Today as I read, I have a joyful Bible study companion... There is something about a puppy playing at your feet that is just pure joy... and I'm not even a 'dog person.'
From today's reading...
"For he himself (Christ) is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new person out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross... Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household." - Ephesians 2:14-16,19
Two things strike me as I read this passage. One, the reconciliation came through the breaking of arbitrary divisions between people. Jesus' first work was to unite people. Second, Jesus went to the cross to reconcile people to God.
The greatest commandment in all of the Law, according to Jesus, is to love God with everything in you. The second greatest commandment is to love others as you love yourself.
Jesus knew that we would never be free to love God completely if we didn't love one another first. When we don't love one another, we are completely distracted from the mission to love God. Instead, we fight, we argue, we debate, we circle around 'issues' and we miss the cross completely. We are no longer a whole body. We are no longer a movement. We literally hurt one another.
I fear that we, the church, have sacrificed our mission for self-righteousness. We have put our laws and our commandments before our worship.
So today I read. I return to God's word, over and over again. I return to God's word so that I am centered in the unifying work of Jesus. I return to God's word so that I am ready to love my neighbor as myself.
I return to God's word. Every. Single. Day.
And when I miss a day. I return to God's word again.
From today's reading...
"For he himself (Christ) is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new person out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross... Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household." - Ephesians 2:14-16,19
Two things strike me as I read this passage. One, the reconciliation came through the breaking of arbitrary divisions between people. Jesus' first work was to unite people. Second, Jesus went to the cross to reconcile people to God.
The greatest commandment in all of the Law, according to Jesus, is to love God with everything in you. The second greatest commandment is to love others as you love yourself.
Jesus knew that we would never be free to love God completely if we didn't love one another first. When we don't love one another, we are completely distracted from the mission to love God. Instead, we fight, we argue, we debate, we circle around 'issues' and we miss the cross completely. We are no longer a whole body. We are no longer a movement. We literally hurt one another.
I fear that we, the church, have sacrificed our mission for self-righteousness. We have put our laws and our commandments before our worship.
So today I read. I return to God's word, over and over again. I return to God's word so that I am centered in the unifying work of Jesus. I return to God's word so that I am ready to love my neighbor as myself.
I return to God's word. Every. Single. Day.
And when I miss a day. I return to God's word again.
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