How God makes peace

Every day we're reading or listening to part of the Bible together and sharing thoughts with you. Today it’s Owen Lynch:

What did I like about today’s passage?

I like the standout verse from this letter: “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”

Paul is writing this letter right alongside the letter he wrote to the Ephesians during the time he was in custody for almost four years. Life is hard, he has lost his freedom even though he hasn’t committed a crime. He is a victim of injustice and probably has good reason to be in conflict with the many people who have put him in this position.

But Paul sees his own suffering as a way of participating in the same suffering that Jesus endured. It is true that Jesus suffered similar sectarian violence at the hands of fellow Jews who rejected him as the Jewish Messiah and Paul considers it a privilege to go through similar sufferings.

Don’t forget that Paul was once on the opposite side of this sectarian war, he was the one persecuting Jesus and his followers - overseeing their deaths and imprisoning those who were not killed. So, his appreciation of the being reconciled to Jesus was perhaps especially acute.

Paul shows in 1:19-20 that Jesus death was not the end, indeed it was the beginning of reconciliation between humanity and God and between every single person. And this gave him such joy, there was no amount of suffering that could dull his deep joyful reconciliation with God.

What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?

It shows me that reconciliation is what God is all about. Jesus overriding purpose was to reconcile us to one another and to himself. Next time someone asks you to explain the gospel of Jesus - there you have it - God’s purpose was to reconcile you and me to himself and to one another. Isn’t that simple, amazing, liberating, incredible GOOD NEWS!?

What am I going to do differently as a result?

I am going to live by that simple gospel - to try and be reconciled to everyone with whom I share life with.

Who am I going to share this with?

My friends and colleagues.