This week I’m digging in to Ephesians chapter 3.
Really, I want to look more closely at Paul’s prayer at the end of the chapter:
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21
Our family has this little tradition before we tuck our boys into bed. After bedtime stories and prayers, when everyone is tucked snugly into their beds, we draw the sign of the cross on their foreheads and say, “Jesus loves you.” They have even started reaching up and doing the same to us. I love this little ritual. I love reminding my kids of the love of their Savior at the end of each day, and I love receiving that gift from them.
But I wonder if it doesn’t really capture the kind of love Paul is describing in Ephesians 3. Yes we know that Jesus loves us, but Paul’s prayer describes a more powerful love. We can’t measure or fully understand it. It’s bigger than we could ever know. Paul is asking the Holy Spirit for power, so that this new church would know the wide, strong, powerful love of God in Jesus.
Paul knew that just his words would never give these new Christians the depth of Christ’s love. This kind of love cannot be folded and packed neatly into just words. It can’t be delivered on the breath of a good sermon, or along the pen strokes of a letter alone. The revolutionary, life-changing, world-altering love of Jesus requires the power of God to dive deep into those who hear it to open hearts and change lives.
For us, friends, I pray that we would let the love of Jesus sink in. Let’s let it soak into our bones. Let’s pray with Paul that God would do immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine. Let’s go about our work filled with the fullness of God, with love on our lips and the Spirit’s breath in us.
Really, I want to look more closely at Paul’s prayer at the end of the chapter:
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21
Our family has this little tradition before we tuck our boys into bed. After bedtime stories and prayers, when everyone is tucked snugly into their beds, we draw the sign of the cross on their foreheads and say, “Jesus loves you.” They have even started reaching up and doing the same to us. I love this little ritual. I love reminding my kids of the love of their Savior at the end of each day, and I love receiving that gift from them.
But I wonder if it doesn’t really capture the kind of love Paul is describing in Ephesians 3. Yes we know that Jesus loves us, but Paul’s prayer describes a more powerful love. We can’t measure or fully understand it. It’s bigger than we could ever know. Paul is asking the Holy Spirit for power, so that this new church would know the wide, strong, powerful love of God in Jesus.
Paul knew that just his words would never give these new Christians the depth of Christ’s love. This kind of love cannot be folded and packed neatly into just words. It can’t be delivered on the breath of a good sermon, or along the pen strokes of a letter alone. The revolutionary, life-changing, world-altering love of Jesus requires the power of God to dive deep into those who hear it to open hearts and change lives.
For us, friends, I pray that we would let the love of Jesus sink in. Let’s let it soak into our bones. Let’s pray with Paul that God would do immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine. Let’s go about our work filled with the fullness of God, with love on our lips and the Spirit’s breath in us.
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