Property Lines: Earthly Division vs. Gospel Unity
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A couple years ago our family welcomed new neighbors. When new people move next door, all the questions start formulating in your head. “What will they be like? Will they like kids? Will they have kids? Will they think I’m a total nerd when they see me stretching in my bike spandex at 5:00 am in the morning?” These are perfectly normal (except for the spandex) questions to ask yourself; however, the more hopeful questions that arise may be harder to entertain: “Will we be friends? Will we actually spend time together? Will our kids write their names in fresh cement as a permanent symbol of love?”
Well, it has been a couple years now and we love our neighbors. We have enjoyed tons of movie nights, hilarious game nights, and hundreds of conversations just standing outside. Looking back at our friendship, not only am I thankful for the time we have had with them, but I also have realized lately that we have done something that marks true friendship—we have confused a ton of people. Now you may be wondering how confusing other people is a mark of true friendship. Let me explain.
A planter had divided our properties. It was full of sharp thorn bushes that our kids would have to strategically maneuver around to avoid getting hurt. So, we eventually filled in that planter with cement, stretched sunshades from their house to ours, and filled the in-between space with chairs, and bikes, outdoor heaters, and a movie screen. What we essentially did was erase the property line.
Ever since Adam rebelled against God in the garden of Eden, a massive divide has existed in this world.
Recently, our neighbors’ house went up for sale and our next-door friends were moving. As people flooded in and out to view their home, we spied like ninjas through the blinds to see what kinds of people might become our new neighbors. Something happened every single time someone came to look at the house—every person or family looked up at the sunshades, looked at our chairs, and looked confused. Some even sought out the actual property line to figure out what would be theirs and what would be ours. In an individualistic culture like ours, we should not be surprised. The people wanted to know what would belong to them. They were focused on finding the division of the properties.
The presence of division is not a new phenomenon, though. Ever since Adam rebelled against God in the garden of Eden, a massive divide has existed in this world. For centuries people tried to build towers to get to heaven or do “good things” to make God happy, but their sin separated them from God, placed them under their holy Creator’s righteous judgment. Yet, God so loved those enslaved to sin that he took on a body to cross the divide between heaven and earth (John 3:16).
In Ephesians 1:7-10, the apostle Paul is listing the truly amazing benefits we have received because of Jesus crossing this “property line.” As you read this passage and marvel at the benefits, pay specific attention to the very last phrase in verse 10. Paul writes,
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
That last phrase, “to unite all things in him, things in heaven and on earth,” is a summary statement of the Lord, who created all things, bringing back together what we broke by our sin. Such love! He did not look down in confusion while shaking his head at us in disappointment. No, in love he was born in the flesh, lived the life we should have lived, died the death we deserved, and took his life back up so that he could offer life to all those who would follow him. God loves this world and made a way to unite us to him in Christ.
Jesus has knocked down the relational walls that exist between people.
This beautiful, yet confusing, result of such love is supposed to be displayed by the church. Later in Ephesians 2:11-16 Paul makes it absolutely clear that the walls of hostility that existed between Jews and non-Jews were decimated through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus:
Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands—remember that you were at that time 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.
Paul is arguing that not only has the divide between heaven and earth been knocked down but also the relational walls that exist between people. And Jesus, specifically in his death, has made himself our peace (Eph. 2:14).
We are sad about our neighbors leaving because we really do love them. We will miss the laughter, the kids’ “window talks,” and the everyday joy of having someone to talk to right next door. Our prayers have been full of gratitude to God for them and the time we had with them. Yet, our gaze is fixed at the one who has given all of himself to unite all things in heaven and on earth to himself forever, so that one day we would never have to say good-bye again.
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