Ephesians 3:14-21

July 26, 2015

Bigger Than a Breadbox

If I asked you if the world has gotten better over your lifetime, what would your answer be? I am sure that there would be many of you could argue that it has, pointing out scientific advancements and increased cultural understanding as well as equal opportunities and a growing understanding of the planet as a global village. Others would argue that people keep making the same mistakes, we continue to pollute our environment, and that there are always people going to war, gun violence, and terrorism.

But I know something we can all agree on: Things keep getting bigger.

Genetic engineering creates bigger chickens, bigger vegetables, and higher yields of crops.

Bigger computers require faster processors and more memory. Bigger computer programs and growing technologies create the need for newer, faster machines. You could hold onto a typewriter for a lifetime; the average life of a computer is considered to be five years you might be able to keep one for ten.

I remember when a 19 television screen was considered large and a 25 screen huge. Walking past the rows and rows of flat screen TVs on sale, I am well aware that some of the TVs are simply way too big for my home, but stillit would be cool to go just a little bigger.

Bigness also creates its own problems. Confusing bigness with quality turns everything in life into a consumer marketplace. People purchase homes that require two fulltime jobs to make mortgage payments and lose those homes when one person becomes unemployed. The bigness of the internet and 24/7 news creates higher levels of anxiety, with no bad deed left unreported, with thousands of people weighing in their opinions.

And the worlds troubles seem so big that people can talk themselves out of caring about it at all.

Theres a good kind of big that is able to claim our lives and bring us peace, hope and joy. Aw, you figured it out, didnt you? Yep, its the love of God that is ours in Jesus Christ.

Even though you expected that answer, I would guess that most of us at most times have yet to really take advantage of what it means to have Gods love take advantage of us.

Because, when it comes to knowing Gods love, it is more important to let God find us than it is to spend a whole lot of time trying to understand and figure out God.

The apostle Paul began his adult life as a leader of the Pharisees, and no group understood God better than the Pharisees. They studied the Law of Moses in order to live a disciplined life that would not only honor God but also draw them closer to a perfect life. There was plenty to study as well as plenty to teach others. The Pharisees wasted no time instructing others about how far they had missed the mark. They had a particular problem with Jews who were talking about Jesus and a personal relationship with God. God was holy and you just didnt get that close. This was blasphemy and needed to be stopped.

Paul was on his way to Damascus one day when he encountered the risen Christ who first brought him to his knees asking him why he was persecuting him. Paul then received further revelations of mercy and grace that not only revealed that he would never be able to really follow the Law of Moses perfectly, but that Gods love was to be received as a gift from God, rather than something to be earned. This changed everything.

Of course, if something is freely given, the rules have changed. The faithful followers who are trying to earn Gods love no longer have the advantage, because love cannot be earned. And if love is freely given to all, all means all. Gods love now exceeds any religions efforts to claim God for themselves alone.

So, Paul and Peter began the churchs mission to reach out to the non-Jewish world the Gentiles with the love of Jesus Christ. This is more than most of us can imagine.

If you read the letters of Paul to the early church, its clear that they didnt understand that everyone meant everyone either. But Paul believed this so much, he was willing to be arrested and thrown into prison rather than deny the change that it made on his understanding of God. And here it is in Ephesians: I pray that you may have the power 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, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

John Wesley in his commentary on Ephesians tries to figure out the dimensions of this love from God: What is the breadth of the love of Christ - Embracing all mankind. And length - From everlasting to everlasting. And depth - Not to be fathomed by any creature. And height - Not to be reached by any enemy.

But how can anyone know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge? You cant. But you can be known by that love and that love can change you over time. In Pauls prayer he prays that Christ may dwell in our hearts. The Greek word dwell means to live somewhere permanently, as when a new brother or sister comes into your world or a stepfather or stepmother. This new person changes everything.

Jesus wants to dwell with all of us and all of the entire world.

We hesitate to give Jesus all of us. Lord, I know youd like to live in my heart fulltime, but I dont know. But heres a nice house I have built for you down the street. It has windows with your picture on them and a nice room where Ill come and spend time with you every week. Well, most weeks. If theres nothing better to do.

We hesitate to give Jesus all of the world. Lord, I know that you gave your life to show the entire world how much you love it. But really? Muslims? Terrorists? Bigots? Politicians? Well have to think about that.

But Gods love knows no limits. God is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine.

The great Methodist preacher Zan Holmes tells of a time when he went to a family gathering for Thanksgiving. He had a camera and was taking a lot of snapshots. (This was before digital photography.) When he realized that he only had only enough film for one more picture, he announced that he wanted everybody in the picture. At that point, his 8-year-old nephews eyes lit up and he rushed out the door and went into the neighborhood to get his friends. Hey, everybody, come on!

That would be something, wouldnt it? If Gods love is that so high you cant get over it, so wide you cant get around it, so low you cant get under it, I guess well just have to take our time and keep enlarging out understanding of the love of Jesus until everyone gets in the picture.