Joined by Jesus 靠耶稣合一

[Dexu Xia]

In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. Ephesians 2:21

Today's Scripture Ephesians 2:12-22

Today's Insights  The joining together of Jews and gentiles through Jesus is the clear focus of Ephesians 2:12-20. This passage moves from estrangement (“separate,” “excluded,” “foreigners,” “without hope and without God,” “far away,” vv. 12-13) to reconciliation (v. 16). Using body and building metaphors (vv. 16, 19-22), Paul captures the unifying work of Christ. Of note are two rarely used Greek New Testament words: akrogōniaios (“chief cornerstone,” v. 20) and synarmologeō (“joined together,” v. 21). Jesus is the chief cornerstone who holds the whole building—Jews and gentiles—together.

Today's Devotional  Andy Goldsworthy’s Grand Rapids Arch sits on the side of a road as if striding alongside travelers. The artist created the eighteen-foot-tall, free-standing arch with thirty-six blocks of Scottish sandstone without using mortar or pins. The ascending angled stones, each one different and cut to fit together, depend on pressure created by a wedge-shaped keystone—the top center stone—to remain perfectly intact. The keystone is essential to holding the structure together, much like a cornerstone.

The sculpture reminded me of how Jesus serves as “the chief cornerstone” of His diverse church (Ephesians 2:20). The gentiles—all non-Jewish people—were once “excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world” (v. 12). Jesus made “the two groups one” and “destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility” (v. 14). He created “one new humanity,” and “in one body [reconciled] both of them to God through the cross,” giving them all “access to the Father by one Spirit” (vv. 15-16, 18). 

Christ builds us up as a church “in which God lives by his Spirit” (v. 22). He sculpts each unique person, connects us to Him and to each other through Him, and walks with us. The church is joined by Jesus.

Reflect & Pray

What hinders you from connecting to Jesus as Messiah, the one who unites the church? How has He helped you connect to His diverse church?

Dear Jesus, please strengthen my connection with You and the members of Your diverse family.

Xochilt Dixon

各房靠他连接合宜，成为主的圣殿。（以弗所书 2:21）

今日经文：以弗所书 2章12-22 节

今日洞见：以弗所书 2:12-20 的重点在，犹太人和外邦人因耶稣而合一。这段经文从疏离（“分别的”、“被排斥的”、“外邦人”、“没指望，没有神”、“远离”，12-13 节）过渡到和好（16 节）。保罗运用身体和建筑的比喻（16、19-22 节），生动地描绘了基督的合一之工。值得注意的是两个在新约希腊文中不常用的词：akrogōniaios（“房角石”，20 节）和 synarmologeō（“连接在一起”，21 节）。耶稣是维系整个教会，犹太人和外邦人的基石。

今日灵修：安迪·戈兹沃西的“大急流城拱门”（Grand Rapids Arch）矗立在路边，仿佛与过往的旅人并肩而行。这位艺术家用36块苏格兰砂岩，未使用任何砂浆或销钉，便打造了这座18英尺高的独立拱门。这些向上倾斜的石块，每一块都各不相同，经过切割后完美契合，依靠楔形拱顶石（位于拱门顶部的中心石）产生的压力才能保持完整。拱顶石对于维系整个结构至关重要，正如基石一样。 这座雕塑让我想起耶稣如何成为他多元化教会的“基石”（以弗所书2:20）。外邦人——所有非犹太人——曾“在以色列国民以外，在所应许的诸约上是外人，在世上没有指望，没有神”（第12节）。耶稣使“两下合而为一”，拆毁了“隔阂的墙”（14节）。他创造了“一个新人类”，并且“藉着十字架使两下归为一体，与神和好”，使他们“藉着一位圣灵得以进到父面前”（15-16节，18节）。 基督建造我们成为教会，“神藉着圣灵住在其中”（22节）。他塑造每个独特的个体，藉着他使我们与他彼此相连，并与我们同行。教会因耶稣而合一。

 反思与祷告 是什么阻碍你与耶稣，那位弥赛亚，那位合一教会的主，建立关系？他如何帮助你与他多元化的教会建立联系？ 亲爱的耶稣，求你坚固我与你以及你多元化家庭成员之间的联系。

索奇尔特·迪克森