Ephesians 2:12-16
12 Remember that you were at that time separate from Christ,
excluded 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 formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,
15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of
commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace,
16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.
Much of the daily news is filled with disturbing images of
suffering and unrest across the globe. That is why I found the recent
report of Germany’s anniversary celebration of the November 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall so inspiring.
For years communist East Germany had been walled off from the freedom experienced in the West. That was about to change. Historic news clips showed people fleeing the East through the newly opened gates in the wall in search of their own freedom and peace. Several years later the Berlin Wall was finally demolished.
The destruction of a different hostile dividing wall is described in Ephesians 2:12-16. The Gentiles had been excluded from God’s promises to the Jews because the Old Testament Law, with its regulations and Commands, separated them as unclean, without God and without hope.
Thankfully, God did not leave the Gentiles in their hopeless state. Out of His love, He gave to a sinful world the Gift of HIs perfect and only Son, Jesus. Through His shed blood on the cross and His resurrection from death, Jesus destroyed the barrier of hostility and separation by replacing the Old Testament Law with New Testament grace, reconciling both Jews and Gentiles to God. Brought together as one in Jesus Christ, all believers are His Church!
Imagine the apostle Peter’s surprise when God revealed to him, in three recurring visions during prayer on a friend’s rooftop, that Gentiles were now clean and ready to receive God’s Good News.
Perhaps most surprising and equally frightening was God’s call on him to share this truth with the Jews. Peter could have balked at the plan, “Equality? Oh, they are not going to like this!” But Peter did not recoil from God’s call. In fact, it was confirmed to him through Cornelius , a God-fearing Gentile. (Acts 10 is a faith building must read.)
Consider how different the newscasts would be today if every report reflected God’s reconciling love. We would see less violence, less suffering, fewer protests, and less racial separation. That being said, we can’t pass the baton to reporters and news anchors. God has given each of us the call to share His Good News of love and freedom with someone this Advent, someone who is imprisoned behind a wall of sin and suffering.
“Dear Father, give us hearts of compassion to shine your Light of love into the lives of others this blessed season.”
Sheila Makus
The Alliance Narrative 