The Law is abolished and we are One People in Christ Jesus
The Law is abolished and we are One People in Christ Jesus
As we continue our study in the fourth of the Five Powers, Concentration (samādhi), we need to dig deeper into the revelation and wisdom we seek from the Holy Spirit. As we dig deeper into the mystery, we see the work of Reconciliation that Christ has performed through the Cross and the Shedding of his Precious Blood.
“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility”
Christ is our Peace
In the broken duality of the world, there were two types of people in the world, the Children of the Promise and the Children of Wrath. The Children of the Promise were the descendants of Abraham. The only way to enter the promise was to be born into the tribe, or to submit oneself to the Law of Moses, given by men and angels (De 4:14; Acts 7:53; Gal 3:19; Heb 2:2), but Christ put an end to the Law, did away with the Commandments, annulled obligations, and abolished the requirements of the Law, and set us free to live according to the Spirit.
Jesus was crucified for blasphemy (Matt 26:65-66; Mark 14:63-64; Luke 22:71). The Law condemned God to death for blasphemy showing how it had departed from God. So at the crucifixion, the veil of the temple was ripped in two (Matt 27:51). We were exchanged from the law of Moses and saved by the life Christ taught us to live. All people are recreated in Christ into one people.
Through this mystery, we see that there are no real differences between people. The only differences that exist are the ones we pretend are there. Our imagination can make these seem and feel real, but they are illusions we create to preserve our sense of separateness, and often superiority.
As we learn to see the One Christ that holds all things together, we learn to see how the suffering of others is our suffering. Another person's pain is our pain, and their healing is our healing.
We are the body of Christ. It is our mission and duty to work out this reconciliation in the world and to be a constant voice for peace.
Peace is the Central act of the Christian life.
Christ restored us to live as the Image of God in this world. He made peace between us and God. We continue this work by first making peace with ourselves, and then with our neighbors.
We experience this mystery through meditation, where we enter the peace of God at the Gate of Zion. This peace is the root of compassion for ourselves and others.
As we live our lives, we must learn to allow the voice of Christ to speak through us. The voice of Christ is peace and compassion. Everything that goes against peace and compassion eclipses the Light of God, and becomes a stumbling block.
Concentration (samādhi) is the strength to stand against this darkness. We develop concentration through meditation and mindfulness. The more we keep the realities and facts of life before us, the more we will see the pains and problems that are the real roots of the situations we face in life. We must develop a mindful awareness of the circumstances others live within. Once we understand the pain at the root of the problem, we can begin to develop a salve for the issue.