Ephesians 2:11-22
11So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth,[a]
called “the uncircumcision” by those who are called “the
circumcision”—a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands— 12 remember
that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise,
having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For
he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has
broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. 15 He
has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he
might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus
making peace, 16 and might reconcile both groups to God in one body[b] through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it.[c] 17 So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; 18 for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, 20 built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.[d] 21 In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in whom you also are built together spiritually[e] into a dwelling place for God.Reflection:
It is so easy to have clubs. It is fun to belong! I think back on growing up and the cliques you saw in elementary school, then mid-high then high school. Sometimes, those relationships are not the healthiest. Each group gives themselves power...they are the cool group; the techy group; the smart group; and so on. It's as if they have been granted a right to to boast about such things. We all have been there...either on the boasting side or the receiving side.
Doesn't it feel so good to boast about how awesome you are!? Of course! This is where this letter comes into play. They have been boasting about the time that they were better than others in faith. Boom! This letter hits hard. It reminds us that our egos really do not matter. We all have been in that place of not knowing Christ. We are no better than anyone else. This maybe timely for us today in remembering that WE ARE ONE IN CHRIST. Back then the categories of separating between people were Jew, Gentile, Israelite, and more. Today, we categorize by race, sex, sexual orientation, but the truth is we need to put aside our differences in live as ONE IN CHRIST.
Reflection Questions:
How have you boasted about your faith?
How have you excluded others?
How would you and our world be changed if we lived as ONE IN CHRIST?
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