405. Tuesday after Twentieth Sunday after Trinity.
Ephesians 2, 13-22. But now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby; and came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
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Without Christ the law is a wall of partition between the Jews and gentiles, and sin a wall of partition between God and both of them; but in Christ both are reconciled to God, and united with each other. God’s holy, eternal, and immutable law no more stands as a threat between God and Israel; for Christ has fulfilled both its demands and its judgment. “In his flesh,” — his work of atonement in his human nature and his humiliation, — he “abolished even the law of commandments contained in ordinances.” “He blotted out the handwriting of the ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.” As he has atoned for the sin of the whole world, Jews and gentiles now have free access to God.
Paul everywhere teaches that Jesus Christ as our Savior himself is in the words of the gospel. “He is our peace,” he who abolished the enmity; he is himself our peace. And again: “He came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.” Read this aright and see that Jesus with his blood, which he shed on the cross, is present in his means of grace; so that whosoever accepts the gospel accepts him, and is reconciled to God; but whosoever closes his heart to the gospel rejects Christ himself, and remains under the wrath of God. As there is no salvation in any other, so there is no participation in him but by faith in his word.
By the word he has in fact created a new people of God, composed of Jews and gentiles. We also, with our fathers, were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, without hope, and without God. But the word came, and the Spirit therein made clear to us the cross; and now we also are made nigh by the blood of Christ. In the word of God we have our true certificate of citizenship in Israel. Christ is our only ground of salvation; and in him we are indissolubly joined together with the church of the Pentecost and of all time. Of his infinite mercy God has quickened us, raised us up, and lifted us to heaven in Christ Jesus. This is no idle dream; for we have the true gospel, the true Savior, the true life of love, and stand night and day before the throne of God. — O God, we bless thee for thy wisdom and mercy. Help us to believe the word, and to glorify thee. Amen.*
The foolish builders, scribe and priest,
Reject it with disdain;
Yet on this rock the church shall rest,
And envy rage in vain.
What though the gates of hell withstood;
Yet must this building rise:
’Tis thine own work, almighty God,
And wondrous in our eyes.
* Here the head of the family says a short morning or evening prayer in his own words, and closes with the Lord’s Prayer and the Benediction. This is to be done every day. If the stanzas are not sung, they may be read in their proper place before the impromptu petition and the Lord’s Prayer.