We are One in the Spirit July 7th, 2024
God of wisdom and warning, we long to hear your word for our times and our lives. By the power of your Spirit, open the Scriptures for us. Prepare us to be challenged and changed as we encounter Christ, your Living Word. Amen
We are living in a world that seems to be becoming more and more divided. From politics to social issues, the gap appears to be widening, and this division is not just between nations but within them, as local communities argue over differences on issues such as culture, the economy, and the environment. This growing divide highlights the difficulty of the challenges we face both globally and locally.
But these problems are nothing new, they’ve been around from the beginning of time. And what we’re going to hear about this morning is the Apostle Paul’s response to a similar issue which was causing divisions in the church in Ephesus. We’ll see how Paul addresses the issue of the differences between the Jewish and Gentile members of the church and the problems that those division were causing.
Paul's words ring true with a with an encouraging message of unity and hope. They highlight the universal nature of faith, which goes beyond cultural and national boundaries to embrace all of humanity. It's an uplifting reminder that everyone is included in this journey of spiritual growth. It's a call to remember the past, to appreciate the present, and to look forward to the future which is offered to all believers.
Paul begins his message by describing the relationship between Jews and Gentiles prior to the coming of Christ, he says, “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.”
Two thousands years before the birth of Jesus, God had made a covenant with a man by the name of Abraham, saying to him, “‘…Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.’” (Genesis 12:1-2) From that moment on the descendants of Abraham became God’s chosen people and through time they became the nation of Israel, and their religion was Judaism, and its followers are known as Jews. The name Judaism comes from the word Judah, one of the two countries which make up Israel.
And when Paul says, “remember that you”, the “you” he is referring to are those who are outside the Jewish faith, known as Gentiles. They were called this by the Jews, and it included all people who did not worship the God of Israel, which is the same God that we, as Christians, worship today.
And what Paul is describing is the state of Gentiles before the coming of Christ, highlighting their separation from the covenants and promises given to the Israelites by God. He emphasizes a time of exclusion from the spiritual benefits enjoyed by the people of Israel, portraying a stark contrast between the past state without Christ and the present state with him.
Paul describes the state of the Gentiles prior to Christ, saying they were, “having no hope and without God in the world.” What he is saying is that there is truly one creator God, and the people of Israel were his chosen people. Therefore, the Gentiles were cut off without any hope, lost in idolatry and paganism. Because they did not know the one, true God, that is the God of Israel, they were without hope.
But now, with the coming of Christ, all that has changed, As Paul writes, “‘But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 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.’” Paul was writing to the church in Ephesus that was in danger of dividing into two distinct groups, being those who had always worshipped God, the Jews, and those who had just come to faith recently, the Gentiles. While both sides confessed Christ, the divisions between them were deeply rooted in centuries of animosity. The issue threatening to divide the early church was the wall of separation between Jews and Gentiles, which Paul calls “the dividing wall”.
And this problem wasn’t unique to the Ephesian church. Paul had to address it in the church in the city of Corinth, as well. This is from his first letter to the Corinthian church, “Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you should be in agreement and that there should be no divisions among you, but that you should be united in the same mind and the same purpose. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters.” (1 Corinthians 1:10-11)
And now, Paul is forced to remind the members of the Ephesian church, “‘But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace” Through the cross, Jesus reconciled both Jews and Gentiles to God, creating one body. We are no longer strangers, but fellow citizens with all his followers. Christ is our peace and our peacemaker, making all of us one body by breaking down “the dividing wall of hostility.”
But despite the best efforts of Paul, and many others, that “dividing wall of hostility” has continued to exist within the Christian church down through the ages. There have been many divisions over interpretation of Scripture, perspectives on worship, the practice of communion, even adult or infant baptism. Such disagreements had led to the splintering of the church, it is thought that today there are over 2000 different denominations worldwide.
But, if there is anything positive to come out of the diminishing number of people who call themselves Christians in today’s world, it is the fact that it has caused a lot more cooperation between all these denominations. We have learned to set aside our differences and learn to worship God as his family. This cooperative spirit fosters a sense of community and reminds us that we are all part of God’s family.
And we’ve certainly seen this here in Thorburn. The restrictions on the number of people who could meet, which were put in place during Covid, seem to be the trigger that set things off. We have become much more of a community church where people of different denominations can gather to worship on a Sunday. The more and more we do this the more we discover that there is much more that joins us together than separates us. The pandemic, while a challenging period for all, seems to have fostered a newfound appreciation for togetherness and cooperation.
Paul’s message to the churches in Asia was clear: a celebration of unity in diversity is the heartbeat of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The opening line from our Responsive Psalm this morning calls on us to think about the beauty and majesty of people who dream to live together in unity, it says, “How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!” The Gospel, as Paul writes, has the ability to unite all people into one community of believers, nurtured by the Holy Spirit's power. The Gospel message speaks to the idea of overcoming divisions and creating a sense of peace and togetherness among people who were once separated.
As Paul said, the creation of a new family under one God, through the death and resurrection of Jesus has made it possible for both Jews and Gentiles to live together in a relationship of peace and reconciliation. The hostility that once existed between Jews and Gentiles was destroyed by the events of the cross. Therefore, in the same way we are called on to reconsider ways we can live together without walls of hostility toward each other. We are family members. As Jesus said to his followers, “‘And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So, there will be one flock, one shepherd.’” (John 10:16)
Let us Pray:
Heavenly Father, thank you for the fact that in Christ we are one with each other. Help us to grow in love, unity, and fellowship so that the world may see us and recognize that this is the love of God. We’re one in the body and we are one in our love. Help us to accept each other as you have accepted us. Amen.