Hostility
Road rage. That's probably one place we see hostility every day. Someone does the wrong thing. Someone else reacts. An argument, yelling, horns blaring, insults exchanged... People can get quite hostile on the road. And, Paul says to the Ephesians that this was once the relationship between us and God. Hostility. Enmity.
But Jesus took it away. As Paul writes to the Gentiles (non-Jews), he says that once upon a time, they had nothing to do with God or his family. They were excluded from being citizens. They were enemies. There was enmity between them. But that all changed...
Ephesians 2:11-13
11Therefore, 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)— 12remember 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. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
It all changed with Jesus. By his blood. You were once excluded but that all changed because, through the blood of Jesus, something happened...
Ephesians 2:14-16
14For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
Jesus is our peace. He made the two groups, Jews and Gentiles, into one group.
How?
By creating one new humanity. With no divisions.
How is that possible?
Through his blood shed on the cross. By Jesus' death on the cross, by paying the penalty for sin, he did away with the commands and regulations of the law. He did away with the very thing that divided us from God and from each other. By taking the punishment for all of our sin, Jew and Gentile, he reconciled Jew to Gentile, and humanity to God.
And this is the cost of hostility. This is the cost of reconciliation...
Sacrifice.
Even for a bad case of road rage, the only way peace comes is if there is sacrifice. If someone is willing to take the blame, even if they are innocent. This is what Jesus has done. He has taken the blame, and the punishment. He has taken the full force of the punishment of the law so we might escape the wrath of God.
There is now no barrier between us and God. There is nothing to stand in the way - no enmity and no hostility if we are willing to accept the sacrifice of Jesus. He himself is our peace, our sacrifice, our hope. He has taken the blame for our wrongs.
No matter who we are in this world, Paul reminds us here that in Jesus, there is nothing that is keeping you from God, if you accept Jesus.
But without Jesus, we are still his enemies. Only through Jesus is that wall of hostility able to be removed.
Prayer
Lord God, maker of the heavens and the earth, I am sorry for my sins and I turn away from them. Thank you that you sent Jesus to die on the cross to take the punishment for my sin. Thank you that his sacrifice has taken away the barrier between you and me. Help me to share this peace with others so that they also may no longer be your enemies.
Amen.