Foreigners Welcome

 “… 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. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility… He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.” - Eph. 2: 12-14, 17-18

As we’ve made our way through the story of Abraham, we’ve seen that God’s covenant devotion to this one man and his family was always intended for the sake of the nations.  God’s heart was for all of us – for the world.  So it’s not surprising that God regularly finds a way to express that heart for outsiders, those called in Ephesians “foreigners to the covenants of the promise.”  People like Hagar and Abimelek in Genesis 16 and 20.  People Jesus interacted with, like the Roman centurion and the Canaanite woman in Matt. 8 and 15.  People like you and me – godly pagans, looking for hope, looking for peace.

Take a minute to read through this passage again this morning and talk with Jesus about it.  How has he been drawing you near to him in this spiritual journey?  How has he been speaking peace into your life and relationships?