Near Encounter

Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (which is done in the body by human hands)—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. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:11-13) In some ways, these verses are a repeat of the verses that began the chapter where Paul wrote "you were dead in your transgressions and sins."  In that spot, as with here, Paul begins with the past tense so that the present tense can be set in heightened contrast—because in Christ, things look a lot different! While the first point Paul was making at the beginning of the chapter was about death and life, sin and salvation—now he begins to work his way into the implications of being part of the community of the saved.  What does it mean to practice this resurrection life?  It means working out the grace that God has worked into us, firstly.  That we heard about yesterday.  But it also comes with a change in status and relationship. Here Paul comes with a litany of things that the Ephesians were and weren't before Jesus entered the picture.  "Gentiles."  "Uncircumcised."  "Separate from Christ."  "Excluded from citizenship."  "Foreigners to the covenants of the promise."  "Without hope."  "Without God in the world."  Of course, what one immediately realizes is that this list only makes sense from the point of view of a Jewish person.  Aside from contact with the Jewish community or Jesus Christ—no one in Ephesus would have known about any of these deficiencies or labels.  Aside from the question of hope, did anyone in Ephesus really know or feel that any of these things Paul lists was a problem?       Well, as we find out early on in the book of Acts—relations between native Jewish Christians and new Greek converts to Christ very much was a problem.  Pious Jews were accustomed to praying a daily prayer of thanks to God for not being created as a gentile.  The Temple courts, likewise, were divided into inner and outer courts.  One for gentiles on the outside, and one for Jews on the inside.  Gentiles could not pass through the dividing wall on the penalty of death.  Warnings were posted in Greek and Latin to make sure they knew.  Hostilities ran hot.  As they did at some level between most differing ethnic groups. But here's the thing—Jesus tears down all these ethnic hostilities and barriers.  He strips these believing gentiles of all their former disqualifications.  Not only that, he has the audacity to bring these gentiles who were once far away into not just the inner court, but into the very presence of God!  He tears the veil to the Holy of Holies and by his own blood, invites them right in!   This is not merely an interesting point of ancient history or Biblical research.  In his cross, Jesus shatters all ethnic and national boundaries inside his church.  Not just then, but also today.  And not firstly by giving courses on EDI or anti-racism to tell us of our biases or how to treat one another.  No, it begins more subversively than that.  Jesus begins simply by bringing those who were once far away, near.  Near enough that we all have to encounter one another and contend with the fact that we're all now siblings of the same saved family.   Here in the presence of Jesus, stuck now with hated enemies, immigrants, and foreign outcasts who have become our sisters and brothers, is where transformation into the life of resurrection begins.  Will you submit to the encounter?