The Rev. Paul J Cain, Jr.
Ephesians 3:14-21
The Love of Christ
Proper [12] B, Eighth Sunday after Pentecost, 26 July 2009
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming
To the saints who are… faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:1b-2) Amen.
…You are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
So ends Ephesians two. God has been gracious to the Gentiles. Unless you are of Jewish descent, Paul is speaking about you—a Gentile. The love of God in Christ is the message that Paul preaches. He preaches the Gospel to the Jew first and then to the Gentiles. In Ephesians 3:1-13, Paul writes:
For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.
This is the reason Paul responds as he does in Ephesians 3:
14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Amen? Amen? That’s it? But Ephesians isn’t done yet! Why is there an Amen here in the middle? We find this odd probably because we have been conditioned to only expect “Amen” at the end. Consider our hymns. Neither the 1982 hymnal nor the 1941 hymnal got the “Amen”s quite right. TLH, the red hymnal, put them at the end of every hymn. LW, the blue hymnal, didn’t print them at all. At least Lutheran Service Book tells us which hymns’ concluding stanzas praise the Holy Trinity. Look for the triangle. Those hymns, and hymns written as prayers should end with an “Amen.” We’re used to an “Amen” at the end of a hymn and at the conclusion of a service.
Consider our prayers. Whether it is the collect of the day or the Prayer of the Church, we know an “Amen” comes at the end—not in the middle. Maybe we should reconsider that. Luther taught us that “Amen” means, “Yes, yes, it shall be so!” Do not Paul’s words give ample reason for all God’s people to say…”Amen!”?
20Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. [And all God’s people said,] Amen.
Sometimes we think of God as small. We really do. We impose our limits upon God because we just don’t think God would care about that, or forgive that kind of sin. And we even commit the additional sin of doubting God’s loving care for us.
And so we find yet another reason to be in the Word, to regularly hear God’s Word, and to spend time encouraging and being encouraged by other Christians. We forget the Love of God in Christ. He is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think.
14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
How does the Holy Spirit dwell in the hearts of Christians? Through faith—faith that the Holy Spirit, God Himself, delivers, creates, and nourishes. Christ dwells in your hearts through faith for the purpose that you would be rooted and grounded in love.
We speak of Love—not the lust of our culture that all-too-often masquerades as love. This is the love of Christ—the reason we can pray to our Father in heaven as dear children speak to their dear father.
The love of Christ means that God is our Father not only because He created every family on earth, including us—He recreates His Christians as He recreated you in Holy Baptism. His Word is given you that every thought may be held captive to Christ.
The love of Christ means that when our reason fails us, especially when it fails to understand the Word of God—then faith holds on to the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.
(Preus, Just Words) The love of Christ is the Gospel, the good news Paul preaches. Thinking of the Gospel always and only as “forgiveness” limits the fullness of how Holy Scripture proclaims the love of God in Christ. The Gospel can be spoken of as creation: birth, life, salvation, light, bread, and water. The Gospel is expressed using the words of commerce: ransom, redemption, property, forgiveness, remission. The Gospel is proclaimed as legal fact: justification, intercession, adoption, inheritance. The Gospel creates, renews, and sustains personal relationships: reconciliation, peace, forgiveness, marriage. And the Gospel means deliverance: salvation, liberation, victory. The love of Christ is the Gospel, the good news Paul preaches. Thinking of the Gospel always and only as “forgiveness” limits the fullness of how Holy Scripture proclaims the love of God in Christ.
The Love of Christ was won on Calvary. The Love of Christ is delivered to you here and now, right where God has promised to be.
To be sure, God is everywhere. Here’s the point: The love of Christ is not to be found everywhere. Where do we turn when we want to find God according to the Gospel, where God is for you? Only in Christ. Here, in a place like this, God the Holy Spirit delivers the love of Christ.
God has been gracious to you in Christ. This is the message that Paul preaches. For this cause Paul is a prisoner of Christ Jesus. Paul sets the stage for next week in Ephesians 4.
14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. [And the people said,] Amen.
Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible. (Ephesians 6:23) Amen.
