Today I read Ephesians 3 for LONG time. It’s amazing and surprising and here are my notes on it even though they may not make sense since I wrote ’em fast and furiously with a commentary in one hand and my Bible in another. Somewhere along the way, I knew I would share it so it turned into a blog post. Do with it what you will…
Ephesians 3:1 For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner…
This introduction is left hanging for 13 verses while Paul explains a lot of other things that seem like a diversion:
- the mystery of God, 3x
- God’s grace, 3x
- Incalculable riches
- Multi-faceted wisdom
- Gentile’s inclusion into the story of God
- Purpose of the Church
- Boldness, access & confidence
You can feel that he’s explaining something about himself so that they understand his motivation for what he’s about to say. One could imagine he’s explaining his own qualifications or establishing his credentials, however in verse 8 he calls himself the “least of all the saints” – which is a unique combination of a comparative and superlative which actually means “more least”. So, he’s actually establishing God’s credibility more than anything. Why? I think they answer is in verse 13:
“So then I ask you not to be discouraged over my afflictions on your behalf, for they are for your glory.”
Watching someone go through heartache – especially when the trial seems undeserved or unjust – is difficult. Sometimes, in fact, it’s so difficult that it can cause a crisis of belief. “Where is his God? Why doesn’t He save him?” Paul was aware that he was suffering and people were watching and some of them were building their case for faith on the evidence that his life presented.
In verse 14, the sentence he started in verse 1 finally arrives at a verb: “For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father…” Because Paul knows that people are looking at his circumstances and wondering about the character of God, he promises to pray for them. He doesn’t pray that he would be released from prison, or that the government that tossed him in there would be punished or fixed. Instead he prays that “you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know the Messiah’s love that surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Paul doesn’t pray that God would change his circumstances, difficult as they may be. Instead he prays that God would be seen in and through his circumstances…that people would understand that the grace, mystery and unsearchable riches of His love extend to the darkest and most difficult places. He essentially says, “look at my suffering and see His goodness.”
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: people will follow your suffering to get to Jesus. They will watch to see if the God you preached in the happy times can actually sustain you in the saddest times. I don’t think Christianity offers the hope of a pain-free life, but I am increasingly confident that it provides the muscle necessary to endure suffering in a beautiful and life-giving way.
I am determined to not waste my suffering. I desperately want it to be the fragrance of life to a world in need. It’s not clear to me exactly how that will look, but I know that it involves becoming more and more least as I walk this stretch of road between earth and heaven. We pray fervently and with great hope for healing and restoration – but more than that we pray that our lives would reflect the full dimension of God’s love in every season.
Because He is always and only good,
Bo
Beautiful.
Oh my Bo! That last paragraph is so powerful. I feel like I’m reading a classic. I’ve always been very inspired by the words of Elisabeth Eliot; in her darkest moment she said, “This is not a tragedy. God has a plan and a purpose in all things.”
” BEAUTIFUL” LOVE AND HUGS FOR YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES.
Love you Bo! Because you walk the walk! And you do reflect the full dimension of our Gods Love. You’re a great example to all of us. Bless your day, tami
TRUTH. You’ve written truth. You need to shout this louder so the whole church can hear! I love you writings…just wish I lived closer so I could HUG you!
Well put, Bo. You are completely right and full of God’s revelation! Keep posting – this IS becoming a book…..I will be the first to buy it. We continue to hold you up in His grace and purpose.
Molly
Thank you Bo. I agree whole heartedly. I know in our own lives, both my wife and I have physical ailments that take us down or affect us at times, but we always stand on our HOPE and FAITH in the ONE we believe in and always ask that TODAY we would exemplify (be ambassadors) of the kingdom that we belong to and one day will be present in. He is a good God and I would rather walk this road that I am on now trusting in Him, knowing that He is soveriegn and what ever He wants to do in my life is a-ok with me.
Bo,
I am moved beyond words. Thank you. I needed this today.
Thank you Bo – never read those verses in that light before.