Ephesians 2:19

NASB	NLT	VOICE
19 So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,	19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.	19 And so you are no longer called outcasts and wanderers but citizens with God’s people, members of God’s holy family, and residents of His household.

From Outsiders to Family

In the context of Ephesians, Paul is addressing the Gentile believers that were once excluded from the covenant relationship that God and Israel had. The Gentiles were once viewed as strangers (people who did not have rights/privileges in a community) and foreigners (temporary residents without citizenship). The Old Testament originated this belief that the Gentiles were outsiders to the covenant community. What changed this was the work of Christ’s reconciliation, breaking the barriers between Jew and Gentile. 

Paul is now including the Gentiles into the community of Christ. Gentiles now have equal standing in God’s kingdom. Saints are all believers who are set apart for God; it’s not based on ethnic or national identity. All it’s based on is your faith in Christ. The focus of citizenship is important for the Ephesian audience because Roman citizenship was seen with high value and special rights/privileges. Paul continues the citizenship of heaven conversation in his letter to the Philippians. It’s not just being members of a community, but being members of a greater family. God’s household is about love, care, and your place in the Kingdom.

Today’s Strangers and Foreigners

We are all equal members of God’s household. The deeper I understood the concept of strangers and foreigners, the more I was stunned to see his verse alive in our world today. Strangers were people who did not have rights or privileges in a community. Look at our world today and recognize how rights and privileges are being stripped away from different demographics. People in the LGBTQ+ community’s right to marriage are being threatened as we speak. People in the transgender community have lost readily access to gender affirming care. Women are losing the rights to safe access for abortions. Impoverished people are losing access to federal resources for health care, food stamps, and more. Our leaders are trying to force a narrative and an ideal in a broken system – and a lot of people, myself included, are not fighting enough for these marginalized communities to have an equal right to life. We’re viewing demographics outside of the white-heterosexual-male (by birth) person as the Gentiles right now, forcing them to commit to what may work best for us. God doesn’t call us to force people into a way of life. 

The Real Meaning of God’s Household

Being a part of God’s household means that we have a place to belong. We have a community that supports and cares for us along our faith journey. Christians are often one of the most judgmental people because they are not abiding by God’s love. They want to follow the law and easily call out others for not obeying the laws in the Bible. There are some Christians who get it right, not all the time, but they do. However, it’s getting harder and harder for those Christians who do operate out of God’s grace, mercy, and compassion to be recognized because the harm from Christian nationalists or other mostly conservative Christians usually takes the limelight first. People are attracted to evil, negative stories because it gets views, it attracts shock value, and gets people talking. Not many people will talk about the positives lately. 

Even if grace doesn’t trend – keep giving it anyway. Go out and continue to love as Christ loved, serve as Christ served, and care as Christ cared for you. 

Reflection Questions

1. Who in this world is being treated like a “foreigner” in God’s house?
2. What part have I played in excluding others?
3. How can I be a voice of inclusion, mercy, and truth this week?

Call to Action

Find one marginalized group in your community. Do something this week that affirms their belonging – learning, donating, advocating, or just listening.

Next slice of manna: Manna for the Mind #265