Thursday Reflection October 21, 2021
Thursday Reflection October 21, 2021
Not divided, but ONE
There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28
Greeting friends!
I pray God’s blessings on you all as share in today’s reflection.
As we look at life in this world there are so many situations that cause us to be divided as a people. Racism continues to rear its ugly head as some races think they are more superior to others. Racism doesn’t only include white hating blacks or blacks hating white. It extends to other races such as Asians or those from the Middle East etc. In this world we tend to focus on the matters that divide us than what joins us together.
This difference also includes one’s social status in life. Generally speaking the rich might be given better treatment than the poor because of their financial status. Hence there is a disparity with equity within the world and especially here in Jamaica.
This division also includes religion with so many people building their denomination and not the body of Christ. There is no doubt that the body of Christ has become divided with so many different denominations all trying to build themselves and promote themselves and some at the expense of others. Hence, the division because the focus is not on what joins but on what divides us. It is to address the division within the church at Galatia and a reminder of what joins people together that Paul wrote Galatians 3.
Paul wrote to remind them that what joins them together supersedes what divides them. Once you have accepted Jesus through faith then you are a child of God. Paul says, “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” I want to examine some of the terms used by Paul in this verse.
Paul said, “There is no longer” meaning that what existed before is no more. In other words whatever use to separate us is no more once we’ve accepted Jesus. So if race use to cause division then it is no more, because we do not look at each other from that light anymore. If one’s status use to divide us then that has been abolished. If it was denomination then that also is gone. So when it comes to Christ these dividers are NO MORE. The challenge is that we don’t look at it that way. We do everything in our power to maintain our “identity” forgetting that our only identity is in Jesus Christ.
Paul also said, “For all of you are one.” The reason why the things that divide us are no more is because ALL OF US have become one. Every single person that has accepted Christ is one. We all belong to the same family and family, in theory, look pass their differences to operate as one. Not even our gender becomes important, “neither male or female” because we’re operating as one spirit. Our oneness comes from our relationship in Jesus Christ and that is the single most important factor, not anything else.
So I charge us today, let us operate as one as Jesus intended it to be.
Amen!
Christopher Euphfa