Living in the United States, a country built and focused on the importance of independence, it’s difficult to even imagine living in a place conquered and dominated by another nation. At the time of Jesus’ birth, Judea had already been dealing with such a dilemma for a long time. The Romans, though they did not rule over the day-to-day lives of the Jewish people, had taken over their land and were in ultimate control.
As Rome began to desire more and more power, the empire moved from its origins of Italy toward the East, eventually gaining control over Judea as well. The government allowed Herod to rule over the people; however, the Jews still felt the effects of the Roman domination. Such a situation would obviously create political strife, but this clash also created religious conflict. The pagan beliefs of many Romans angered the staunch beliefs of God’s people. Surely a people focused on strict religious rituals would be upset about such an invasion into the political and spiritual lives of their nation, and the contempt, on both sides, was obvious. In the New Testament, we see that this hostility between the Romans and Jews was particularly important during the ministry of Jesus.
The purpose of Jesus’ arrival on earth was to create unity, particularly a unity between sinful believers and a perfect God. In addition to this wonderful gift of a completed relationship with the Holy God, Jesus’ life also brought unity to individuals and groups of people. Jesus’ life and sacrifice offered salvation to the Jews as well as the non-Jews, for example the Romans. Though this gift is a remarkable one, one to be celebrated and embraced, such an idea added even more conflict to the division of the Romans and Jews. It was difficult for the Jewish people to let their strict-and-regulated-religious guard down; therefore, though many Romans and Jews were Jesus-followers, the unity that should have come from their shared faith was missing.
In the letter to Ephesus, Paul addresses this problem, reminding readers of the Son’s purpose, His plan, His unconditional love for all, and His ability to unite a body of believers. Ephesians 2:16Ephesians 2:16
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
16 . On the cross Christ did away with our hatred for each other. He also made peace f He also made peace: Or “The cross also made peace.” between us and God by uniting Jews and Gentiles in one body.
WP-Bible plugin says, “in this one body [He reconciled] both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.” The letter explains that God used the single body of His Son to bring together the two separate bodies of people. The feat was only accomplished by his horrific death on the cross, but that such a sacrifice killed the bitterness and provided a peach among the believers.
Though we don’t live in a county where we are dominated by a strange nation, we do live in a world where Christians are surrounded by enemies in faith. Such a spiritual conflict requires unity within our own body, though often we become as hardheaded as some of those early believers. We allow personality differences, age gaps, socio-economic diversity, or cultural disparities to cut us off from the rest of the believing body, creating disunity instead of the harmony Jesus’ sacrifice provided. What an insult to our Savior when we allow triviality to overshadow His blessings!
The famous Gaither hymn “Family of God” is an upbeat and optimistic reminder of the attitude we should have for one another and about ourselves:
I’m so glad I’m a part
of the family of God-
I’ve been washed in the fountain,
cleansed by His blood!
Joint heirs with Jesus
as we travel this sod,
For I’m part of the family,
the family of God.(2) You will notice we say “brother
and sister” ’round here-
It’s because we’re a family
and these folks are so near;
When one has a heartache
we all share the tears,
And rejoice in each victory
In this family so dear.(3) From the door of an orphanage
to the house of the King-
No longer an outcast,
a new song I sing;
From rags unto riches,
from the weak to the strong,
I’m not worthy to be here,
But, praise God, I belong!
Such a chorus may seem unrealistic, but its core is truly the unifying purpose of Jesus’ sacrifice. Because of our own sinful nature, our own blemished lives (“I’m not worthy to be here”), we should welcome each believer as a companion and aid in our journey towards righteousness. Empathy and compassion should motivate every action (“ When one has a heartache/ we all share the tears,/And rejoice in each victory/ In this family so dear.”), as they did with Christ. Our purpose should be unity; after all, it’s what Jesus demonstrated and provided for us, though we were undeserving.
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