Keeping the bond
This week is on Ephesians 4:1-7:
I've read over these verses, but they're good enough to talk about again. They're about love and humility. Paul introduces himself as a prisoner for God. He could have puffed himself up with a litany of things he'd done for the church, but instead he introduces himself as a prisoner. Why?
A prisoner doesn't have status. He's not worried about winning a popularity contest, or getting rich, or getting ahead. Why? Because he's a prisoner! He's in prison! His best advice is to get along with the other prisoners and behave himself so the guards will leave him alone. The only person worth impressing is the warden. Nobody else can ultimately help him in the long run. As a Christian, on some level, Paul is saying our lives are equally simple.
Paul says to make every effort to keep the unity. To a prisoner, that's more obvious because if you don't keep the peace then you get shanked. But what about us as Christians? Is it worth causing a riot because your neighbor cheated you? Is it worth setting Christ's love aside to settle a score? Are you so important that you can't tolerate someone saying bad things about you? If Jesus tolerated scorn, what makes you so precious that you don't need to?
But that's not even getting into the effect that division has on people. What are people going to think of grace when they see that forgiveness isn't even a thing with God's people? When people tell them of God's love, and the transforming power of a relationship with him, how suspect is that going to seem when people are stabbing each other's backs? If we're ambassadors and we can't demonstrate the basic culture of the kingdom we claim to represent, how can we even say we're part of it?
We're supposed to put up with each other in love. Even people who aren't Christians. (Turn the other cheek and walk an extra mile wasn't just a church-only thing.) Each one of us has been given grace as Christ chose. We have grace and love to hand out if we ask for it. Yes it's hard. When someone slaps your face, it doesn't sting any less because you love Jesus. The reason you let it go is that you love more than it hurts.
Love takes people's weaknesses into account. It's patient when people take forever to get it. It's stubborn when people tell you to give up on troublesome people. It recognizes value in people who seem like the devil's spawn. Remember, Jesus even loved demonized people, violent mockers, despised notorious menaces to the community around them. How is that even possible? Most of us would be screaming "death penalty" for people like that. Wherever Jesus is getting his love, we need to drink from that tap too.
If you're fed up with a coworker or family member or church person, take a pause to remember that you're a Christian. You've been forgiven of stuff by someone who had no need to do that. God did that millions of times, not because of some law, but because of his love. God says he'll hold nothing back from us if we ask it in his name. Ask for love and patience. On a small scale, that will let you represent Jesus to people in your life. And that's awesome.
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.
I've read over these verses, but they're good enough to talk about again. They're about love and humility. Paul introduces himself as a prisoner for God. He could have puffed himself up with a litany of things he'd done for the church, but instead he introduces himself as a prisoner. Why?
A prisoner doesn't have status. He's not worried about winning a popularity contest, or getting rich, or getting ahead. Why? Because he's a prisoner! He's in prison! His best advice is to get along with the other prisoners and behave himself so the guards will leave him alone. The only person worth impressing is the warden. Nobody else can ultimately help him in the long run. As a Christian, on some level, Paul is saying our lives are equally simple.
Paul says to make every effort to keep the unity. To a prisoner, that's more obvious because if you don't keep the peace then you get shanked. But what about us as Christians? Is it worth causing a riot because your neighbor cheated you? Is it worth setting Christ's love aside to settle a score? Are you so important that you can't tolerate someone saying bad things about you? If Jesus tolerated scorn, what makes you so precious that you don't need to?
But that's not even getting into the effect that division has on people. What are people going to think of grace when they see that forgiveness isn't even a thing with God's people? When people tell them of God's love, and the transforming power of a relationship with him, how suspect is that going to seem when people are stabbing each other's backs? If we're ambassadors and we can't demonstrate the basic culture of the kingdom we claim to represent, how can we even say we're part of it?
We're supposed to put up with each other in love. Even people who aren't Christians. (Turn the other cheek and walk an extra mile wasn't just a church-only thing.) Each one of us has been given grace as Christ chose. We have grace and love to hand out if we ask for it. Yes it's hard. When someone slaps your face, it doesn't sting any less because you love Jesus. The reason you let it go is that you love more than it hurts.
Love takes people's weaknesses into account. It's patient when people take forever to get it. It's stubborn when people tell you to give up on troublesome people. It recognizes value in people who seem like the devil's spawn. Remember, Jesus even loved demonized people, violent mockers, despised notorious menaces to the community around them. How is that even possible? Most of us would be screaming "death penalty" for people like that. Wherever Jesus is getting his love, we need to drink from that tap too.
If you're fed up with a coworker or family member or church person, take a pause to remember that you're a Christian. You've been forgiven of stuff by someone who had no need to do that. God did that millions of times, not because of some law, but because of his love. God says he'll hold nothing back from us if we ask it in his name. Ask for love and patience. On a small scale, that will let you represent Jesus to people in your life. And that's awesome.
Comments
Post a Comment