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Ephesians 2:13-15, 19-20, 22
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in His flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in Himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace... Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of His household.. with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief corner stone.. and in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.
Colossians 3:11
Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
John 17:22-23
I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as we are one - I in them and You in Me - so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.
Matthew 25: 37, 40
Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?' The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'
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I just have been getting a repeated sense of how it is important for me to desire reciprocity in the relationships I form with those who are less "fortunate" or privileged than I. That's what has drawn me to Jacob's Well. The fact that we are trying to see one another on level ground, not one up on another, that in the context of friendship, and sharing a meal, we are just who we are, without the labels of our professions/ education - although I find it hard to keep that out of the conversation sometimes when I talk about my experiences. Lord help me to grow in the grace of my conversations that is really at a place where we are all equals, that there is no in-group or out-group, no one more civilized than another, no jobless or educated, but that I see You, Christ, in everyone I interact with - is that possible for those who are yet to have a relationship with You? But surely it must be that we are all made in Your image, if only we could recognize that, past the outer appearances of scruffiness and souless blank looks, into the hearts that have been shaped for love and intimacy, for flourishing and growth. Help me to see You in each person, not defined by Christian labels of "being saved" - let these labels be the walls of hostility that You break down Lord, between people who just feel different from one another, that we may be brought to complete unity in Christ.
Complete unity - Father, Son, Spirit, us - You bind us together Lord, You break down the dividing walls of hostility and establish peace, a sense of being on level ground with one another and built together as Your dwelling place even as we live in You and You in us. On a specific note, help us know how to see our friends who are homeless as our equals. That in our desire to help them, it does not perpetrate the sense of inequality but that we may know how to build friendships with them which are reciprocal, and life-giving in bidirectional ways, that You may bring us to that level ground of Your cross and bind us together in Your blood shed for us. No room for any saviour mentality on our part. You are the only one Saviour.
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in His flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in Himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace... Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of His household.. with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief corner stone.. and in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.
Colossians 3:11
Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as we are one - I in them and You in Me - so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.
Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?' The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'
___________________________________________
I just have been getting a repeated sense of how it is important for me to desire reciprocity in the relationships I form with those who are less "fortunate" or privileged than I. That's what has drawn me to Jacob's Well. The fact that we are trying to see one another on level ground, not one up on another, that in the context of friendship, and sharing a meal, we are just who we are, without the labels of our professions/ education - although I find it hard to keep that out of the conversation sometimes when I talk about my experiences. Lord help me to grow in the grace of my conversations that is really at a place where we are all equals, that there is no in-group or out-group, no one more civilized than another, no jobless or educated, but that I see You, Christ, in everyone I interact with - is that possible for those who are yet to have a relationship with You? But surely it must be that we are all made in Your image, if only we could recognize that, past the outer appearances of scruffiness and souless blank looks, into the hearts that have been shaped for love and intimacy, for flourishing and growth. Help me to see You in each person, not defined by Christian labels of "being saved" - let these labels be the walls of hostility that You break down Lord, between people who just feel different from one another, that we may be brought to complete unity in Christ.
Complete unity - Father, Son, Spirit, us - You bind us together Lord, You break down the dividing walls of hostility and establish peace, a sense of being on level ground with one another and built together as Your dwelling place even as we live in You and You in us. On a specific note, help us know how to see our friends who are homeless as our equals. That in our desire to help them, it does not perpetrate the sense of inequality but that we may know how to build friendships with them which are reciprocal, and life-giving in bidirectional ways, that You may bring us to that level ground of Your cross and bind us together in Your blood shed for us. No room for any saviour mentality on our part. You are the only one Saviour.
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