Daily Devotion, September 8, 2021

 

Devotion:

Read Ephesians 2:13-22. NRSV

One of the great purposes of Paul’s letters to the new Christian churches is to help the Jewish new Christians and the Gentile new Christians get along with each other. This was no easy task.

The Jewish new Christians continued to struggle in self-righteousness by keeping strict adherence to the Jewish laws. They believed it allowed them to be closer to God than anyone else. The Gentile new Christians wanted to bring some of their former pagan religious practices into the new church. And for generations there had been a world of conflict and hostility between the Jewish people and the Gentile people.

At the center of the current conflict in Paul’s day was that the Jewish new Christians were trying to impose their requirement of circumcision for any Gentile male to be allowed into the Christian church. This conflict was causing great division.

Ephesians 2:13-22 are great verses to remind the people of Paul’s day and our day that through Christ’s gifts to us, we are called to be reconciled to each other, and to be one in Christ.

These gifts from Christ to the world have come with great costs: We have been brought near to God by the blood of Christ; Christ is our peace, within us and between us; Christ gives us access in one Spirit to the Father; Christ has made us members of God’s household; Christ is the cornerstone; and In Christ we are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God!

Imagine visions of “churches” without buildings! See concentric circles of people, who have been reconciled to God and to each other! See them holding space for God to dwell among them! God’s own gentle voice can be heard to welcome others into this gathering of peace!

Christ’s presence, peace and reconciliation are in our midst, thus we can keep the conversations going even when we disagree. We are the followers of the One who broke down barriers between people. God is at work to unite us and to bring us all peace, through the gift of Christ, God’s only begotten Son.

Personal Worship Option:

“Make two lists: people you need to forgive and people you would like to thank. The first list will be difficult to make, but if you begin with the second list, forgiving starts to become a possibility, too.” Dr. Pheme Perkins, Professor of New Testament at Boston College.