Romans 2 is a chapter many of us are not really familiar with. When we read the book of Romans it seems that we could easily go from the description of human fallenness and sin in Romans 1, to justification and forgiveness through Jesus in Romans 3. Romans 2 seems like a side argument between Paul and a Jewish law-follower.

But perhaps there is another way of looking at it. Romans 1 reminds us of the prodigal son in Luke 15, Romans 3 shows us the prodigal’s forgiving Father, but Romans 2 shows us how we might be like the prodigal’s unforgiving brother. Sometimes God’s people can be more like the prodigal’s brother than we realize. That was the point of the book of Jonah to Israel, and it could also be the point of Romans chapter 2 for us as God’s church.