For He Himself is our Peace

There are many barriers in our world, real or imagined, between people. Barriers of poverty, gender, age, class, race, religion, sexuality, football team and many more all created by the human need to belong to a particular group, to define the difference between them and us.

Psalm 89: 14 - 21 (NIV)

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;

love and faithfulness go before you.

15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,

who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.

16 They rejoice in your name all day long;

they celebrate your righteousness.

17 For you are their glory and strength,

and by your favour you exalt our horn.

18 Indeed, our shield belongs to the Lord,

our king to the Holy One of Israel.

19 Once you spoke in a vision,

to your faithful people you said:

“I have bestowed strength on a warrior;

I have raised up a young man from among the people.

20 I have found David my servant;

with my sacred oil I have anointed him.

21 My hand will sustain him;

surely my arm will strengthen him.

For the Israelites in the Old Testament, their world was defined by which tribe you belong to, which of the twelve tribes of Israel, or wider, to see anyone outside these tribes as other. What made the Israelites distinctive from the surrounding tribes was their faith in God, putting their faith in Him gave them strength to stand up to their adversaries and in David, God gives them a powerful leader to uphold and demonstrate this strength and distinctiveness.

In Jesus, the line of David is fulfilled with a leader who can bring the light of God's presence to all people, a belonging not just for one tribe or nation, but for all people at all times and everywhere, not restricted to a time of celebration or a particular place of worship.

Ephesians 2: 11 - 22 (NIV)

11 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)— 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 by the blood of Christ.

14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by 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, 16 and in 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 strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

All people, no matter their differences or the real or imagined barriers that we put between them are reconciled in Christ. He doesn't just build a bridge across these barriers, but breaks them down creating peace and a new humanity where all have access to the Father through the Spirit. There is no one temple, but all become part of the holy temple of the Lord with Jesus as the Cornerstone. And it is a distinctive new humanity, one that can be recognised by the way we live our lives in the light of God's presence, carrying out the work of Jesus to build His Kingdom here today.

Prayer

Please pray for all our CAP clients who are struggling with the barriers that poverty can raise. Low incomes can prevent clients from feeling part of society, they can struggle with language barriers, health problems, child care issues, lack of transport and so much more. Pray that the CAP team can help bring love, support and belonging into their lives.

Pray for all our clients waiting for their first visits, now booking into June. Pray that this time of waiting will be a time to reflect on how the CAP journey out of debt can help move forward to a better future ahead.

Pray for the CAP Sunday service at St Mary's on 31st May, that this would be a great opportunity to tell the congregation about the work of Ely and District CAP and demonstrate just this one kind of Kingdom work going on in our community.