In Romans 2, the apostle Paul is focusing his attention on the Jew.

Understandably, the typical Jew felt that he was better than any non-Jew, or Greek as today’s translation says, or Gentile as is commonly used. I say understandably because the Jewish people are God’s chosen people. It was them to whom God spoke. It was them to whom God gave the Law. It was them to whom God gave His presence. And on and on.

So they felt that they were inherently better than the Gentiles. They thought they had an inside track to God.

But Paul, in this chapter of Romans, points out the hypocrisy in this idea of Jewish superiority. He tells them that anyone who does not obey the law will fall under condemnation, starting with the Jew! Why? Because they had the Law. They were more responsible, because there was no way they could claim ignorance.

And then he says in verse 23 and 24, “You who boast in the law dishonor God by transgressing the law! For just as it is written, “the name of God is being blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

The Jews had the idea that because they were circumcised as the Law required, they had some sort of get out of jail free card. But Paul told them that it is not the circumcision of the flesh that mattered, but circumcision of the heart that God wanted. Circumcision was something that was a sign of being dedicated and set apart for God. And what God sees is not the flesh, but the heart.

When God looks at me, I want him to see a heart set apart for Him. How about you?