One in Christ: Galatians 3.28

In the past weeks these reflections have been focused on the broader theme, “Women in the Story”. These reflections have led us through Deborah the prophet and judge (Judges 4-5), Ruth the faithful foreigner (Ruth), and Mary of Bethany a faithful and prophetic follower of Jesus.

These women have several things in common.

Firstly, we know their names! Strange as this may sound, it is not insignificant as many women (particularly in the New Testament) are unnamed.
Secondly, they are examples of faithfulness. Deborah, because of her faithfulness, leads the Israelites to victory in battle – a woman at the head of an army! Ruth the Moabite, whose mother-in-law Naomi introduces her to the one true God, shows us a life of ‘faithfulness as loving kindness’. And Mary of Bethany is known for her strong faith, witnessed in her close friendship with Jesus and their various interactions (Luke 10.38-42, John 11.28-32, John 12.1-8).
Thirdly, each of these women are among quite a number of women who can be thought of as leaders amongst God’s people in the Scriptures. It is one of the reasons we know their names.

Today, as we draw this section together, we hear Paul’s timeless words, that in Christ the old distinctions have passed and we are all one in him:

There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. NRSV

This is one of the passages of Scripture that I love, because of the way it describes God’s grace, our freedom in Christ, and the nature of our community in him as one.

The context of this beautiful passage was, however, conflict. Paul was facing down conflict over the place of the Law, and the supposed superiority of those who wanted to wield the Law as a blunt instrument against others. We might reflect, how often do we, likewise, use ‘rules’ to build ourselves up? For Paul, who had had such a profound experience of God’s grace this behaviour was intolerable. And it was harmful.

Brigette Kahl describes Pauls’ argument in this section:

It [harsh application of the Law] imprisons all in impenetrable cages …. It separates human from human by barbed-wire demarcation lines or self-interest, hatred, or just indifference into deserving or undeserving, righteous or sinner, us or them.

We can suffer from the same conflict issues as the Galatians – wanting to bind or imprison others, and even God – by our ‘rules’ instead of risking openness to the new paths he may want to lead us on.

In the face of our tendency to cling to rules and certainties, even while living in an age of grace, Paul reminds us—as he did the “foolish Galatians” (Gal 3.1)—to trust God in all things. Such trust is risky, asking us to loosen our grip on certainty and to follow where Jesus leads and the Spirit sends.

It is risky, but more than that it can be life-giving as we trust in God and step out, tentatively, onto paths unknown, trusting only in God. Those who walk this road are likely to find fulfilled for them Jesus’ well-known words from John 10: “I came that [you] may have life and have it abundantly.”

This has certainly been my experience in my ministry, for which I continue to be thankful. Perhaps you can reflect on how it is that this has been true for you also.