In yesterday's reflection, I began to answer the question, "Why did Christ tear down the 'wall' separating Jews from Gentiles?" Ephesians 2:15 explains that Christ's purpose had two parts: "His purpose was [1] to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and [2] in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross."...

In yesterday's reflection, we saw that Christ destroyed the wall that divided Jews from Gentiles, thus bringing peace and making both groups one. How did Christ actually destroy this wall of separation, this "dividing wall of hostility"? Ephesians 2:15 explains that Christ destroyed this barrier "by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands...

Ephesians 2:14 begins with a bold proclamation: "For he himself is our peace." In context, the "he" is Christ, whose blood brought the Gentiles near to God and God's people (2:13). The Greek of this verse underscores the identity of the one who is our peace, not just "he," but "he himself" (autos). What does it mean for Christ to be our peace? When we...

Have you ever been really thirsty? I’m not thinking about ordinary thirst, the kind you can quench with a quick drink of water. Rather, I have in mind an aching, desperate thirst. Have you experienced anything like this? I did once, while on a hike in the San Gabriel mountains of Southern California. A few friends and I took off in the early morning....