DRAWN NEAR

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

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

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

We were all created for relationship. This is evident from the very forming of man and his companion.

God didn’t wish for Adam to be alone and so He made a woman from the first man. From that point on, they were considered one flesh, ever drawn near to one another.

As we go through life, we too have this yearning to be drawn near ourselves, drawn near to someone who will love and care for us, someone who will save us from the isolation of loneliness.

Unfortunately, seeking this kind of relationship in the world can leave us empty too many times. We crave relationship, to be drawn near to others, in an environment that is ever becoming more and more individualized.

People do their own thing and go their own way. They are more concerned with looking out for number one, namely themselves, than they are getting outside of themselves. When more than one person does come together, it is often in a small, tight knit cluster, something we would refer to as a clique and these cliques usually are very territorial. They circle the wagons well and shun anyone who isn’t a member.

This is how the Gentiles had been treated for a long time in Biblical days. The Jews had their own religious clique established and made it known that God was exclusively theirs, a key component of the covenant God had made with the Israelites. He would be their God and they would be His people. Gentiles weren’t Jews and therefore, they had no place integrating and participating in God-centered activities with the Jews.

To illustrate this, you may remember Jesus getting riled up and driving out the moneychangers outside of the temple in Jerusalem (Matthew 21:12-13).

Why did Jesus get so upset?

Because the marketplace had been set up in the place of prayer for the Gentiles. They weren’t permitted to enter the temple grounds but were allowed to pray in a place designated outside the temple entrance and that house of prayer had turned into a den for robbers, a reference to how the moneychangers and sellers of animals for sacrifice were unscrupulously charging fees to make a profit off of the people who sought their services.

Fast forward to the words of Paul as he wrote to the Christians in Ephesus and we see him reminding them that they once were Gentiles (the uncircumcised) who were “excluded from citizenship in Israel” and “foreigners to the covenants of the promise”. This placed the Gentiles separated from God and therefore without hope.

But that all changed when Jesus came, the one and only Son of God who was sent to bring salvation to everyone, Jew or otherwise. Once distanced from God, the Gentiles were now brought near to Him through the shed blood of Christ, the unblemished Lamb of God who washed away the sin of whoever placed their belief in Him.  

Indeed, Jesus proclaimed Himself as the Way and the Truth and the Life, the only One who could bring anyone to God the Father (John 14:6). Anyone who puts their faith and trust in Him will not perish but gain eternal life (John 3:16) and an everlasting relationship grounded in perfect love and care.

Friends, Paul was reminding the believers in Ephesus to remember where they had been and how much had changed to get them into the blessed, favorable place they were now in. All Christians should receive this reminder with gladness and rejoice in their Savior Jesus who took us from being lost and separated from the God who made us and made the way for us to be drawn near to our Maker and Master forever.

Thanks be to God for the gift of His Son!

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com