The city of Ephesus was famous for its many temples and its many gods. The most prominent monument in town was the temple in honor of the god Artemis. This temple employed temple prostitutes--that's right, I said prostitutes--for its religious rites. The temple of Artemis was an impressive building. The Ephesians knew all about impressive religious buildings--as if buildings had the power to save. We sometimes make that mistake, don't we--judging a church by the height of its steeple or the beauty of its stained-glass windows? Paul wanted the Ephesians to know that the Christian church isn't a building. It's a Body. And the Head of this Body is Jesus Christ. A Head seeking Arms and legs and other body parts.
In the book of Ephesians chapter one, Paul begins with, "For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers . . ."
Paul's first prayer for the church is a prayer of thanks. In fact, Paul writes, "I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers." That's a lot of thanks. What causes Paul's sense of gratitude and joy to overflow? It was this new church's faith in the Lord Jesus and their love "for all the saints," their love for one another. How many of you have been drawn to God by the faithful example of a mature believer? How many of you have experienced God's love through the love of a brother or sister in Christ? That's what we celebrate on All Saints' Day: the influence of those who have been faithful to God and God's purposes down through history. The Ephesian church had within its membership faithful, committed, loving followers of Christ. And Paul gives thanks for them.
Paul's second prayer for the church is a prayer for wisdom. He writes, "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom . . . so that you may know him better . . ."
Wisdom has two components: the ability to think beyond one's self, and the ability to think beyond the temporary. There are two great Bible passages that illustrate wisdom. Psalm 14:1 reads, "The fool hath said in his heart, `There is no God!'"
And in Luke 12, Jesus tells a story about a rich man who builds great storehouses to hold all his riches, then says to himself, "Take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry." But that night, God comes to him to claim his life, and God calls the man a fool for storing up things for himself and not investing in God's eternal work.
A know-it-all, someone who refuses to look for good advice and someone who lives only for the moment, only for his own pleasure--these are all portraits of a fool. Paul would not have the Ephesians be foolish, but wise--giving proper attention to that which was most important, their faith in Jesus Christ.
A pastor called upon a wealthy businessman who was dying. The man shared with the pastor one of his greatest regrets. Years earlier, he had been asked to teach a Sunday School class for young boys. At the time, the businessman saw this opportunity as an interruption to his schedule. He preferred to spend his spare time on his business. In the intervening years, he had amassed much wealth. But he lost the chance to invest in the lives of those children. It turned out that he made a poor choice. His business was now declining and his wealth was nearly wiped out. His influence on those boys' lives, however, would have lived on eternally. He had made a foolish choice, and there was no way to make up for it.
Paul's third prayer for the church is a prayer for power. He writes, "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe . . ."
The Greek word for Lord is kyrios. The early church was called the kyriakon, which literally means `belonging to the Lord.' It is from this word kyriakon that we get our English word `church.'" (The Learning Bible (New York: American Bible Society, 1995), p. 2174) If we belong to the Lord, then all that the Lord has belongs to us. This includes God's authority and power, which was transferred to the disciples on the day that Jesus ascended into heaven. And what kind of power does the Holy Spirit give us? The power to translate compassion into action. The power to persevere in the face of stress and suffering and uncertainty. The power to love the "unlovable." The power to live generously, without fear or anxiety. The power to overcome evil with good. The power to speak the truth in a culture of lies. The power to rejoice, even in the face of death. This is the power that only comes from God. This is why Jesus called the life he offered an abundant life.
Today we celebrate all those who have shown us how to live abundant, God-honoring lives. We celebrate their love, their wisdom, their faithfulness, their power. We celebrate the saints, the arms of Jesus, that have wrapped us in their love. And as we celebrate them, we pray for the wisdom and power to follow their example, so that someday we may also be remembered as the arms who served our head, Jesus Christ.
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