Without God in the world
The Gentiles also were without God in the world. They may have been able to build some hope for themselves, hope like that sung by Emily Blunt, but they could build no real God for themselves. Idols, philosophies, views of life, sure, but God? No one can build a real God, but peoples since time began have done their best to do so. Some of those efforts have been quite enduring molding large swaths of humanity.
When God reveals himself, though, it is another matter. To a man from Chaldea God came. That man was Abram who became the father of many nations. Most importantly was the offspring that would come from the Virgin Mary: Jesus Christ. Then God really became God with us dwelling for a time among men infusing the earth with the most enduring truths. Into world civilization came the message and manner of God himself. With him God is in the world.
Paul said to the Ephesians, that before Apollos brought the message of Christ to them they were without God. They were in the world but had no real connection to the next. Life may have gone on, but they were on the wrong path. No Celestial City was at the end of their sidewalk.
Again, past tense implying that now they are in the world with God. More appropriately God is in the world with them. The Holy Spirit is ready and present, teaching, reminding, encouraging, protecting.
Wrap up with the present
Here is the 13th verse with which we will conclude this lesson and which we will use to launch the next.
13 But now in Christ
Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:12–ESV)
There is the happiness. The past was not forgotten, but always was to be held with this view. There is a path forward in the man Jesus annointed by God as Messiah to the world.
The Gentiles were far from the Jews culturally. They were far from God spiritually. Jesus is the one in whom the pathway to a hopeful now and forever rests. It is not a child’s story for it is covered in a brutal death, but the blood from that sacrifice is big enough to cover the needs of Gentile and Jew alike.
Can you recall a story or a situation where a child stands apart from a happy group? Maybe they are separated because of class, or race, or disease. Perhaps their clothes or their manner of speech isolates them, or maybe fear of crowds or involvement does it. Very enduring to an adult watching that type situation is to see an accepted child break free to go include, to rescue the isolated one.
Jesus was the one who was of the God-accepted class who ended up being shunned even there. He was pinched by both groups, but through that life-ending pinch on the cross he made a new family bringing near those who had been far off and completing the symbolism planted throughout the Bibilical histories of the Jews.
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