Di Wall Don Fall

One short stone wall surround di inner courts of di great temple for Jerusalem. On top am, dem carve signs wey warn every foreigner: no pass here. If you cross dis line, you go pay with your life.

Paul know dat wall well. In fact, na part of di reason wey make am dey for chain. Some years before, crowd for Jerusalem accuse am say e carry one Gentile friend, Trophimus from Ephesus, pass dat barrier enter di temple. Riot burst out, and dem arrest Paul. Now, as prisoner, e write one letter for di believers for Ephesus and di churches wey dey around am. Plenty of dem na Gentiles, people wey no be Jew. And Paul want make dem understand where dem stand before, and where dem dey stand now.

Remember, Paul write, wetin una be before. Gentiles by birth, people wey di circumcised dey call di uncircumcised. For dat time, una no get Christ. Una be strangers to di people of Israel, foreigners to di covenants of promise. Una no get hope, and una no get God for dis world. Outsiders. Una no be part of di people wey God choose. Una no dey inside di promises wey e make to Abraham and to Israel. No hope, and no God. Dat one na lonely place to stand, for di far side of di wall, dey look inside.

But now inside Christ Jesus, una wey dey far before, God don bring una near through di blood of Christ. Una wey dey far, God don bring una near, through di death of Jesus for cross. Because na im be our peace. E don make di two of us one, and e don break down di wall for middle wey separate us. Jesus don knock down di wall wey divide Jew and Gentile, di wall of enmity. E set aside di law with im commands and rules, so dat inside imself e go create one new people from di two, and make peace. E reconcile di two groups to God inside one body through di cross, and e kill di enmity. E come preach peace to una wey dey far, and peace to di ones wey dey near. And through am, di two of us fit come meet di Father, by one Spirit.

Then Paul change di picture from wall to house, and to family. So now, una no be strangers and foreigners again. Una be fellow citizens with God holy people, and members of God household. No be visitors. No be guests wey dey stand for corner. Citizens. Family. And dem dey build dis family like one great building, wey stand on top di foundation of di apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus imself as di cornerstone, di stone wey hold every other stone for line. Inside am, di whole building join together and dey grow to become one holy temple for di Lord. And una too, Paul talk, dem dey build una together to become house where God dey live by im Spirit. Di wall don go. Everybody get invitation to enter di house.

Dat warning wall na real thing. Di Jewish historian Josephus describe one stone barrier for di temple courts with notices for Greek and Latin wey forbid foreigners to enter. For eighteen seventy-one, one French archaeologist, Charles Clermont-Ganneau, find one of dat stone notices for Jerusalem. Di Greek writing on top am warn say any foreigner wey pass di barrier go get imself to blame for di death wey go follow. Today e dey one museum for Istanbul.

Di wall don fall. You go find am for Ephesians chapter two, verse eleven to twenty-two. One prisoner, wey dem arrest near one wall wey dey keep people out, dey write say Jesus don break down every wall wey divide, and e don turn strangers to family. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Which walls people dey build between each other today, and how you fit help bring peace?