Breaking Down Dividing Walls

Thursday, January 11, 2007 -- Week of 1 Epiphany, Year 1

"Morning Reflections" is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117
An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html


Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 942)
Psalms 18:1-20 (morning) // 18:21-50 (evening)
Isaiah 41:17-29
Ephesians 2:11-22
Mark 2:1-12

Only God can forgive sins. Everybody knows that. The Hebrew scripture teaches it. Thousands of years of tradition clearly outline the necessary procedures for human beings to take in order that God might forgive their sin. But only God can forgive sins.

No wonder traditional religious people opposed Jesus and got upset with him. "'So that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins' -- he said to the paralytic -- 'I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.'" The title "Son of Man" is ambiguous. In some places in scripture, it clearly means "mortal." In other places it implies superhuman qualities. In Matthew's version of the story the people leave praising God "who had given such authority to human beings." Teachings such as this provoked religious traditionalists to charge Jesus with blasphemy. After all, only God can forgive sins. Everybody knows that.

Maybe they underestimated just how radical Jesus was. In Ephesians we read the effect of Jesus's ministry. Those who were once regarded as sinners and outsiders are now welcomed as equals. This lyrical passage in Ephesians 2 has inspired not only uncircumcised Gentiles, but also slaves, women, people of color, and gay Christians. "Now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in the place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it."

This is such rich material that it is worth looking at some of the alternate translations. Another way to translate the description of this reconciliation is to say that Jesus' work will "reconcile both of us in one body for God" by destroying the hostility "in himself."

This great proclamation of inclusion speaks of breaking down "the dividing wall." Many scholars believe that this references the barriers which separated the court of the Gentiles from the worship places open only to Jews. In the ancient shrine to St. Cuthbert in Durham, England, there is a black marble line across the floor. It was placed in 1100 when the Norman cathedral was built. It was a protective barrier, to keep the altar and St. Cuthbert's holy shrine pure and free from the corrupting presence of women. I remember "Whites Only" signs in waiting rooms and on restroom doors.

The people who created those dividing walls believed they were doing God's will and protecting the holy from the profane. But Jesus "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." The apostle says to us Gentiles and to all others who have stood behind those dividing walls, "so then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the Saints and also members of the household of God." Hallelujah!

Lowell
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The Rev. Lowell Grisham
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, AR