Ephesians 2:11a, 12b-21 - Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles ... were ... separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that He might create in Himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the Cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

In the time of Jesus there was a wall around the temple area in Jerusalem. This wall was there for one reason: to keep out the Gentiles and anyone else who was not allowed to enter the holy places by the laws and customs of Israel. If somebody tried to break through anyway, he was subject to death.

If I had lived in those days, I would have had to stand outside. I would have hated it. To love the Lord and look toward His worship and not be allowed in—how sad and lonely that would be. It would cause a lot of bitterness and anger.

But this is not God's plan for His people. When Jesus came, He said to the Jewish people listening to Him, "I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. So there will be one flock, one Shepherd" (John 10:16).

Jesus came to lay down His life on the cross to save all people—Jews and Gentiles alike, foreigners and native born. No one is to be left out of His kingdom. He died for us all, and He rose from the dead so that everyone who believes in Him may become children of God—no longer outsiders, but insiders, beloved forever.

We have our own exclusions today. Some people reject others based on class or race or whether someone else is an immigrant. Others do it based on wealth or education. But Jesus' blood wipes away all this. To Him, all that matters is this: "Are you a person I died for? Do you trust Me to save you? If so, you are My own." There can be no higher honor, and no greater blessing. We belong to the One who loves us forever—and we are learning to love one another.

WE PRAY: Lord, put Your love for Your people in my heart as well, regardless of who they are. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.

Reflection Questions:

1. Have you ever been left out? How did it feel?

2. How does it feel to know that Jesus has opened the door to you and invited you in?

3. How can you welcome others into God's family and make them feel wanted?

Today's Bible Readings: 2 Kings 17-18    Galatians 4

To Download Devotion MP3 to your computer, right click here and select "Save Link As" or "Save Target As" or "Download Linked File As"