Current studies indicate the USA is the most polarized nation in the world. It seems it is no longer possible to see people as "wrong", they are now contemptuous toward each other. People now actually hate each other and call each other "evil" as opposed to simply considering others as wrong based only upon the fact that the other person believes differently than themselves. Gone are the days when we respected one another's differences.
Believe it or not, the ancient Roman world was more divided than our culture is. Numerous stark divisions epitomized the Roman culture: male vs. female; Roman vs. non-Roman; Greeks vs. barbarians; rich vs. poor, slave vs. free and the list could go on. Ephesus was the perfect place for such a clash to take place. Pastor Adam called it a "cultural picnic table."
Theologian Dallas Willard often wrote about the soul destructive nature of contempt. He wrote: " In anger I want to hurt you. In contempt, I don’t care whether you are hurt or not. Or at least so I say. You are not worth consideration one way or the other (bolding mine). We can be angry at someone without denying their worth. But contempt makes it easier to hurt them or see them further degraded. . . . . The intent and effect of contempt is always to exclude someone, push them away, and leave them out and isolated. . . . In the course of normal life one is rarely in a situation where contempt is not hovering in the wings. And everyone lives in terror of it . . . . Contemptuous actions and attitudes are a knife in the heart that permanently harms and mutilates peoples souls.
INVITATION: As we explore Ephesians 2 this week, are you willing to examine your attitudes about people who look, believe or behave differently than you do? Do you carry contempt in your heart and use it as a "knife in the heart that permanently harms and mutilates peoples souls?" Are you ready to allow Jesus to change you from the inside out? The truth is that something is forming you on a daily basis: what is it in your life? We must be intentional about being formed into the image of Christ. If we are not intentional in choosing what forms us, the world and our culture will form us.
MONDAY: Acts 19:8-10: These verses record Paul's journey into Ephesus. His usual pattern was to go to a synagogue and teach/preach, but in Ephesus, he rented a lecture hall. The reason was to be on neutral territory for his message of peace. If the Church hadn't taken off in Ephesus, it might not exist today. Paul was trying to unify. Is unity important in your life and in your relationships? If not, why not? If so, what characteristics and practices are in place in your life to bring unity into the "Ephesus" places in your life? Are you grateful for the existence of the local Church? How might you thank God for it today and how might you begin to pray for unity within the local Church?
TUESDAY: Ephesians 2:11-12: This is a rather personal and vulnerable verse, but in it's time, for a Jew to call someone "uncircumcised" was the ultimate insult to use. What is an insult you have a tendency to say....or maybe just to think....in your life? How might you pray for forgiveness and ask the Holy Spirit to change your heart about these attitudes?
WEDNESDAY: Ephesians 2:13: The root of the cause of all division is sin. We ALL have sin, not just any certain sect, or sex or religion or political party. Because of the blood of Jesus Christ we are all one family. When we have contempt in our heart for other people, we are making a mockery of what Jesus has taken care of on the cross. We are making a mockery of his death. Are you willing to pray today for the Holy Spirit to reveal to you where you might have sin and division in your heart?
THURSDAY: Ephesians 2:14-18: By death on the cross, our hostility toward each other was put to death. We are one family and Christ is our peace. Peace is a person. How are YOU appropriating the peace of Christ in your daily life?
FRIDAY: Ephesians 2:19-22: We are all members of the "household of God." How are you involved in cultivating love, unity and peace within the household of God? There is no unity apart from Jesus Christ? How are you involving Christ in your daily life? Are you simply checking off the "Christian" box or are you seeking to truly be an apprentice (student) of Christ? Could you have become complacent in your relationship with Jesus Christ?
SATURDAY: John 14:27: What word or phrase stands out for you today from this famous verse? What might the invitation from God be for you in it today?