Readings from Romans: Future Glory

The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
July 19, 2026
Romans 8:18-27

“Readings from Romans: Future Glory”

The blockbuster movie, “The Odyssey,” is out and on my list to see. Based on the classic by the Greek poet, Homer, this is about the warrior, Odysseus, trying to return home after the Trojan War as he encounters gods, monsters, and perilous seas. Odysseus, of course, is a mythical person, but Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.) was a real-life person. After more than 2000 years, his name still conjures up images of a warrior-king who conquered much of the known world. This image of Alexander the Great is from “a Roman floor mosaic (dated between 120-100 B.C.) depicting the ancient Macedonian ruler in battle… with Darius III of Persia… and was discovered in the House of the Faun in Pompeii [buried for centuries following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.]” (Alexander Mosaic - Wikipedia). Alexander’s tutor until the age of sixteen was Aristotle himself, who taught him philosophy, science and medicine. He was just twenty years old when his father, King Philip of Macedon, was assassinated and he became king. From this began a conquest that would expand his empire from India to Egypt (Alexander The Great dates - Search). Several centuries later, the Greek biographer and historian, Plutarch (ca. 46-120 A.D.), wrote The Life of Alexander. Here, he writes that “Alexander wept when he had conquered the world, because there were no more worlds to conquer… He was reportedly overcome with grief, not from defeat, but from the realization that there were no more worlds to conquer. This realization struck him with a profound sense of futility and the limitations of even the greatest human ambition” (The Profound Wisdom of the Alexander Wept Quote: A Comprehensive Guide). Alexander’s hope for future glory ended with his death at the young age of only 32. Future glory is before us in today’s Epistle lesson as Paul the apostle writes in that opening verse that we read together: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18). Our summer preaching series, “Readings from Romans,” continues today under the theme, “Future Glory.” May the Lord’s rich and abundant blessing rest upon the preaching, the hearing, and the living of his Word for Jesus’ sake.

The Word of God revealed through Paul here provides a way forward through present suffering, giving hope to the child of God. And this centers in that word “groaning” (στεναγμός). We usually associate groaning with a less than enthusiastic response, usually accompanied by a big eye roll. But here, it means something very different. Here, it means a deep, visceral sound coming from within when pain, longing or holy desire press beyond the limits of speech. The word is used three times in the verses of today’s Epistle. First, there is the groaning of creation: “For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now” (Romans 8:22). Second, there is the groaning of ourselves: “And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:23). Third, there is the groaning of the Spirit: “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26). We will look at each of these as they help us understand the hope we have in Christ and the future glory that is ours in him.

First, there is the groaning of creation. This refers to the non-human world, all of which is very much part of what God has made (Genesis 1-2). We are becoming more aware of how intimately the non-human world is bound up with the human world. Created in the image of God, we human beings have been given dominion over the earth and charged with its care. But, the earth was cursed because of Adam’s sin (Genesis 3:17-19), and now yields “thorns and thistles.” The paradise of Eden was transformed into hard labor, and by our own toil and sweat the earth yields its fruits. But a cosmic renewal and restoration is coming, foretold by the prophets (Isaiah 11:6-9; 43:19-21; 55:12-13; Ezekiel 32:25-31; Hosea 2:18; Zechariah 8:12). “The non-human world, created to be the wider ambience of human relationship with God, is on the verge of giving birth to a new created order which will genuinely embody that role. It shares the sufferings of the present time but these very ‘woes’ are replete with promise of new birth” (Sacra Pagina: Romans, by Brendan Byrne, S.J. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1996; p. 259). God’s plan for the redemption and restoration of all things through Christ is unfolding even now. And so through faith we can see through this decaying world to the hope of future glory for all creation.

Second, there is the groaning of ourselves. But in Christ, it is a groaning that will lead to glory. Like creation itself, we, too, are not yet what we shall be (1 John 3:2), and how we long for this to come about. Through the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ, not only have we received the forgiveness of our sins, but we have also received the assurance of future glory. And we have been given a guarantee of this through the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:15-16), received at our own Baptism. The fullness of this will be revealed, as Paul writes, with “the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:23). This will come about, as the Word of God tells us in words that are read at the graveside when we lay loved ones to rest: “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself” (Philippians 3:20-21). And so God’s people groan in the midst of all the things that we face in this life: heartache and loss, illness and grief, loneliness and uncertainty, pain and suffering. We groan as we long for that day when all will be made new in the kingdom of God. It is as Paul writes elsewhere: “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).

Third, there is the groaning of the Spirit. What beautiful words these are that remind us of the interceding power of the Holy Spirit, who calls us and keeps us in the one true faith! When we are struggling in life, when we do not know how to put into words what we want to say to God, when everything seems like a tangled mess, here is comfort and blessed assurance: “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27). As wheat and tares grow together this side of heaven, as Jesus spoke in today’s Gospel lesson (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43), and we wonder why the evil succeed and the righteous do not, we take heart. We hold fast to the sure promise that by the grace of God, present suffering will lead to future glory. We remember that the Spirit is interceding for us even now with groanings too deep for words. And so we are sustained in our weariness and have our joy restored. In faith, we know that these groanings – of creation, of ourselves, and of the Spirit – are all preparing us for future glory. “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” (2 Corinthians 2:9). Amen.