Ephesians: Tear Down These WallsSample

In the last few years of my Grandmother’s life, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. It meant we all heard the same stories over and over again, often within the same hour! 

One of her reoccurring stories was the deep sense of privilege she felt as a young teen to be picked by the country’s best singer to tutor her in singing! She loved to sing. One thing Alzheimer’s couldn’t rob her of were the old hymns she would joyfully sing around the house!

Paul shares a deep sense of privilege about the calling he has received. 

It strikes me, even as a pastor, how different my attitude often is, and makes me wonder how different things might be if I shared the same sense of privilege Paul had. 

Did you see it there in 3:8?

“Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ.”

Paul feels that he is the least deserving person to be commissioned into God’s service. God has graciously given Paul this privilege. What is it? To tell people about the good news of Jesus. Not a duty, not a chore, not an obligation—a privilege! Why? He gets to tell people of the “endless treasures available to them in Christ”!

What a perspective shift about our mission! 

If I’m honest, I don’t often think like this. I’m more likely fearful, lazy, or apathetic about the mission Jesus left us with. At worst, I participate reluctantly in sharing Jesus. At best, I make the most of opportunities. If I’m really honest, at times I wonder if this “good news” is actually good. Do you identify?

Perhaps we need to recapture the same sense of privilege and joy that Paul had to be God’s mouthpiece, to tell others of the “endless treasures available in Christ”! 

Jesus has endless treasures for people, and we get to tell them about it. We get to tell people that the very thing their soul is yearning for, Jesus has. When you put it that way, this is incredibly good news!

One of the great joys of being a parent is seeing your kids on Easter Sunday gathering up all the Easter Eggs. The delight on their faces as they uncover more chocolate than their little bodies can cope with! 

How much greater joy is there in helping our friends, family, and neighbours uncover the endless treasures of God!