It Really Matters

Read Ephesians 3:14-21.

The Olympics have begun in Tokyo. The slogan for the Olympics has always been “Faster, Higher, Stronger”. It’s a different Olympics this time. There are no big crowds. There are many restrictions. The pandemic is still with us. All the same, the top athletes of the world have come together. They want to be the fastest, the highest, the strongest. But before long, someone will break the record. Someone else will be faster, higher, stronger.

In Ephesians, Paul’s message is that with life in Jesus, nothing is better. Nothing is higher. He prays that his readers will understand “how wide and long and high and deep” the love of Christ is. You can sense it, but you can never measure it. He shows in his writing that nothing comes close. Right through Ephesians, he uses words like “immeasurably” (Eph 3:20) and “incomparably” (Eph 1:19). It can’t be measured; it can’t be compared.

This is how important the love of Jesus is.

Why does Paul write the letter to the Ephesians? It’s not like some of his other letters. It’s not to correct them for something that they’re doing wrong. It’s to encourage them to stay strong in faith. It’s to show them the great benefits of their decision to follow Jesus. It’s to give them a window into the bigger picture of God’s cosmic order.

Remember last week? Paul told the Gentile Ephesians that they were in the family of God. Just as close to God now as the Jews – thanks to Jesus. And how does Paul describe Jesus? Seated at God’s “right hand in the heavenly realms far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come” (Eph 1:21). You don’t get higher or stronger than that!

Paul wants to convince the Ephesians that their decision to be Christian really matters. It really matters because they are part of the church. The church – the united church of God – is the way God will provide evidence to all that God’s way is the one wise way (Eph 3:10).

How we behave really matters. In Paul’s picture, God is in court in the heavenly realms, showing the church off to affirm that God is number 1. We need to be united to show a strong witness. In the next chapter, Paul goes further on this.

How we behave during COVID really matters. Some people are starting to distrust the government. They think the stay-at-home rules offend their right to meet. They think it’s the work of Satan. Well, the Devil benefits if we let him. But consider this: Paul probably wrote this letter and definitely others, too, when he was under house arrest. He was in lockdown! He didn’t let this stop him. We now have a better Bible than if he had been free to travel.

How we behave with each other really matters. Paul talks about submitting to each other, because Christ is our head. We are parts of his body, so we must stay connected. Stay connected with those phone calls, with helping wherever we can within the rules.

This year, the IOC has changed the Olympic theme. Now, it’s “Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together”. It’s nice to see that word, “together”, but we know that it’s still a competition. They come together to find a winner. Everyone races for gold, but only one stands high on that podium to hear the national anthem of their country. The church has one head – Jesus. We are all parts of the body (Eph 4:15-16). So we don’t compete; we co-operate. Jesus is always Number 1 on our podium. And the first anthem in our heart, whoever we are, wherever we are, is one all Christians can own: a hymn of praise to God.