Today, our world may seem like a small place. The Internet allows us to communicate with people from all over the globe in a matter of seconds. We can travel to faraway lands in a matter of hours. Most of us have probably come into contact with many foreign cultures within our lifetime. Even the regions of outer space are within our grasp. Seemingly, nothing is far from us.
Yet, as Paul reminded the Gentile Christians of Ephesus, there was a time when we were "separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world" (Eph. 2:12b). It hardly seems possible to us, who have the world at our fingertips, that we could be left so far away from God, our Father, and the rest of the world. But sin alienated us from our Creator and divided us against each other, putting us at odds with Him and the people of this world.
Thanks be to God that this is no longer the case! Now, at this current time, God has already brought us near to Him by the holy, precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. By our Baptism, we were united with Christ into His death on the cross, which now brings us near to Him so that we would be set free from the sin that kept us far off. As a result, "you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God" (Eph. 2:19).
THE PRAYER: Gracious Father, You have drawn us near to You by the blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ, and grafted us into fellowship with the saints and all believers into Your household. Grant that we never become strangers to You and empower us with the Holy Spirit to invite those who are foreigners to Your Word to become citizens in Your house. In the Name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
Written by Pastor Steven Weispfennig
St. John's Lutheran Church - Yankton, South Dakota
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