4/23/20 I Devotion
Ephesians 2:11-22
11 So remember that once you were Gentiles by physical descent, who were called “uncircumcised” by Jews who are physically circumcised. 12 At that time you were without Christ. You were aliens rather than citizens of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of God’s promise. In this world you had no hope and no God. 13 But now, thanks to Christ Jesus, you who once were so far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 Christ is our peace. He made both Jews and Gentiles into one group. With his body, he broke down the barrier of hatred that divided us. 15 He canceled the detailed rules of the Law so that he could create one new person out of the two groups, making peace. 16 He reconciled them both as one body to God by the cross, which ended the hostility to God.
17 When he came, he announced the good news of peace to you who were far away from God and to those who were near. 18 We both have access to the Father through Christ by the one Spirit. 19 So now you are no longer strangers and aliens. Rather, you are fellow citizens with God’s people, and you belong to God’s household. 20 As God’s household, you are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.21 The whole building is joined together in him, and it grows up into a temple that is dedicated to the Lord. 22 Christ is building you into a place where God lives through the Spirit.
Devotion
This week’s passage is often referred to by Biblical scholars as one of the great hymns of God’s reconciliation of all things in Christ.
God’s reconciliation of all things in Christ. This was a really big deal to the original readers of this letter. You see, there were two main types of Christians in the New Testament: Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. Gentile basically means non-Jewish.
In the ancient world, the Jew was separated from the Gentile by racial, religious, cultural, and social barriers. They were as different as different could get. For so long Gentiles were 'the outsider.' They did not belong. The Jewish community questioned their faith, and did not welcome them in. Gentiles were not seen as ‘real’ believers. They did not have all the religious language. They did not know about all the ceremonies, and traditions.
What would it mean to not be included? How would it feel to be an outsider?
On October 13, 2010, one-hundred and one year old Eulalia Garcia Maturey became a naturalized citizen of the USA. She entered the US as a baby in the arms of her young, single mother, who settled in Brownsville, TX. After the passage of the Alien Registration act in 1940, Eulalia registered with the government and received a Certificate of Lawful entry a year later. For decades, she lived unsure of her status, keeping her entry document pristine, yet fearful of making waves that might cause her to have to leave the country. Finally, more than one hundred years after crossing the border from Mexico, through the help of relatives and immigration officials, Eulalia became a legal citizen of the US, saying she wanted to feel ‘free.’ Imagine how it must feel to live your entire life without a sense of full incorporation, always knowing you do not fully belong and that your status can be questioned any moment.
That is what it was like to be a gentile. That is why it was such a big deal for Paul to say to them, “So now you are no longer strangers and aliens. Rather, you are fellow citizens with God’s people, and you belong to God’s household.”
God accepts them. God welcomes them in. This is the good news of the gospel. There are no many outsiders. We are all included. God loves us. God accepts us. God welcomes us in.
Amber Lea Gray, Associate Pastor