You are on page 1of 4

you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, 20built upon the

foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21In him the
whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22in whom you also
are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.
Mosaic Man
At the end of the second chapter of the letter to the Ephesians, the author paints this picture of
God cobbling together a new humanity out of two groups who had mostly known hostility
those from the house of Israel and the multitudes of other nations who now have access to God in
one Spirit through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Christ the whole structure is
joined together and is growing into a holy temple in the Lord being built together in the Spirit
into a dwelling place for God.
The author is asking his readers to admire this grand mosaic of which they are a part. And even
more than we might admire the work of a street artist that is able to bring together a striking
piece of art from random objects In Christ God has brought together two groups who were
openly hostile and at odds with each other. This new humanity this holy temple is stunning in
that there is peace and even more growth where there was once only strife and division.
I think these images that the author of this letter uses are so provocative, so inspiring. Members
of the household of Goda holy temple in the lorda dwelling place for God. Even more when
we look at the image of the temple in the Old Testament Pauls language about this new holy
temple is especially powerful. For the temple was the place that was the sign and seal of Gods
presence with the people. It was the spot where heaven and earth touched. The temple was to be

the focal point of for the worship and praise of God and the center out of which the word of the
word of the Lord would go out to the nations.
The whole point of being the chosen people with the temple and the Torah the guiding
principles on how to live the life God required was to that God could create a people that
would be a light to the nations around them. With God in the temple and the temple at the center
of every aspect of the nation they would become a shining example of what it meant to love the
one true God with all their heart, soul and mind and to love their neighbor as themselves. They
would be a people that would protect the poor, the orphan, the widow, the needy among them.
They would be a land of human flourishing a place of peace, justice and righteousness that
would draw the nations to the one true God.
Ephesians wants to make a couple of things clear. First, Jesus has become the new
manifestation/revelation of Gods presence with humanity. By taking on our very flesh and
blood -- the stuff of heaven and the stuff of earth are shown to be compatible again. In the life,
death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we get a sure sign and seal that Gods steadfast love for us
and desire to be our God and for us to be his people is stronger than any power or authority in
heaven or on earth, stronger than death.
Second, Ephesians reminds us that through the cross not only have we been reconciled to God
but we have also been reconciled into a new humanity through the death of Christ. Through
Jesuss death he has created in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making
peace, [reconciling] both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that
hostility through it. So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those
who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father (Eph 2:15-18
NRS)

Even so, we often forget what we have been called to as the church those called out to follow
Jesus. We might focus on certain behaviors a list of dos and donts to decide who is in and
who is out. We might start to think that only those that have been blessed with the same
education, wealth and ability are meant to be included in our community. We might even begin
to believe that the true worship of God only really happens within the walls of our building
with our style of music. We all too frequently forget our past and fall into games of exclusion:
we choose sides rich vs. poor, black/white, American/foreigner, Republican/democrate and on
and on. We forget the story that the author of Ephesians is trying to tell that the Spirit is at work
attempting to give access to God without regard to these divisions. We can become so forgetful
that we devalue others humanity others lives. In the church we cannot allow ourselves to forget
what it means to be this new humanity reconciled to God and each other.
Although living into where God is calling us is not easy we must remember that we are Gods
handy work held safely in the palm of His hands. Through the spirit God is shaping and
modeling us into salt and light. A place where the divisions that rip this world apart and cause so
much pain and violence are being held together by the love of Christ.
Back to the Mosaic image break the bottle to make the mosaic.
It will not be easy, but we are not alone and even more God is already out in front of us. The
walls that seem so high to us have already been leveled by Jesus Christ.
A new humanity, a household of God, a holy temple in the Lord, a dwelling place for God. We
are all these things we are these things through a gift from God out of the great love with which
God loves us. As Chapter 2 verse 10 says, For we are what he has made us, created in Christ
Jesus for good works, which God has prepared beforehand to be our way of life. What are these

good works? To begin with they are a life lived out of a steady remembrance of who we are in
Christ. We are the new holy temple called to reverberate with the glory of God through our lives
of worship and service.
Walking by lampposts.
If we remember who we are and whose we are we will be mosaics with a mission a
community of faith cobbled together by God embracing all those that the Spirit embraces.
Gathered together in Christ we make a home for God as we forget the divisions, dehumanization
and dread that often rule our lives and relationships. Remembering that the church is this new
temple that will be the focal point of Gods mission in the world -- We will glisten with love, or
capacity to forgive will sparkle and our hope will be incandescent. We will be a light to the
nations and a dwelling place for God.

You might also like