No Longer Strangers and Aliens

Introduction

Ephesians 2:19–22 ESV

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Psalm 19:14 BCP1928:P

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be alway acceptable in thy sight, * O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.

What does it mean to live a life in light of the Gospel?

Following rules to be holy? Clearly not, Paul strongly denounces this

Legalism, earn your way to heaven

Actually prevents grace

Being culturally, ideologically, and theologically “right” and reminding everyone else they are wrong? Also no, as this puffs up pride

Error of the Kingdom of Israel — God favored the Israelites by virtue of who they were, not by virtue of God’s sovereign choice to love and favor them

Pride in what I am, what I believe, and what I know rather than rejoicing in what God has done for me

Being “radically tolerant,” and accepting of everyone regardless of what they believe? This flies in the face of Jesus’s teachings

A poor reading of St. Paul would emphasize peace at all costs between people in disagreement

The peace that St. Paul talks about is peace first between man and God so that there can be peace between different peoples

True peace between peoples is impossible aside from peace with God

The Gospel life is a life lived as a citizen of Heaven, as members of the household of God

We do not believe in an individualistic Gospel

Except for where he is referring to Christ, St. Paul uses collective language

he uses first and second plural pronouns - we, us, you all

The image of one Temple built “together” out of the Body of believers

“Fellow citizens” => a nation, a people rather than a collection of individuals

“Household of God” => a family, people who dwell with each other and share a heritage

It is not about saving only the Jews or only the Gentiles, but of saving all of humanity through faith in Jesus Christ

This Gospel is counter to the way things have been for most of human history

Different people groups have been competitors for land, livestock, food, and families

Relationship between Jews and Gentiles in 1st century AD

Outside of Jewish culture, Gentiles were more numerous and possessed greater political and military power

However, due to the diaspora, Jewish culture had spread to every corner of the Roman world

Many Gentiles became “God-fearers,” many in-turn became Christians

Within this subculture, the order of prominence was flipped - Jews viewed themselves in higher esteem because of their heritage

The phenomenon of Judaizers suggests that Gentiles themselves at least considered that they might be second-class citizens in the Kingdom

The Gospel is the proclamation that the person who accepts Christ and follows his commandments is not second class, or a refugee in the Kingdom, but is a “fellow citizen” with the saints — fellow citizens with the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. John the Baptist and all the holy Prophets, St. Joseph and all the holy Patriarchs, St. Peter, St. Paul and all the holy Apostles and Evangelists, St. Stephen and all the holy Martyrs, and with all the rest of the saints known and unknown to us on earth, but surely known and favored in Heaven.

This Gospel is the good news that peace can be made between those who are near to God and those who are far from him. The most wretched sinner can be brought close to the cleansing love of God, because of Jesus Christ. The persecutor of the faithful can be turned into a friend and brother and neighbor, because Jesus said “have mercy on them, for they know not what they do.”

Saying the Gospel isn’t individualistic doesn’t mean that individuals aren’t important or that God’s love and care isn’t personal

Again and again Jesus ministered to individuals

God partnered with individuals throughout the history of Israel

God works with and through, loves, nurtures, and saves individuals in order to call a people for himself

What is the Holy Spirit saying to us today?

What threatens to rebuild the “wall of hostility” between brothers and sisters in Christ?

Politics — vilifying or demonizing/dehumanizing people with different ideological beliefs

Generational differences — dismissing someone either because they’re “too young to know better” or “too old to be relevant”

Ethnic differences — Racism is not dead, it just went into hiding

Gender — battle of the sexes, misogyny, misandry, failure both to appreciate and rejoice in differences between men and women, failure to recognize the ways in which men and women are equal in capability and purpose

Even though it may seem like peculiarities of the current times sharpen these things, the things I named are some of the same issues that have caused divisions and factions throughout human history

This is all the more reason to cling to our citizenship in Christ, our membership in the household of God

The world around us is lurching towards the Day when the Lord returns, and these divisions only deepen the judgment laid against it, for what those who live their life for one side of a divide do to those on the other side

The Spirit reminds us that we are not strangers and aliens

not us here in Good Shepherd regardless of where we came from originally

not us Anglicans as compared to other faithful Christian traditions around town

not us American Christians as compared to Christians in other parts of the world

Rather, where there were two men — the perfect Man and the fallen man — Jesus brought all humans who will submit to his yoke into his perfect Humanity and his glorious Divinity so that we would build with him that temple for the Holy Spirit.

This moment in our Nation’s story is remarkable in all of the worst ways. The culture around us is horribly divided and toxic.

Because of this division and toxicity, I am saddened and concerned about the rest of this election season.

I have faith that God will provide for us and has our ultimate good in mind regardless of who is elected in November, and so my concern and sadness is not over who might win the election.

Instead, I worry that the division and toxicity that is all around us will reach into our lives, our homes, our church.

So in thinking about Paul’s words to the Ephesians, I see the only preventative measure I know against that threat — remember that Christ has reconciled all of us who claim him to one another.

Remember that we are not foreigners and strangers, but citizens in a greater Kingdom, and members of the household of God.

I ask you to pray that God would raise up peacemakers among us, and equip all of us to stand strong in our faith and in love so that no division or factions would be found among us

May we continue to be built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. Amen.