David Bahn – Reflections

Ephesians 1:18b-19

 …having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might…

There goes Paul again…stacking phrase upon phrase, joining adjectives, participles, verbs, nouns together in a string that requires no little amount of effort to understand. But when we do understand these words, oh my! What rich treasures of insight they bring. In this case he expresses God’s will for our knowledge of himself. Three things he mentions:

1. Hope: God points us toward the future with an attitude of hopefulness and anticipation of what will be in Christ. This is both a comfort in times of trouble, but a calling and reminder in times of joy. The best is yet to come! God wants us to know this – all the time; not just when we know we need it.
2. Riches: There is an inheritance that we enjoy “in the saints.” In other words our fellowship with other believers is the realm for our enjoyment of God’s favor and blessing. We are not alone; nor are we to make our way through our lives by ourselves. The communion of saints is the realm of God’s favor and experience of God’s riches. Community (or communitas as Allen Hirsch prefers to call it) is not only a gift, it is a calling for God’s people. That’s where we enjoy the riches of God’s inheritance
3. Power: God is not a wimp. His arm is not too short – even though he looked short-armed and feeble in the manger, and powerless on the cross. In fact, however, God’s power was clearly shown in the resurrection. It’s never too late. Never.

At Christmas time we see all three of these cloaked in a baby’s swaddling clothes. The birth of a child is always a sign of hope; it is implied that the world will go on – even after we are gone. The riches of kings were brought to Jesus: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And the riches of God’s love, peace, faith, and life are given us in the Christ Child. God’s power is displayed in the heavenly host (read celestial army) whose song fills the night and who themselves pull back heaven’s curtain so that the very glory of God shines into our world. Make no mistake about it: God’s power may sometimes not be obvious. But it is real and ready to assert his kingship. His will will be done.

These three – hope, riches, and power – are not to be known just for their own sakes. They are to be known for they provide the true north for the ebb and flow of daily life. Whether we are in the white water of toil, trouble, and trauma, or we are enjoying the delightful joy of pleasant days, these three would anchor our souls, calibrate our value-systems, and direct our efforts toward good.