But I only want the best for you…

Paul knows where the Ephesian church is at. He’s had the letters and the personal testimonies from visitors to Rome. He knows they are starting out from a good place…

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. Ephesians 1:15-16

He’s probably heard some things negative too, but he doesn’t focus on that. He wants to celebrate their faith in Christ and their love for all God’s people. As unsolicited testimonials go, that is pretty good. Rooted in faith and love.

I wonder if Paul was around today what he would “heard” about us? What would he kick off his letter to our faith community about? I hope it would be faith and love too!

Then Paul asks that they will all be blessed by the Spirit of wisdom and revelation:

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. Ephesians 1:17

Wisdom we can all understand. Having wisdom at the heart of relationships can keep any Christian community safe when things get tough. The wisdom of:

• Thinking before speak
• Listening carefully before we respond
• Working to seeing the best, rather than always seeing the worst

From what Paul writes he already has that wisdom and wishes it for the churches he is working with.

Asking for the Spirit of Revelation seems like an odd phrase, until he spells it out more clearly – “so that you may know him better”. Again sound advice from Brother Paul. Be wise and get to know Jesus better.

And then he notches the language up a level from encouraging to downright flowery:

I pray 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 his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. Ephesians 1:18-19

Three phrases stand out and could do with further scrutiny:

• “the hope to which he has called you” – we are the people of hope. In Isaiah 9 it was prophesied that the people who had walked in darkness would see a great light. We are the heirs of that promise and we live in the midst of light and hope. It is all around us, as Christian hope is a tangible gift from God. Not wishy washy desire that the weather would be nice tomorrow but a fundamental backbone of certain hope that runs through the words we say, the thoughts we have and the actions we take. Now that is some calling…
• “the riches of his glorious inheritance” – the riches of the world had long disappeared for Paul, stuck in a Roman prison and he didn’t care. Jesus had died and left us all heavenly riches as our inheritance. As we were reminded yesterday, we are adopted children and so fully participate in the riches of inheritance to come.
• “his incomparably great power” – hope, inheritance and now the power of his spirit to make us strong. Incomparable can seem overused but not in the case

My prayers seem a little meek compared to Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians…and he doesn’t stop there. Just in case you were not sure just how incomparable that power is he continues:

That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. Ephesians 1:20-23

If you think Donald Trump does hyperbole, Paul beat him to it by 2000 years. Just so we are the clear, the power that Paul is praying the Ephesians will have is the same power that:

• Raised Jesus from the dead
• Seated him in heaven with dominion over EVERYTHING
• Not just now but in the future and FOREVER
• and for the avoidance of doubt, that power puts ALL THINGS under his feet

Wow! That is power personified in the human form of Jesus.

So when things go wrong, when things get tough, when life seems to be falling apart… there is only one person who can truly help. You don’t need Jesus on speed dial or in your Friends and Family list….the line is always open. So who are you going to call? Paul wants the best for you and he nails it here by reminding us of our inheritance and how we are on the side of the glorious winner. Christians FTW.