We come today to the end of a first-century sermon written by an author trained in Jewish rabbinical tradition. He wrote this to a congregation of Jewish Christian believers, probably residing in Rome. He has encouraged them to remain faithful to Jesus no matter what. And he wants them to understand that knowing and following Jesus is far and away better than any religious tradition they can ever find anywhere else.
Let’s go back for a moment to the afternoon of Tuesday, August 23, 2011.
This was the report from ABC News:
“The strongest earthquake to hit the East Coast of the U.S. in seven decades damaged landmark buildings in the Washington, D.C. area, while rattling the nerves of tens of millions, just three weeks ahead of the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks …
Barriers. Think of all the things that divide people: Age – generational differences, appearance, education, political persuasion, economic status, race or other ethnic tensions, theological views. Today’s passage shows us how all these barriers are removed in the cross. More importantly, the barrier between God and us is removed, giving us free access to the presence of God Himself.
Central Reflections 