Pentecost 9 (4)
Notes
Transcript
11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household,
In this section St. Paul refers to something as a barrier, the dividing wall of hostility. It leads me to think of several well known man made barriers that are meant to keep different groups of people separate.
The Great Wall of China. The Great Wall of China (built around 220 BC over a period of years) is the longest man-made structure ever designed or built in history. The Great Wall of China was built to serve as defense against enemy attack from nomadic tribes north of China. It also served to protect the trade route across China.
The Berlin Wall. The Berlin Wall (German: Berliner Mauer, pronounced [bɛʁˌliːnɐ ˈmaʊɐ] ⓘ) was a guarded concrete barrier that encircled West Berlin of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; West Germany) from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and the German Democratic Republic (GDR; East Germany).[a][1][3] Construction of the Berlin Wall was commenced by the government of the GDR on 13 August 1961. It included guard towers placed along large concrete walls,[4] accompanied by a wide area (later known as the "death strip") that contained anti-vehicle trenches, beds of nails and other defenses. The primary intention for the Wall's construction was to prevent East German citizens from fleeing to the West.[5]
The Wall between US and Mexico. The first border fences built along the U.S.-Mexico border to curb immigration from Mexico began in earnest under Democrats Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman. After building fences for decades to stop animals, the federal government shifted its focus when people began migrating in significant numbers from south to north in the 1940s and 1950s.
In this transitional moment, both Mexico and the United States embraced the border’s permeability. To fill labor gaps left by World War II, the nations agreed to a guest worker program, known as the Bracero Program. Not everyone qualified to participate, though, so thousands began migrating independently. Growers in the north yearned for affordable labor. Mexicans within and outside of the program provided it. Under pressure to control the flow of people, the Roosevelt Administration began planning fence construction in urban areas to divert traffic to more isolated areas. By the end of the Truman Administration, most border cities were fenced. Even as both nations facilitated Mexican migration, they looked to fences to aid them in filtering who could enter.
The Bracero Program ended in 1964, and a year later, Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Immigration and Nationality Act which, for the first time, placed a cap on the number of people who could immigrate to the U.S. from Western Hemisphere countries like Mexico. This shift in regulation directed greater attention to the border.
More common examples of walls are . . .
Prisons
Neighborhood fences
Gated Communities.
Even heaven is described in Revelation as a “Gated Community” which not just anyone can enter.
Wall which separate people are nothing new. Even in biblical times we think of the walls of Jericho and the fact that Jerusalem was a walled community. The temple in Jerusalem also had separating walls for different sections.
So St. Paul’s illustration of a wall was quite identifiable to his original audience and to us.
What may not be so apparent to the modern hearer is the separation that St. Paul is referring to by his example of a wall. He is reminding them of something they knew all too well. There had been a sharp distinction between the Jews and Gentiles legislated by the Old Testament Laws God had given to the Jewish nations. We are familiar with not only the Ten Commandments (meant for everyone as a codification of the moral law written on people's hearts) and the civil and ceremonial laws of the Jewish nation. (We think of the dietary laws, Sabbath regulations, and laws regarding worship and sacrifice and the one mentioned in our text — circumcision). These laws kept the Jews separated from the Gentiles as an attempt to preserve the true worship of the one and only God. The impact was that when Jews and Gentiles lived in the same city, the minority would become a culture within a culture and contact between them was limited. We have a reference to that in the book of Acts when Peter went to the home of Cornelius. Acts 11:1–3 (NIV84) 1 The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him 3 and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.”
It is also referenced when St. Paul interacted with certain people in Jerusalem. Galatians 2:11–16 (NIV84) 11 When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. 12 Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. 13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. 14 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs? 15 “We who are Jews by birth and not ‘Gentile sinners’ 16 know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.
Illustration. Emphasize that this separation between Jews and Gentiles was very pronounced.
Modern local examples: A generation ago and certainly two generations ago there was a sharp distinction between Lutherans and Catholics.
We are aware of the differences between Amish and non Amish people in our area.
We may still be aware of the cultural differences between WASPS and Hispanics
These examples pale in comparison to the separation and the outright hostility that existed between the Jews and the Gentiles on a social and religious level. And would have been on a military level too had the Romans not kept things under control and would not tolerate fighting as had been their history and as is exemplified even today by what is going on between Israel and Palestine.
Dilemma in the early Christian Church. The “mystery” (truth hidden for a long time) was that God had never intended such a separation to be permanent. His goal was to unite people of all backgrounds into one holy Christian Church. Jesus didn’t come to save just the Jew at that point in history but people from all races from all eras.
Ephesians 1:9–10 (NIV84) 9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
Ephesians 3:1–6 (NIV84) 1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— 2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 1:24–27 (NIV84) 24 Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
This is the context of our text.
At one time Gentiles and Jews were separate.
Now in Christ you who were far off have been brought near.
Jesus had destroyed the barrier. He did this by abolishing the law in his flesh by keeping the laws of God and by completing that which the law had pointed ahead to.
(We are still obligated to obey the moral law. The ceremonial laws are to have no effect.)
Peace had arrived.
Peace between people of different backgrounds. Galatians 3:26–29 (NIV84) 26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
7 When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Peace between people (who are united) and God.
By nature we were not at peace with God. We were objects of his wrath and deserved temporal and eternal punishment. Hebrews 10:30–31 (NIV84) 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
But because God’s justice was satisfied by Jesus, we can trust that we are forgiven and receive every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus by faith in him. We can rest assured that our God is a loving God who has only our best future in store for us. As Jesus said to his disciples on Easter Sunday, “Peace be with you.” Amen.