Devotion: Ephesians 2:17

Ephesians 2:17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 

In this verse, Paul explained that Jesus came to proclaim peace to both the Gentiles and the Israelites. We know these were the audiences he was speaking of because he called them those far away and those near. Those far away would be the Gentiles, those near would be the Israelites. Historically, these two groups of people were deeply divided and did not get along, much less attend church together.

The context of the passage focused on reconciliation between the two. The emphasis instead was on unity and equality in access to God. Paul sought to remove the spiritual and cultural barriers that prevented unity. He no longer wanted to see the Gentiles excluded or looked down upon, as they were now believers and therefore members of the same body, the Body of Christ or the early church.

Earlier in the passage, in Ephesians 2:14-16, Paul informed them that Jesus IS our peace. Through His death on the cross He did away with all of the religious regulations that were dividing the groups. He created a new humanity and He reconciled both groups to God, not just the Israelites.

Verse 17 echoes the prophecy by Isaiah in Isaiah 57:19 which was looking ahead to a time when God would extend His peace to those who were near and those who were off, the exact wording that Paul used in this verse. The Israelites would have been familiar with this prophecy and been able to recognize it for what it was when Paul cited it.

As believers, we must remember that it is the Gospel that breaks down the divides between us and non-believers. It is because of His death, because He has broken down that divide, that we are able to, and in fact we are called to, actively promote reconciliation between groups. No matter what cultural or social divides exist, we are to welcome everyone into the family of Christ upon salvation.

Today I challenge you to identify barriers to unity and consider what you might do to break them down. Share the barriers you identified with us or with your family and explore ways to promote reconciliation and then make the effort to put it into action.

Prayer: Lord, Help me to see the things that interrupt our fellowship with others and bring about reconciliation and resolution. Let me be the peacemaker today that unites those who are at odds with one another. Amen 

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