Colossians 1:19-20 - The Example of Reconciliation

Colossians 1:19-20 “For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through  him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.”

Throughout the New Testament, reconciliation has been one of the key themes. The Old Testament in contrast has carried a theme of separation. In the Old Testament, we had a nation that was visibly separated from other nations in clothing, diet, holidays, and hair. That nation was separated into twelve sub groups with one subgroup being again visibly separated by restrictions, not having their own land, and being caretakers of God's holy place. Within that group there was a family line, and within that family line, there was one man separate from all the rest.   In the Old Testament, there was a separation from God that was shown. There always had to be a mediator between a person or the people and God.  In the New Testament there was reconciliation and inclusion. Jesus reached out to the Samaritans, the Samaritans reached out to the Jews, the Jews sent missionaries to the Gentiles, and the Gentiles co-worshiped with the Jews. That one nation instead of being set apart, stuffy and self-contained, began to reach out to the other nations and people groups. Clothing habits fell by the wayside – after all, it was custom and symbolic and in no ways real. Eating habits did the same. Hair care began being more uniform as well. Everything that once was “them” began to be “us.”

God went through a lot of trouble to reconcile this fallen away earth to Himself. He paid the price for the universe just so that there could be the opportunity of reconciliation. Not only was man separated from God, but so was all creation! Everything God had worked so hard to create had been separated from Him by Adam and Eve's sin. With Christ, however, everything was fixed. There was a bridge built between the fallen world and God, and now there is harmony again between the created and Creator, or at least the possibility of harmony. God reached out and it is up to each individual to accept that reaching out or not. God built the bridge, but we have to choose to cross it.

Reconciliation is quite important, and not just on the universal or theological level, but also on the personal. God gave us a role model to follow. Each of us has had out differences with other people and even places. There are separations in our lives that are not only painful to us and those involved, but also to God who accompanies us everywhere and loves us unconditionally. God gave us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18) so that we could be His messengers to all people as well as to make our own peace with those we have been separated from no matter if it is our actions, choices, and words, or theirs which caused the separation.

This week then, lets rejoice in the reconciliation that God has initiated, and lets follow in His footsteps and example with others.

By the cross of Jesus standing, love our straitened souls expanding,
Taste we now the peace and grace! Health from yonder tree is flowing,
Heav’nly light is on it glowing from the blessed Sufferer’s face.

All the love of God is yonder, love above all thought and wonder,
Perfect love that casts out fear! Strength, like dew, is here distilling,
Glorious life our souls is filling, life eternal, only here!
                                                                                                             Horatius Bonar, 1808-1889.