Tag: Ephesians

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Peace Building – Ephesians 2:14-22

We live in an age when tearing down the walls of hostility seems impossible. Whether vast societal chasms or arguments with family members, the distances feel too wide to span. Likewise, the distance between us and God also often feels too wide as well. But Paul offers us hope in this passage.

God does not want barriers between Him and us – we see this when Jesus took a whip to the money changers and merchants the temple creating barriers between the Gentiles and the worship of God. In that instance, Jesus warned everyone that He would destroy the temple and raise it again in three days. He Himself would be that temple, and He Himself would be the new way in which all people access our Heavenly Father. He Himself becomes the intersection of eternity and our finite, fleshly realm.

The Church, then, as the Body of Christ, serves that same purpose – we are the intersection of Earth and eternity, we are the pathway between the people around us and the Creator God of the universe.

Here in Ephesians, Paul emphasizes how Christ’s work at the Cross creates this pathway and removes the barrier between God and Man. The breaking of the relationship described in Genesis is healed by the work of Jesus Christ.

But Paul then moves from the vertical relationship between God and His People, to the horizontal relationships between all His peoples, both groups and individuals. The focus here is on groups, specifically between the Jews and Gentiles, those set apart in the Old Testament and those grafted on by the Cross, fulfilling the promise of God to Abraham that all peoples would be blessed by his family.

Paul here writes that the two groups are coming together as one oikeios or household. In Rome, this was the fundamental social/political unit of the empire, the base layer of the hierarchy that went from the lowest infant and slave to the Emperor himself. But as in other places, Paul takes this term and subverts it. The household is not Cesar’s, but God’s, and we all live together within that single great oikeios.

But even though we know and believe this to be true, there persist chasms, deep chasms of culture, of politics, of ethnicity. All of them are ash and dust in comparison to the love of God and community of His people, and yet we grasp them so tightly.

This means the work of the church, as Christ’s Body, has the same mission as Christ Himself did when presented with worldly structures preventing people from coming to God. Peace cannot exist without that connection to God, and so the Peace Jesus brings often must come after the smashing of the structures that prevent the unity and peace that God calls us to. Sometimes in the work of peace, something has to die in order for something new to emerge.

— Sermon Notes, Dave Sim, Renew Church, Lynnwood WA, December 24, 2023

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Be Reconciled – Ephesians 2:11-22

Reconciliation is not simply the speaking of magic words “I’m sorry” and “you’re forgiven”, but is a process that takes time, that takes into account the context of the relationship and the damage done to it. Today we’re going to look at what the resurrection of Christ means to this process of reconciliation.

Renew Church is built on Reconciliation, Restoration and Relevance. The resurrection of Christ sits at the center of these. Though there is mourning, pain, chaos and suffering, the resurrection is the promise that joy comes in the morning and that the banquet of God is belt prepared for us.

Looking at this passage, it comes right after a section (Ephesians 2:1-10) focused on the vertical relationship between us and God. We are dead in our sins – BUT because of His great love for us, He made us alive in Christ.

In this section, Paul addresses the horizontal relationship between people, specifically addressing the relationship between Jewish and gentile Christians. Many of the former were seeking to impose their cultural and ritualistic requirements onto these new converts who had no history or heritage of following God.

To think about this, let’s go back to the gospels, and the story of Jesus clearing the temple after the Triumphal Entry. The temple’s outer courts were called the Court of the Gentiles, and there are stones archeologists have found warning gentiles not to go past certain points on pain of death. It was filled with people selling animals for sacrifice at high prices as well as money changers changing Greek and Roman coins into the temple currency, again at exploitative rates. The practices were explicitly taking advantage of the poor and the foreigners. This is what drove Jesus to the extremes He went to in that situation, stating “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”

The term used here for “nations” is ethonos which is the same team Paul uses to for gentiles, while the term “house” was oikos, which means “household” and which Paul uses in verse 19 of our passage to describe how God has folded gentile Christians into the people of God, into His household, “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.”

We ourselves need to look at how we also put barriers up for those who are unlike us to come near to God, as Jewish Christians did in Paul’s time. Our own cultural practices and expectations can cordon us off from each other. But in the power of the resurrection, our role is to be agents of reconciliation. We keep short accounts, we understand the systemic barriers of hostility that divide is, we champion and empower those in our own “court of the gentiles” and overturn the tables that keep people from God. We are to seek to reconcile and worship with “all the nations,” building relationships across cultural boundaries, taking risks and opening yourself up to other experiences and perspectives. Let’s be people of reconciliation and be part of bringing people together under one family banner.

— Sermon Notes, Dave Sim, Renew Church, Lynnwood WA, April 30, 2023

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Be Patient with One Another – Ephesians 4:2-6

In this passage we see how the community of believers can demonstrate the power of God through our unity. Unity enables the Body to care for the vulnerable and spread the gospel.

But unity is hard. Living with humility, gentleness and patience is hard. Why is it so hard, given that the same Spirit lives in each one of us?

Looking at the story of Adam and Eve, they’re enjoying the garden, everything was provided. God created everything around for them to enjoy, so what happened? They were living in humility, they were gentle with one another – but sin entered in. Just as it does for us.

Human nature is self-protection. Our natural reaction to being hurt is to react with outrage and to still retribution. Humility, gentleness and patience are not our natural state, but rather our supernatural state, the the fruit of the spirit within us. Holy and early love yourself kindness humility eness very with each other if any of you as a greater than second forget it at the door to my whole life

We can try on our own to be these things all we want, but ultimately it is out of our reach without the work of God within us.

When we love someone, we naturally expect they will love us back. But Jesus teaches and enables a love that transcends that very natural expectation and desire. This is not something we can accomplish with our brain and through our own cleverness and willpower. It’s one thing to know the truth and what Jesus wants for you, and another to follow Him even when you don’t know where He is leading you.

There are so many difficulties we are going to face together. You have to remember who is with you – you need to know who’s in your life. Obviously that means God, but also the community the people who love you and who care about you as you move ahead in God’s calling.

— Sermon Notes, Magdiel Tzec, Renew Church, Lynnwood WA, October 23, 2022

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Sing to One Another – Ephesians 5:15-20

Getting together and singing in unison is something we do in church that is a little weird in our society. There are not that many other contexts where we do that, though there are definitely some.

Why do we do this, then? Music is powerful – it’s one of those things that give us glimpses into the divine. Music is one of the languages God has given us to rejoice, worship, mourn and convey all the aspects of the human experience.

Music can also be one of the things that divides the church, over what kinds of music, whether to clap, what beat to clap on. Music is an area where our preferences are strong, and when our preferences come into conflict with others’ preferences it can divide is. This is especially true in our individualistic, personalized, made-to-order culture.

But that also means music provides us an opportunity to participate in community despite our current, individual states or situation or preferences. It is an opportunity give up our rights and come together with the broader body of Christ.

And when we sing the words of the scriptures, we are reminded of the story of God’s love for us, age even placing ourselves within that story, along with our brothers and sisters in Christ alongside us.

This particular passage is placed by verse 15 into the broader wisdom tradition of Proverbs and other writing, as a “do this, not that” kind of pattern. Meanwhile, verse 16 places it in an eschatological context, as advice for people living in the midst of evil and tragic things.

Given that, we are to be sober, both literally and metaphorically. Ironically, that sobriety can become cynicism that makes the singing seem cheesy or naive. So does that mean the spirit has to fill us first, or does the Holy Spirit come fill us as we sing?

But in reality, it is both/and, because the Holy Spirit comes to us collectively, just as we see during Pentecost. Our faith is not an individual, private exercise. When we come together in songs, hymns and spiritual songs, we lift each other up, we draw closer to each other and to God. When we engage with each other, we become the body of Christ, demonstrating His love for the world. The cheesy songs that the world may mock are also the gateway to the fullness of community that the world longs for.

— Sermon Notes, Dave Sim, Renew Church, Lynnwood WA, September 25, 2022

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Closing and Review – Ephesians 6:21-24

As Paul wraps up his letter, he begins his closing with a shout out to Tychicus as a “beloved brother and faithful minister.” Tychicus is mentioned five times in the New Testament, usually in the context of him bringing a letter from Paul to a church or even an individual.

Consider the weight of the responsibility of bringing those messages, messages we are still reading today. Behind every Paul is a legion of Tychicuses, faithful church members taking the message out and doing the work of the ministry.

Keep in mind the difficulty of travel in the First Century – Tychicus’ task was not easy. The roads were long, the seas were rough, but he was diligent and got the message out.

We need to do the same in our own lives. We should want the words at our funeral to be about the seeds of the gospel we have sowed in people’s lives – sometimes big seeds, sometimes small ones. God can use all of them.

In the next part of the closing, Paul wishes peace, love, faith and grace to the Ephesians. This echoes the opening of the epistle when Paul wishes “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

This is a moment to consider the role of these concepts in our own relationships. Grace, the unmerited favor of God that we have received – are we extending that same grace to others?

Peace, then, is not simply the absence of violence, but the wholeness and stillness that comes when things are working in the way intended by the creator, especially between people.

Faith, next – the gift of God that connects us to His grace. But more than a single moment, we are meant to grow in faith as we mature.

Then love, a word used 14 times in the book of Ephesians. We see the love here from Christ and for Christ. A question arises around the term translated as “love incorruptible.” Is our love incorruptible? Not generally, but we know that Christ’s love and grace are both eternal. The New Living Translation may have it more correct here – “May God’s grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ.”

And that closes the book. To review, Chapter 1 walks us through this concept of predestination. Some of us may be uncomfortable with that concept, but we should consider that this is a discussion of God’s nature, rather than our response to Him.

Chapter 2 we walk through both the darkness of our struggle with sin and separation and the path into the light – by faith, which we are given as a gift, preparing us for good works.

Chapter 3 focuses on reconciliation, both of us to God and between people and peoples, through the mystery of the gospel – all with the purpose of the glory of God, the church here in order to make known the manifold wisdom of God.

In chapter 4, we get clear instructions on how to behave towards each other as we seek unity: “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” We must be “truthing in love,” tender hearted, bearing with one another with that same grace we have received.

In chapter 5, that gets even more real – we must imitate Christ, discarding immorality and filthy talk. Look for the fruit and, oppose deception. Then it shifts into a call to submit to Christ and each other, in our direct relationships, husbands and wives to start, then children and parents, then masters and slaves as we move into chapter 6 – mutual submission being the theme across each of them, with special attention to those hiding earthly power.

And then from earthly power to the “power and principalities” we are called to stand against. This brings up the “armor of God,” the tools we use in order to stand against the powers of darkness. These battles are battles that require righteousness, faith, truth, peace and the word of God. And Paul moves into the close we discussed today with a call to prayer and to recognize its power.

– Sermon Notes, Bart Hodgson, Seed Church, Lynnwood WA, March 21, 2021

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Prepared with the Armor of God – Ephesians 6:13-18

Looking at the story of David and Bathsheba, what is it that makes someone as close to God as David was jump as he did into adultery? We’ll leave that as a question and come back to it.

Coming back to Ephesians, Paul has been insisting on a couple important things. One, our enemies are not people, but spiritual forces – even when people, like the guild of craftsmen in Acts, sure look a lot like enemies. Second, in order to wage our battles against these enemies, we must be unified as a church.

And so Paul tells us to “put on the armor of God.” The tense here is immediate, not ongoing – implying this is something we should put on once, and then never remove (like Denethor!) Keep in mind that the Devil does not attack us when we are most prepared, but when we are least.

The first example is the “belt of truth.” Belts of the time were not there to hold up pants, but rather to gather in your tunic, giving you freedom of movement and giving you a place to attach your weapons.

What does that truth look like to us? In John 14:6, Jesus holds himself out as the truth that matters. By knowing this truth, we are prepared for the battle.

Next, the breastplate of righteousness – a breastplate was the last line of defense for a soldier’s vital organs, for anything that gets past shields and swords, often overlapping sheets of metal

We know, from Paul’s writing in Romans, that this righteousness comes from faith, and that Christ imputes His own righteousness to its.

Next, the “feet fitted with the gospel of peace.” Unlike today, shoes and feet were closely linked to messages in the ancient world, especially in the military world where couriers or runners often moved about on foot, like in the story of Pheidippides and the Battle of Marathon.

Likewise, we are fitted out to bring the good news of Christ, the promise of peace that He brings to mankind, the story of victory over sin and death.

Next, the shield of faith versus fishing arrows. Roman shields were large, built to defend against swords, spears, arrows and more. The “flaming arrows” referenced were built to kill even when they missed their target.

In Hebrews 11:1, we’re told that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” When we undergo attacks of all kinds, whether spiritual or just circumstantial (health, poverty, etc.), a head knowledge of the truth (even the belt of truth) is not sufficient. We need faith to truly protect both us and even, like a shield, those around us.

Next, the helm of salvation, protecting our most vital organs of all, not only the top of the head but also the face and the neck – while still managing to give freedom of movement to the soldier. It protects the brain, vision, hearing and speech.

Likewise, with assurance of salvation, we can go into battle with confidence whether the outcome of victory or death.

Next, the sword of the spirit. The Roman gladius was a very specific short sword built specifically for thrusting from a well defended shield wall. It was not a claymore used to bash obey people’s heads, but carefully and precisely. It was the core of a soldier’s offensive equipment.

Likewise, we must use the word of God offensively, like Jesus himself does against the tempter in the desert. We must be trained to use it properly and methodically. We do not use it as a blunt weapon or claymore to bash over people’s heads. But this means we must spend time getting comfortable and familiar with our weapon.

Paul’s last point in this passage doesn’t seem like it is continuing the military metaphor, but in fact communication is a vital aspect of any battle – we must keep lines of communication open so we can receive our orders.

This passage is largely about being in readiness, fitted with and prepared to use the gifts God has given us. It is also about heading into the fight – a key contrast with David, who stayed behind while his men went out to war and this fell into temptation.

This is a stark contrast with the story of Stephen, who stepped forward to serve the church as one of the first deacons. This ultimately led to his martyrdom in front of Paul, who wrote these words. Stephen was wearing the armor of God before Paul ever wrote the words, and your wonder how large the example of Stephen loomed in Paul’s mind here.

So why do we struggle? It may be less about the difficulty of putting that on, and more about the difficulty of taking off the bitterness, mistrust and despair that we often wear.

We do have both gatherings and people on hand to help you equip your armor and hone your capabilities.

– Sermon Notes, Aaron James, Seed Church, Lynnwood WA, March 7, 2021

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Spiritual Warfare – Ephesians 6:10-13

Paul has been alluding to spiritual warfare and an unseen reality since early in the epistle, all leading up to this final section when he calls on the Ephesians (and us) to gird themselves for the struggle that they have ahead of them.

First, he instructs them to be “strong in the Lord.” This is much what he says he prays for the Ephesians:

…that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:16-19

This is what strength in the Lord looks like.

Paul is speaking into a community that had seen up close the way spiritual darkness could impact their community. In Acts 19, we see the story of the Sons of Sceva, ineffectually trying to cast out demons but in the process demonstrating the power held by those who are truly “strong in the Lord” and inspiring a mass turn away from occultism in Ephesus.

After being strong, we are called to stand firm, like an army resisting a charge. This term “stand” is used multiple times in this passage, and is in many ways the main theme.

Specifically, we are to stand against the “schemes of the devil,” which raises the question of “who exactly is the devil, who is our enemy?” The Hebrew terms for Satan intermingle seemingly incongruous concepts like serpents and seraphim and light and deception. The concept is not entirely clear, but what’s clear is that he is alluring despite being fundamentally opposed to God and His people.

We do see his strategies, though – deception, disunity, pushing us away from Christ and from each other. Psalm 1 shows the movement he seeks, from standing to sitting: walking in the counsel of the wicked, standing in the way of sinners, sitting in the seat of scoffers.

This means our response must be the reverse of that – coming closer to Christ, coming closer to each other. Our response is not mystical or esoteric, but the everyday Christian living that we know we must do, the prayer and fellowship and seeking of Christ’s will.

Spurgeon said, “The howling of the devil may tend to drive us nearer to Christ, may
teach us our own weakness, may keep us upon our own watchtower, and be made the means of preservation from other ills.”

Paul uses a wide variety of terms to describe the various forces of darkness: thrones, dominions, world-powers and so forth. There does seem to be some kind of relationship to geographic area, which comports with some of Daniel’s visions as well. What this means to us is not entirely clear – please don’t go on the internet to try to figure out which demonic kingdom you live in – but it does mean we should be zealous about making the places we control to be places of peace, live and prayer.

We can do this by doing as Paul instructs, to put on the armor of God and keeping in mind what Paul tells us in Romans 8:

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39

We can also look to the promises made to those who overcome in the letters to the churches in Revelation – each one promised something to those who overcome. From the tree of life to hidden manna, to authority over the nations to sitting with the father. The specifics of what all this means is unclear, but it’s certainly exciting.

When feeling oppressed or attacked spiritually, we should be vocal – these “authorities” are not omniscient. We should sing, as called to in the Psalms and elsewhere. We should pray, and immerse ourselves in scripture.

– Sermon Notes, Bart Hodgson, Seed Church, Lynnwood WA, February 28, 2021

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Servants of Christ – Ephesians 6:5-9

Off the bat, this passage is pretty uncomfortable for us. The term slave here is οἱ δοῦλοι – it’s important to understand that the systems of slavery discussed in the Bible were not the same as the racial-based chattel slavery of the United States. That doesn’t mean it was good or even defensible, but it was a reality throughout human history – and still is today in many parts of the world and even our own society.

The Bible is not silent on the evils of slavery – in Exodus, firm regulations are put around the practice, including limiting the time it lasts, strong penalties against kidnapping, and other instructions that stand in stark contrast to the society around them. This was the beginning of a longer term change that God was working. Why didn’t He just ban it outright? We don’t really know.

We see a similar story with polygamy, which God tolerates even though it clearly does not match His ultimate plan. Jesus addresses a similar concept when discussing divorce, where he says Moses’ allowances were “because your hearts were hard.”

Even in this chapter, we see Paul undermining the entire institution. We see the same thing in the book of Philemon, when Paul instructs a slave owner to accept back an enslaved person who had run away, not as a slave but as a brother.

There are instructions for slaves, as others put in a position of submission by the society around them, is to follow the material lines of authority, but to do so “as to the Lord.” This means behaving as if the work we do is done specifically for God, as is generally instructed elsewhere in the epistles.

Then he gives further details on how to obey – sincerely, in good will, serving as to Christ. That means we don’t just work in a way that is visible, but that actually accomplishes the tasks we have been given. In fact, we don’t even serve to please those in charge at all. Working for Christ should mean we are focused on outcomes, not on how we look in providing those outcomes.

And then, in a moment that is mind blowing even today, and must have been staggering at the time, Paul instructs those in charge to “do the same” to those under their earthly authorities. This means no threats, and a recognition that we are all equal in the eyes of God.

So how do we apply this? The most straightforward way is through a theology of work that both honors the work itself as God-ordained, and imbues us with respect for those we work with and for. The work we do for our employers is part of the good works we are called to, that those around us will see and praise our father in heaven. We should be praying for ways to be and share the gospel in our work.

More challenging, perhaps, is the theology of authority. Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew tells us “all authority has been given to Me.” But we see in Philippians that the One who has all authority has emptied himself of all that authority and made himself like a slave – δοῦλοι. In case we missed the point, Jesus acted this out by washing the feet of his disciples and insisting that they do likewise. If we do not, we are saying we are greater than Christ.

In John 15 Jesus explicitly cites his foot washing as he instructs the disciples to prepare to serve, to be hated, but to bear fruit and above all to love.

Paul, likewise is about to talk about how we are to go out, kitted out in armor of God. We are being called to something very different than the world. We have all the greatness and authority we could ever want in Christ, but like Him are called to empty ourselves and to serve.

– Sermon Notes, Bart Hodgson, Seed Church, Lynnwood WA, February 21, 2021

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Co-submission Between Parents and Children – Ephesians 6:1-4

Ephesians, as discussed, is broken into two parts. The first part is about Christ and who he is and what he has done for us. The second part is about our relationships between each other, both generally and in the specifics. This passage looks at children and parents but has implications for everyone who lives together in community.

It’s wild to think that, despite the difficulty and importance of the job as parent, there are no qualifications or applications for the role – and the same is true for kids!

We can use dogs as a good way to look at obedience. Some dogs are motivated by food or toys – they will do what you want as long as there is something in it for you. But other dogs obey because they want to please their master. That is the kind of obedience we want to achieve – pleasing not even those in charge, but pleasing God with our obedience to earthly authorities, particularly children obeying parents. Though children are not alone in having difficulty with obedience.

But note that the verse doesn’t just say “obey your parents” but to do so “in the Lord.” We use that kind of language a lot, but what does it really mean? Jesus describes it as the branches of a vine, calling us to “abide” in him, a relationship even deeper than obedience. We want to be branches that are fully connected to the tree, that do not break in the wind or under a lot of snow. So, children shouldn’t just obey their parents because they have power over you, but because it pleases them, who you love, and God, who you love, and because “it is right.”

But what’s more, Paul points out that there is indeed a dog treat involved here! The commandment to honor father and mother comes with a promise, that “it will go well with you.” This is general wisdom, not a guarantee that all good kids get rich and live long, nor that all bad kids get their just desserts, but it is still broadly and crucially true.

We discussed last week how a good marriage is a symbiotic relationship, like a clownfish and a sea anemone. That is true in its own way of parents and children as well. We see this in Proverbs – the teaching of parents are the lamp and the light

So when is it OK not to obey parents? What if they aren’t believers? Well, no – even in those circumstances you need to obey. There are extreme exceptions – situations like denying Christ or abuse, in particular. This includes emotional abuse from parents or authority figures, insulting or calling names, and physical abuse, touching, hitting and any violence or physical action that makes you uncomfortable. As adults, we need to be receptive to it when children talk us about this sort of thing. Jesus tells us in Mark 9:42 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.”

Then the passage shifts to parents, fathers in particular. In that culture, fathers had absolute authority over their children even into adulthood. And while mothers can struggle with this as well, fathers have a particular tendency to react in anger or other exasperating ways. This includes self-righteous or prideful anger; unrealistic expectations about their maturity level and not allowing them to fail; caring more about their material success than their spiritual well-being; impressing our passions and desires on them; cruelty through sarcasm and jokes; and certainly disengagement from our children and their lives.

Instead, we are to raise up, nourish and instruct our children, especially in this time of pandemic when so much is being expected of them.

One of the most critical ways to do this is to pass on to them a love of God’s word, which provides what we and they need to live in relationship – perhaps most importantly, grace. We also need to consider that when our children come to Christ they become our brothers and sisters in Christ. We want them to build a faith independent of our own – abiding in Christ like the branches and the vine.

This is another in a list of ways Paul gives us to “co-submit” to each other. We see this co-submission instructed to husbands and wives, now to parents and children, later to masters and slaves. Paul gives specific instructions as to how to live out that co-submission in our various relationships. But this is not the only passage that gives us guidelines for living in co-submission – all of scripture is there to teach us to do this.

This means to accomplish our goal of co-submission to each other and abiding in Christ, we need to be marinating in the Word and letting the Holy Spirit speak through that and other people into our lives.

As Paul writes elsewhere in Ephesians, we are to put off the old self and put on the new self and be renewed – whether as parents or as children.

– Sermon Notes, John Lehigh, Seed Church, Lynnwood WA, February 14, 2021

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Profound Mysteries – Ephesians 5:28-33

The first half of Ephesians is deep theology, while the second half goes into the application of this theology, the “walk” as Paul calls it – walking together in unity, humility and gentleness, taking off sin and putting on good works.

In the passage today, Paul has just walked through instructions for living out this theology in the context of marriage – and now he’s going to cycle back into discussion of theology by relating marriage back to our relationship with God.

He does this by introducing the new “mysteries” of the epistle. The first was the mystery of the church gathering together the gentiles as well as Israel into relationship with God.

Here we have two mysteries, directly related. First, the mystery of the communion between husband and wife, making two into one, and the resulting truth that husbands should be loving their wives as they love themselves. After setting the bar so high, at Christ’s sacrificial love for the church, Paul boils it down into maybe a more accessible target. Though it is plenty difficult in and of itself!

We can see it, though, in couples living out the vow of “in sickness and health,” as spouses care for and nurture their ill or dying partner. And Jesus does this for us as well, as Paul points out.

It is vital for a healthy marriage that we come together as one team, because we are one flesh. This outlook, this mystery, sets us up for success when we have conflict in our marriages. To do this, though, does require self-sacrifice – giving up our individual identity and desires in order to attain a new identity, and even new desires. Like so much in Christian life, we must be constantly “dying to live.”

And Paul points out that this is true of our relationship with Christ, and each other, as well – “we are members of his body,” just as “the two shall become one flesh.”

And this is the second half of the mystery, a great mystery, the single Paul calls it, that the marriage relationship, properly undertaken, is the most beautiful picture of God’s love for us that we are likely to see in the world. The very nature of sexual reproduction in some ways exists in order to point the way to Christ.

Both the submission and the love that Paul calls for are facets of the selfless self-giving we are called to when we seek to imitate Christ. It is hard, because of sin, because vulnerability is hard, because conflict is real. But every conflict is an opportunity for a strengthened, more beautiful picture of Christ and the church.

If that concept is attractive but elusive, the first step is meeting God through the Christ who transforms us.

– Sermon Notes, Bart Hodgson, Seed Church, Lynnwood WA, February 7, 2021