It's hard to put into words. But I think many of you know what I'm talking about.

Life isn't simple. Some days it's easy to love. Other days we feel hurt, disappointed, or angry. Some seasons are full of joy.

Others are filled with grief like a dark and cold winter.

But if we keep bringing our lives before Christ, little by little, day by day, Christ shapes us. That is why we keep our eyes on Jesus.

Now I finally understand Ray. He didn't come early because he was afraid of making a mistake. He came early because he knew he was about to stand before God. He knew he wasn't just reading Scripture. Scripture was reading him.

And I think that's why Jan's voice trembled too. Not because she was afraid to speak. But because she knew those words were speaking into her own life.

So, there is only one thing left for us to do. I invite you to read these verses. Read them again, and really think about them in your own words. If you do, one day you’ll realize: you aren't just reading the Word. The Word is reading you. So, let it read you.

“Love genuinely, from the heart. Hate what is evil, and hold firmly to what is good.

Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. Honour one another above yourselves.

Do not lose your passion. Keep your spiritual fire burning, and serve the Lord.

Rejoice in hope. Be patient in suffering. Keep praying.

Share with those who are in need. Welcome others with open hearts.

Bless those who hurt you. Do not curse them.

Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep.

Live in harmony with one another.

Do not think you are better than others. Walk alongside those who are often overlooked.

Do not seek revenge. Leave justice in God's hands.

If your enemy is hungry, feed them.

If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.

Do not let evil overcome you.

Overcome evil with good.”

May God give each of us the grace to live out these words. May Christ gently shape us into His likeness. And may His Word continue to read our lives, today and always. Amen.