The Power of God's Love
Ephesians 3:14-21
Holy Mother and Father of Creation, Bless you that you adopt us as your children; from you every family in heaven and on earth, each of us, from you, every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. Strengthen us in our inner beings with power through the Spirit so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith that we be rooted and grounded in love such that our neighbors know your radical love. Help us to know, as did our ancestors in faith, what is the breadth and length and height and depth of the love of Christ. For the love of Christ surpasses our knowledge, yet it fills us with your divine fullness.
You, O Holy One, through your power at work in us…You are able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine. To you, be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Does this change how you hear or read this passage from Ephesians 3? In the first three chapters of Ephesians the author addresses theological concerns and then in the next three chapters turns to more practical matters or concerns. With this passage, the author concludes the section on theological concerns with a prayer and a doxology for the last sentence. It is a prayer for the congregation in Ephesus and not the individuals in the community. The writer of Ephesians asks in this prayer for the congregation to have inner strength, that the congregation will be filled with the love of God that is Jesus Christ, and that the congregation will practice that love like God practices love in Jesus Christ. This happens because Christ dwells in our midst. Like when you welcome a new resident to your home, the challenge is that you will have to change your routines and practices
How do the petitions of this prayer happen? Or maybe better put, how is the prayer answered?
The writer of Ephesians knows this prayer will be answered because it already has been answered because she knows that God is already accomplishing far more than we can ask or imagine. It is the same idea represented in the reading from Ephesians 1:11-22 from a couple of weeks ago. God has intended it to happen from before creation and beyond time. So, because Christ dwells in the Ephesians, and all of God’s people, love is already present doing its transformative work. God chooses to dwell in us and God is present where love is practiced.
Reflection Questions:
How does hearing this passage as a prayer change your hearing of this passage? How does it change your understanding of the passage?
How are you being invited to nurture and become more deeply rooted in your “inner being with power through [the] Spirit”?
Have you taken the time to pray, like the writer of this letter, that you would be filled with the fullness of God?