Ephesians 2:16
“and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.”
These were two groups that were hostile to eachother. The jews thought the greeks unclean and without God and the greeks saw the jews as unsophisticated and backward in their thinking. The Book of Acts shows how they came together. Peter had the vision of all the foods that were unclean to a practicing jew. Yet God told him that they were now clean. The point was that God brought His messiah to the world through the jews. He wonderfully layed out his plan of salvation symbolically in the old testament. They were to be seperate. However, through Jesus, the message now goes to everyone. Most of Paul’s preaching was to gentiles. He would begin in the synagogue in each town, but after being rejected he would turn to the gentiles. The churches in the towns were a mix of both peoples. They had a meeting in Jerusalem to figure out how the gentiles should relate to the law. They concluded in Acts 15:19,20 that they should avoid meat offered to idols and fornication. Part of this was to keep them away from unbiblical behavior and the other part was to keep them away from dietary habits that offened their new jewish brothers. It is a big deal to bring together two cultures. One of my good friends is a jewish gentleman that is now a christian. His family is saddened about his new faith. When I became a christian, I stopped some of my unbiblical behavior, which created a distance between some of my friends. We both left our cultures to enter God’s culture. While sadness is felt by some, unification is God’s goal. He wants us all to come to Him. The church is made up of very different people from different backgrounds. We normally wouldn’t have associated with one another. Yet, God has brought us all together. Verse 14 in Ephesians 2 says, He “broke down the barrier of the dividing wall”. God is presently reaching out to build His church. Many in the world are opposing Him. Multiculturism seeks to celebrate each culture and faith and make it offensive to attempt to change it. Multiculturism sees the missionary activity anyplace as harmful. God sees it as shining light into darkness. Bringing the gospel doesn’t mean all aspects of one’s culture are abandoned. Only ones that are against the bible. This makes our present culture bristle. Yet, God wants all to be in the church, part of His culture. It takes courage to share Jesus’ message in this climate.
Lord, thank You for Your family. Thank You for the wonderful brothers and sisters that You’ve given me. Help us to spread Your message of hope and reconciliation.