Over the course of the last few years, vandalizing or burning down churches has become an unfortunate act of valour for those who tend to lean to the left-side. Just a few short years ago, this would have been the cause of an outcry. Pegged as a response to the claim of finding Indigenous children’s graves, some feel that they are justified to light the holy match of vengeance. Ironically many of these congregations that suffered this reprisal were frequented by people who are ancestrally Indigenous. Most, if not all the religious denominations responsible for running these atrocious schools have, to our knowledge, acknowledged their part and apologized. While they sought to reconcile and make amends for their actions, the fire of the righteous activists continues to be kindled. For those of you who are playing a little too loosely with gas and lighters around places of worship, let me ask if you believe that the Government of Canada is innocent in this matter? Was their apology and attempt at reconciliation more authentic than these churches? If everyone falls in the same bucket, then why are you not burning down parliament in Ottawa? Ok, please put away the matches.
Racial Reconciliation
While there is a lot of talk about reconciliation, whether in the example above or racial reconciliation, there is an important factor missing from the resolve. When considering reconciliation, you can either have it where both parties just mind their own business, or you can have a lasting reconciliation where they are united. If the latter is in mind, there are two factors that we need to consider: (1) there needs to be a change in them to desire that type of reconciliation and (2) for two opposing parties to truly experience an authentic resolution, there needs to be a common denominator to bring them together. If they are to unite, what exactly are they to uniting to? Our country used to seek reconciliation based upon simply being Canadians and perhaps saluting and defending the Canadian flag. So, essentially, a united identity is required for reconciliation. While no one wants to forget their roots, a common identity and purpose needs to be established in order to bring them together.
The bible also speaks of this type of animosity where a reconciliation between ethnic groups was required. These two groups were age-old enemies in their heyday and wouldn’t have deemed any association with each other possible. But Yahweh is a God of miracles, and not only did He bring about a reconciliation between two hostile groups, who had been at odds for several millennia, but He also made them family.
The Text
For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 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, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, (Ephesians 2:14-19)
The Divine Peacemaker
As we move through the epistle to the Ephesians, we are now revealed how it’s possible that Gentiles came to be reconciled with those of Jewish descent. Paul shows this by focusing upon the results of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus on behalf of the nations which brought about the peace of God. There needed to be a divine vertical peace established prior to these parties experiencing a horizontal armistice. This peace was brought by the One whom the scriptures call the Prince of Peace. Jesus would usher in a peace that would increase without end (Isaiah 9:6-7). His mission was to bring peace to all men, Jews and Gentiles (Luke 2:14). Paul is writing to the Ephesians of a rescinding of enmity between them so that they not only tolerate each other but that they consider themselves as family. Jesus was the central figure and the uniting factor in that settlement. Christ is the One who made both groups into one. He is the banner that bonds them into one kingdom and one people. The death of Jesus Christ broke down the distinctions between these groups because it revealed their sameness as sinners in rebellion against God and their need for His atoning sacrifice. The apostle John expresses the same message in his apocalypse:
You were slain and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” (Revelation 5:9-10)
Tearing Down the Wall
Further, Paul explains just how this unification took place. How on earth did Christ manage to unify these age-old enemies? He gives two factors that lead to this amalgamation. These two nation groups were divided by a wall that separated them for generations. Christ Himself broke down the barrier of the dividing wall that parted them into two citizenships. The dividing wall fell and resulted in bringing them together. Much like the German wall which separated citizenship in Deutchland, (and which came down in 1989) it needed to come crumbling down. But what was this dividing wall that separated the two? While some have argued that Paul is referring to the court of the Gentiles in the inner courts of the temple that separated them from the Jews, he is probably referring here to that which really distinguished the Jews from the Gentiles, mainly the law. This is what distinguished Israel from the nations and kept the Gentiles out of the privilege of being called the people of God, a Holy nation (Exodus 19:6). The only way to break down this barrier of the Torah was to fulfil the Torah. It was the satisfy the legal requirements of God’s law of righteousness (Matthew 5:22) and in return take it out of the way. He abolished in His flesh the enmity, which is the law of commandments contained in ordinances. The requirements of the law were eradicated and those ceremonies that were reserved for the ethnic Jewish man were taken out of the way to open a new way to worship Yahweh in Spirit and in Truth. This nationalistic identity through the law which built a wall of division was taken out of the way and replaced with a new man. God’s Kingdom on earth no longer has borders or an ethnic privilege. The title of a holy nation has been granted to those who are not physically descended from Abraham (1 Peter 2:9). The stipulation is that they are part of this new creation, a new people who are bound by a new covenant in the blood of Jesus Christ and who constitute a new Kingdom. The creation of the one man is in essence the creation of a new humanity where there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28). This described the body in which Christ is the head.
The Reconciliation of Unification
While the New Testament still mentions distinctions of groups such as Jews, Gentiles, Male and female, it also proclaims that they are now one unified group. For there to be this unification, there needed to be a reconciliation take place for them to come together. The object that unites them is found, not in a flag, but in the cross. The forgiveness of the sins of Jews and Gentiles through the blood shed by Jesus Christ places them both in an identical state.
Paul substantiates the claim of reconciliation and explores the consequences of putting to death enmity by going to the Old Testament. He quotes Isaiah 57:19 and 52:7. These passages were given originally to comfort the Jews who had lost their land to the Gentiles and to those who were taken in exile by a foreign nation. It reminded them that a time of peace would come! But in a fascinating turn of events, Paul applies it to both Jews and Gentiles. The fulfillment of peace that would bring home the people of God is proclaimed to both Jews and Gentiles through Jesus Christ.
No Second-Rate Worship
Under the Old Testament, only the Jews truly had access to worship God. This was because the presence of God was only found within the tabernacle and eventually the temple in Jerusalem. Coming into the presence of God was through a rigid ceremonial display with the sacrifice of an animal for sin and a representative of Israel going into the Holy of Holies on behalf of this nation (Leviticus 16:12-34; Exodus 30:10). Prior to going into the presence of Yahweh, they were required to make peace with God for their sins and the privilege of coming close to Him was reserved for one nation and one man, the high priest. In other words, they were the only ones granted the privilege to worship the true and living God.
The demonstration of their equality is found in the fact that, as Paul states, both groups have peace with God and in return have access to the Father in the one Spirit. The access that was purchased through Christ however granted both Jews and Gentiles the ability to approach Him with boldness and not fear (Ephesians 3:12; Hebrews 10:1-25). While the Old Testament did foresee a time when the Gentiles would worship at Yahweh’s temple (1 Kings 8:41-43; Isaiah 56:6-8; Zechariah 8:20-23), Paul expands this prophecy to mean that it was not in a second-rate type of worship inferior to the Jews, but in parity. The barriers were lifted and those of faith, no matter their ethnicity could now come together as one people to worship the One God.
Citizens
In contrast to their former state in relation to the commonwealth of Israel, they are no longer Strangers and aliens. Earlier, the Gentiles were told that they were once strangers to the covenants of promise and hence were not a part of the nation of Israel. But they are no longer defined in this way. They moved from being non-citizens to now citizens of Israel and recipients of the covenants of promise. They belong to a new Jerusalem, and a better Israel. That citizenship and the promises of old are just as much for the Gentiles as the Jews. There are no longer privileges to Israel alone. This is not the old citizenry of Israel but a better heavenly citizenship into the Kingdom of God (Philippians 3:20). This is a new entity that they’ve been ushered into along with the Saints:
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel. (Hebrews 12:22-24)
The Household of God
Citizenship is generally received first and foremost based upon our parent’s birthplace. So, we are born as citizens in a particular country and can migrate to another. When Paul uses the analogy of the Household of God in relation to citizenship, he is not talking about a natural physical birth but a spiritual birth. This also continues the theme of sonship that we’ve seen throughout the epistle (1:5). Not only is there a change in citizenship but for believers in Jesus Christ, there is a transfer from non-familial to being brought into the family of God. This was the privilege of Israel to whom belongs the adoption as sons (Romans 9:4; Galatians 4:5) but now this filiality belongs to both Jews and Gentiles (Romans 8:15; 9:26; 2 Corinthians 6:18). We have been born into God’s family and into the household of faith (Galatians 6:10) and born according to the promise (Galatians 4:23). God is now called Father to the Gentiles.
Why So Much Division?
So, if the barriers of hostility between people have come crashing down, why is there so much division between Christians especially in light that, according to scripture, the God of heaven loves unity. Later in this epistle, Paul is going to exhort the Ephesians to be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:1-3). Often, we read of the apostles writing to exhort and sometimes scold churches for their lack of unity. But this is precisely the point. Unity is difficult to achieve because we are still sinners and prone to contentions with other Christians and to divide. It takes effort and a desire to obey the word of God for Christians to have any success at all in unity with other believers. There will always be theological discrepancies that lead to debate, but these same conversations should never divide us especially on secondary issues. But in our immediate context, the division between people groups should never be a barrier for that unity. While we are sinners, our unity between those of ethnic differences should never be seen as a means to divide and because Christ has cleared the way, bringing in a new creation, and in return, a new man, we should strive together as brothers and sisters in Christ no matter our background.
The Moncton Herald 