Be Reconciled

Introduction

In this season of Lent, we will begin our journey to Calvary by following Jesus’ footsteps in his last days. The form and content of this special service have always focused on the dual themes of sin and death, considering God's redeeming love in Jesus Christ. The imposition of the ashes seems appropriate with their dark earth color, somber hue, and rough texture, suggesting the character of the day and the Lenten journey that lies ahead.

Receiving the cross on the forehead has been a powerful, nonverbal, experiential way of participating in the call to repentance and reconciliation. It is a time to think about what it means to be reconciled by God and to reflect on the apostle's words, "In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself" (v. 19a), and "God ... has given us the ministry of reconciliation" (v. 18b).

The Possibility of Reconciliation

The apostle challenges the Corinthians "to be reconciled to God." He is saying that before you can ever enter this "ministry of reconciliation," you must be reconciled. Before you can witness grace, you must experience grace. Before you begin to talk about deliverance, you need to experience deliverance. His initial point is, "Be reconciled to God."

Paul points out that this reconciliation with God is possible because, through Christ, God has taken the initiative. The apostle Paul states this clearly in two passages: "We were reconciled to God through the death of his son" (Romans 5:10), and "... reconciling both groups to God in one body through the cross" (Ephesians 2:16).

How is this reconciliation possible? His answer is stated in verse 21: "For our sake, he made him sin who knew no sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." This verse sets forth the gospel of reconciliation in all its mystery and wonder. "There is no sentence more profound in the whole of Scripture; for this verse embraces the whole ground of the sinner's reconciliation to God".

The phrase in verse 21, "So that in him we might become the righteousness of God," is essential.

"On him," the full force of God's judgment against sin has fallen. So that "in him," the sinner finds shelter from that judgment. It is "in him" that the sinner is made the righteousness of God. Listen to the words of Isaiah 53:5-6: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises, we are healed ... and the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all." Our sins are transferred to him, and his righteousness is transferred to us.

Yet, we must not lose sight of the freedom of Christ's action. The Son is not the unwilling victim of the Father's wrath. The freedom of Christ's actions and the harmony of the mind and purpose which he enjoyed with the Father are clearly conveyed in the words of John 10:17-18: "For this reason, the Father loves me because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have the power to lay it down, and I have the power to take it up again ... "

Later, the apostle writes, "But he (Christ) emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death -- even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:7-8). The fact is that reconciliation is achieved through the death of Christ, and reconciliation cannot be severed from atonement.

Therefore, reconciliation with God and with one another is possible because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Romans, Paul reminds us: "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 ... no longer strangers and aliens ... but citizens ... saints ... members of the household of God" (Ephesians 2:13-14, 19).

Paul has not forgotten the burden of his own ministry and its theme of reconciliation. This theme is autobiographical for him. When he speaks about walls of hostility being removed, he is reflecting on his own life regarding the hostility that he had felt toward the Christian community. He knows the meaning of being reconciled and having walls and barriers removed. Thus, he can speak confidently about the possibilities of reconciliation for all of us.

Called To the Ministry Of Reconciliation

Paul cannot forget the main theme of his ministry -- reconciliation. He reminds all who would be followers of Christ that Christ also "has given us this ministry of reconciliation" (5:18b). Today, we begin our pilgrimage to Calvary, and as we think about the life of Christ and his ministry, now is the time for us to think about our ministry. Paul reminds us that all who are called to minister in Christ's name are called to the ministry of reconciliation.

What does it mean to have a ministry of reconciliation? It means to be used by God as the instruments of God's love and grace within the world. It means to bring together the enemies of God and make them the friends of God. It means to help reunite broken relationships between men and women and with one another. It means that you will see to it that your life and your witness will help to tear down barriers that divide, separate, and alienate, establishing peace and harmony. It means that the goal of your life will be to establish lasting relationships of love and bring an end to hostilities.

The fact remains that God has chosen people like you and me to be his ambassadors and representatives. God has always done it that way -- that has been God's method. When God sought a people to reveal his purpose to the world, he chose Abraham to be the father of that people. When God sought to lead the people from the slavery of Egypt, Moses became the man of the hour. When God needed a voice to speak out against moral decadence, God chose Amos, the simple shepherd from Tekoa, to carry the message. When God sought to move into human life and activity, God's plan and purpose were entrusted to a young struggling carpenter and his teenage wife amid the obscurity and poverty of the Judean hills.

If the work of reconciliation is to be done in our day, it will be because someone somewhere has heard God's call and responded in obedience and faith.

Have you ever considered how every advance in human relations, every human triumph in justice and freedom, every forward step in science, and every discovery that provides a breakthrough in science and medicine is the result of men and women cooperating with God?

Today, we, as the Church, find ourselves right in the midst of a hostile and divided world seeking to carry out Christ's ministry of reconciliation. It is time to invite others to be reconciled with God through Christ.

A Reconciling Ministry Beyond the Church

Our ministry of reconciliation takes us far beyond the walls of our sanctuaries. There is a tendency and temptation for the Church today to fall back into the trap of the medieval Church, which considered that what was being done within the church was more important than what was being done in the world. This heresy has always plagued the church. The church is not to be the object of its own mission. God help us if we spend all of our time, energy, and money on ourselves. Recent studies of church life have revealed that churches that are primarily concerned with their own existing members' needs are unlikely to grow.

As the body of Christ, the Church gathers together so that it may disperse. The Church comes to worship so that it may leave to serve. The Church comes to pray and speak with God, so it may leave and speak to others in God's name. The Church comes to strengthen its life together in worship, prayer, word, and sacrament so that it may leave and give its life for others.

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.

It is a time for us to reflect on the life and teachings of Jesus and his ministry and what all of this means for our own Christian lives.

It is a time to consider how we, through Christ, can gain a greater understanding of how we can become God's agents of love and reconciliation in a broken and divided world.

It is time for us to see if we are contributing more to our community's and world's problems and hostility than being part of its healing and wholeness.

It is time for us to take seriously God's call to the ministry of reconciliation and to realize that what we have to offer in this ministry to others is not our intelligence, skill, power, influence, or connections but our own human brokenness through which the love of God can manifest itself. There is no greater ministry than this.