Breaking Down Us and Them

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 2: 11 - 22 (NIV)
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)— 12remember 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. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15by 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, 16and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
19Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Message: Breaking Down “Us and Them”
Human nature of tribalism
We are tribal beings - it comes naturally to us to form groups and associate with others on matters we have in common
Think of your tribes for a moment - family, friends, the teams that you support, the place where you live, the province you live in, the country you live in (nationality), the language (or dialect, or accent) you speak, the political views you hold, the kind of work that you do, you social status (are you rich or poor?), Gender (ladies groups or mens groups), generations, ethnic groups, sexual orientation… can you name more?
In Canada we have the freedom to associate with anyone we choose to - Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Section 2(d)
I think this right is one of our rights and freedoms that we take for granted the most - we could do well to appreciate this right and freedom today
Ironically, in many ways it is the exercising of this right that brings division in our society
But Section 2(d) of our Rights and Freedoms recognizes the human nature of tribalism
I have recently been asked by a new friend: “so where do you stand politically?”
I am sure some of you would also want to know…
I felt this intense feeling of being boxed into a political category - this person need to place me somewhere on their political map and that would determine how this new friendship will develop further…
Today, in Paul’s words to the Ephesians, we are prompted to consider our own tribes and associations
Instinctive Categorizing - “us and them”
Paul uses an example of the strongest categories in which their society was divided, namely Jews and Gentiles… or the circumcised and the uncircumcised
In society, this was the ultimate division of “us and them”
The division was so strong that they did not even speak to one another
Jews did not touch Gentiles, because it would make them unholy
Jews were not to enter the house of a Gentile
The long and the short is, that Jews not really care for anyone that is not Jewish
We will take care of our own and they can take care of their own
The division of us and them
And certainly, it was not just the Jews, the Romans, the Samaritans, many other groups formed into “us and them”
Even within the Jewish people there were tribes with inclusions and exclusions
To say the least - the tribal thing and division between “us and them” was complicated (like it is today)
Paul was writing to the Ephesians to address this division of “us and them”
An unchecked tribalism that leads to division and hurt
A division that is hurtful to the integrity of the gospel…
Destroying barriers - breaking down “us and them”
Paul points out that Jesus came to this world to bring peace - peace between human and and God, peace between human and human
The blood that flowed on the cross broke down so many barriers
Think of the curtain of the temple that was torn with Jesus’ death - breaking down the division of religious orders
Think of Jesus telling a story of a Samaritan that showed us who our neighbour is - breaking down the barrier between Jews and Samaritan
Think of Jesus having children on his lap - breaking down the barrier of generations
Think of Jesus and the woman at the well - breaking down barriers of gender, barriers of sin, barriers of ethnicity
Think of Jesus touching leapers - breaking down the barriers of holy and unholy
Think of Jesus healing a Roman officer’s child - breaking down the barriers of nationality (and even the barriers of resentment)
Think of encounter between Philip and Ethiopian - breaking down the barrier of race en ethnicity
Think about the role women played in Jesus’ ministry and the early church - breaking down the barrier of gender
This is what Paul was about with the Ephesians - explaining to them what Jesus did - verse 14: “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility”
Making two groups one…
Destroying barriers…
Breaking down walls of hostility…
A New tribe
And then Paul reminds them that they belong to a new tribe now…
It is as if he says to them: If you then insist on belonging to a tribe, belong to this one…
He calls this new tribe “God’s people” and “the household of God” and “a new building that rises to be a new temple”
He also calls this tribe “dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit”
You can call this new tribe a tribe without tribes
Or a tribes where tribal divisions have become irrelevant
Now let’s just take a moment today think about this new tribe that we are part of
There is no place for “us and them” here!
We need to intentionally work on the divisions that still exist among us
We need to understand that these divisions are a threat to the integrity of the gospel
We have a responsibility to break down the barriers that our tribal instincts create
We need to keep building at the new tribe, the body of Christ by breaking down barriers
There is no place for “us vs them”
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