Peace with God & Others
Ever been left out? Maybe it was a party, a club, or even just an inside joke that made you feel like an outsider. I remember crawling into my daughter Emma’s toy tent not long ago, reading books and snuggling with her. But these days? I’m not on the guest list. Only select stuffed animals like Hello Kitty or her favorite elephant are allowed in. It stings a bit, being shut out from something you were once welcomed into. That feeling of exclusion? It’s not just a childhood memory. It’s a reality many people face daily—in friendships, families, politics, even churches.
Paul’s letter to the Ephesians reminds us that exclusion isn’t just a social issue—it’s a spiritual one. Ephesians 2:11-12 urges the Gentiles to remember who they were: outsiders, separated from Christ, excluded from God’s promises, living without hope. That’s a heavy truth. But Paul doesn’t stop there. He wants them—and us—to recall our past not to shame us, but to highlight the grace of God. None of us—Jew or Gentile—have grounds for boasting. We all needed Jesus to bring us near.
And that’s the good news. In verses 13-18, Paul proclaims that Jesus is our peace. He didn’t just make peace—He is peace. He broke down the wall of hostility that separated Jews and Gentiles and made one new people through His cross. No more outsiders. No more division. Whether you grew up in church or came to faith later in life, the ground is level at the foot of the cross. We are all saved by grace, through faith, not by heritage or behavior.
This peace is deeper than just avoiding arguments. It’s the Hebrew concept of shalom—wholeness, harmony, unity. Through Jesus, the old dividing lines—ethnic, religious, cultural—are erased. He created one body, one family, one spiritual home. In this new temple, Christ is the cornerstone, and we are all being carefully joined together. Unity doesn’t mean uniformity. It means everyone fits—different but connected, like a mosaic, reflecting the beauty of our Creator.
Paul’s vision of the Church is stunning: not strangers, but citizens. Not outsiders, but family. We are family. God’s household, built together in love. And just like a family or a physical building, each part matters. Each of us holds up the others. Each of us contributes to the beauty, strength, and mission of the Church. And the glue that holds us together? It’s Jesus. Fascinatingly, scientists have found that a protein called laminin—a cell adhesion molecule that literally holds our bodies together—is shaped like a cross. What a reminder that the cross isn’t just a symbol—it’s the source of our unity.
But let’s be real: we still build walls. We divide by politics, denominations, preferences, and race. We say things like “But they hurt us” or “They never apologized.” Yet Jesus didn’t die to preserve our comfort zones—He died to tear down our dividing walls. The peace Jesus brings doesn’t ignore differences; it redeems them. And that means Jews must learn to love the Gentiles they once excluded. Gentiles must embrace those who once pushed them away. The same goes for us today—no matter which “side” we’re on.
So how do we live restored? How do we become a united people in a divided world? Paul’s answer is clear: look to Jesus. He’s not just the path to peace; He is peace. We won’t find unity through debate, politics, or pushing harder. We’ll find it through the cross—through laying down pride, welcoming the outsider, and remembering that Jesus broke the walls we still try to build. In Him, we are one. That’s how we live restored.