God Is Up to Something – Ephesians 3

A text – Ephesians 3:1-12

3 This is the reason that I, Paul, am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you gentiles, ² for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given me for you ³ and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, ⁴ a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. ⁵ In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: ⁶ that is, the gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

⁷ Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given me by the working of his power. ⁸ Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ ⁹ and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages inGod, who created all things, ¹⁰ so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. ¹¹ This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹² in whom we have access in boldness and confidence through faith in him.

A reflection:

This letter was written to the church in Ephesus and perhaps meant to be circulated more widely in cities in Asia Minor. Those faith communities were made up of some Jews but perhaps mostly Gentiles. And the writer speaks in verse 1 directly to “you gentiles,” meaning that this new message is said directly to them. They, not just Jewish believers, are to be heirs of God’s kingdom though Christ’s gift of his death and resurrection. They, the Gentiles, with no previous experience or exposure to the Hebrew God Yahweh, are to receive the full benefits of believership. They are like the workers in the parable of the vineyard who sign up for work around 5 PM and get paid the same wage and those who have labored since sun-up. Or like the prodigal son who wastes his inheritance and comes home destitute to a father’s welcome and the fatted calf, while the older brother has labored all his life without feeling so celebrated.

Not only is there this mystery of including Gentiles in the Jewish redemption, but also there is to be no hostility over including them. There is to be unity among them all, not a hierarchy of original Jewish people who knew of God and God’s promises. There is to be unity between formerly warring factions. There is to be unity among peoples who used to be strangers or even hostile to one another. There is to be reconciliation and bonding of human beings everywhere because of salvation though Jesus.

Yeah, right. Reconciliation among enemies. It must have seemed as unlikely then as it does now. And if bringing unity were left up to humans, skepticism is all that we should feel. But this letter of Ephesians puts everything humans do in the passive voice – “grace was given to me,” “that God’s wisdom…might be made known…” “it has now been revealed…” – this continual use of the passive voice means we humans are merely the instruments God is using to make God’s bigger and eternal purposes come true. God the Creator and Jesus the Savior become known to every human being on the planet because of the Holy Spirit’s work on its own and through us as ones who live out the gospel in daily life for people to notice.

So for the egomaniacs of the world, here’s a word. What you do for your own purposes will have consequences, for good or ill. But what you do is always secondary. God gets God’s will done and God gets God’s promises kept because God acts (on God’s own or through us). It’s not about you, egomaniac (or even us believers). It’s about God and God’s love and action. So watch for God’s action every day. God is up to something.

A prayer:

Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for accomplishing your purposes, sometimes using us and what we do, and sometimes in spite of us and what we do. Help us to remember that you are up to something in our world. Help us to pay attention so we can see what you are doing and even participate in it. Amen.