Who among us has never run into a wall, not being invited to the party, being picked last for the team, or being labelled ‘the elite’ so others could shut us out for good? This sermon on Ephesians 2 tells of the wall of hostility that divided Jews and Gentiles, and of how Christ tore it down by his death on the cross, making one family of God out of two hostile worlds. In times when divisions cut right through families and friendships, the community of Jesus’ followers is meant to be a living picture of reconciliation. Listen to how walls come down, from Jerusalem to Berlin.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- Paul reminds the Ephesians who they were before Christ: excluded from Israel, foreigners to the covenants, without hope and without God (Ephesians 2:11-12). What do these words say about your life before knowing Christ?
- In the Jerusalem temple a wall separated the Court of the Gentiles from the area for Jews, and crossing it meant death. What did it mean for the first readers that Jesus tore down this dividing wall?
- Paul ties Jesus to the word peace three times: He is our peace, He makes peace, and He preaches peace. How do you understand these three aspects, and which one speaks to you most today?
- The speaker describes walls of division from childhood, school and work, and political divides that run even through families and churches. Where do you see such walls most clearly around you, and what builds them?
- The sermon says that solo Christianity is an oxymoron, and that struggling to belong to a community may say something about us. What makes community life hard for you, and how can you work through it?
- Who in our community, different from you in views or life situation, can you support this week, like the soldier in the example who helped a teammate with his last strength?
