Home in Christ

 

  

Jew and Gentile Reconciled Through Christ

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.  Ephesians 2:11-22

 

I once accepted a job 600 miles from my family’s small farm in Tennessee. After arriving, I gazed at the bare apartment that would become my new home. It was dreary.

 


The final heart-wrenching moment was watching my family drive away as I stood alone in an unfamiliar city. My misery began to dominate and detach me from my faith. I had not merely changed my residence; I had pushed God away.




Weeks later, a smiling couple knocked on my door and invited me into their church family.
Their Sunday afternoon visit became a blessing to me. Encouraged, I began unpacking

and came across an envelope of seeds from the cherished tomato plants that my family planted every spring. I placed the seeds sparingly in potting soil and positioned them carefully in my apartment window. These seeds began to flourish just as if they had been planted in my family’s Tennessee garden.

Soon I began to enjoy the plump red harvest. I realized from this experience that the foundation of home begins in the household of God. We can cultivate home by sharing the love of Christ with the people around us.

 

The Author  John Winfield Lee (Tennessee, USA) from The Upper Room

Thought for the Day

God will provide home wherever we may live.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, help us to understand in our hearts that we belong to you and forever reside in your household. Amen.

Prayer focus  Those living far from family