Devotional Messages

DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE

Ephesians 2:13-14 – But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.  For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. (NRSV)

For a lot of us modern-day Christians, talk about the “flesh” and “blood” of Christ is a turn-off.  We prefer our Lord’s Supper well-done, not bloody. And yet, if we give it a chance, we can find a way to relate to the idea of bodily sacrifice.  When we work hard at something – whether it’s cleaning up the yard or preparing a meal or playing with an active child at the playground – we are making a physical sacrifice for the sake of love.  We may be more likely to shed sweat or tears than blood, but we do know what it means to make a bodily sacrifice for someone we love.

So it’s worth it to consider again what it might mean that humanity has been “brought near” to one another “by the blood of Christ.”  As we approach World Communion Sunday and contemplate all that we share with our brothers and sisters in Lebanon or Sudan or Haiti, I’m wondering what it takes for us to feel “near” to them.  What would it take for them to feel “near” to us?  Would there be bodily sacrifice involved?

Any time we travel, we make bodily sacrifices, walking till our feet hurt, sitting till we’re stiff in plane seats.  But the stakes get higher if we are visiting new friends in other countries, being received as guests by people we want to honor as we learn about their experience of life.  When I was in Palestine, we were frequently offered coffee by our hosts.  I usually demurred, since I don’t like coffee, as you know.  But when we were visiting a community of Bedouins, whose existence was precarious because the Israeli settlers who had moved in nearby kept cutting off their water supply, I couldn’t refuse.  I didn’t drink all of that precious liquid, but I tried my best, to honor their humanity by my willingness to accept their gifts.

How much are we willing to sacrifice to re-member Christ’s body, that is, to bring Christians from all around the world together in true communion?  Are we willing to sacrifice our pride that assumes our way of doing things is best?  Are we willing to sacrifice our comfort, that insists on witnessing suffering only from a distance?  Are we willing to sacrifice relationships with those who don’t approve of us standing up for justice for people we don’t even know?  As we come to the global table this Sunday, let us rejoice that Christ has already reconciled us and commit ourselves to continuing that reconciling work in our world!