Everything in Every Way

God placed all things under Christ's rule. He appointed him to be ruler over everything for the church. The church is Christ's body and is filled by Christ. He fills everything in every way (Ephesians 1:22-23). We come to the end of Ephesians 1 and to the end of Paul's prayer. We have caught glimpses of God's work on our behalf from before there was time. We have been named saints, not because we are so saintly, but because God has been preparing for ages to adopt us as his children. As he names us saints, he calls us to resurrection life. We have overheard the apostle to the gentiles, folks like us, on his knees giving thanks while continually asking that our knowledge of and faith in God may increase. These two, knowledge and faith, are like railings on each side of a steep circular stairway. Only as we hold onto both rails is climbing possible. And yet, as we climb, we discover its more of an escalator than a stair that we are on, for the Holy Spirit is propelling us up and up and up. Its more the Spirit's power than ours that enables us to go higher. As we are still making sense of this reality, we discover that the Holy Spirit is the power of God by which Christ was raised from the dead and ascended to his throne. This 'incomparably great power' is now at work in us flushing away the stench of sin and filling us with the aromas of grace. As the Spirit draws us ever deeper into this resurrection life, we see Christ seated in the heavenly realms above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name invoked throughout all the ages. And we see all things placed under Christ's rule. Finally, we see Christ filling not only the church but 'everything in every way'. And so, we run outside and look. But we don't see him, everything looks, well, so ordinary. We go to the church, and we meet people we know. They don't act like saints; they act like sinners. We become disillusioned. Is it all a hoax? I think, this is the very matter Paul is praying about. This is nothing new. Folks who met Jesus in the flesh didn't notice anything particularly godly about him. Herod, anticipating a show-and-tell miracle, was disappointed; Pilate was puzzled but unimpressed; Caiaphas was contemptuous. The resurrected Jesus was still unimpressive: Mary Magdalene mistook him for a gardener; Cleopas and his friend walked and talked with him for seven miles without recognizing him. Some worshipped him while others still doubted. Why didn't they get it? What were they looking for? Only when he picked up a loaf of bread, blessed it, broke it open, and passed it around did they get it. With the texture of bread on their fingers, and its taste on their tongues — grounded in the ordinary — they recognized him. Why doesn't Jesus advertise himself? If he wants to be known as God incarnate—healing, saving, blessing –why doesn't he get our attention? Why doesn't he do some show-and-tell miracle? Then we would know without a doubt. Then we would run to him. If all those verbs that Paul has spread out for us to consider and receive are the real thing, why doesn't Jesus at least raise his voice? Why is it so difficult to see? Eugene Peterson answers simply, "God reveals himself in personal relationship and only in personal relationship". We want to treat God as a spectacle to be marvelled at; or a force to be used; or a doctrine to be argued. But he is not these things. He is not impersonal or abstract. Since he is personal, he treats us personally. He doesn't want to impress. He's here to eat bread with us and receive us into his love just as we are, just where we are. Yes, he reveals himself in the mountains and the oceans, in the thunder and lightning, in the butterflies and flowers. But mostly, he reveals himself in the person sitting with us in the coffee shop and at the breakfast table. He reveals himself in the person we share a pew with and in the person peddling at the intersection. God wants to sit with us in the quietness of prayer, sometimes we might use words. Jesus wants to be with us as we wash the kitchen floor. The Spirit wants to fill us as we watch our (grand) children play hockey. May the eyes of our hearts be opened, that we might see Jesus as he 'fills everything in every way', ordinary things in ordinary ways. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:17-21).