The earthly congregation has been joined to the heavenly congregation of angels. Paul is praying that God grant the Ephesians the spirit of wisdom and revelation through Jesus Christ which will reveal God’s will and the glory resulting from his call for all who believe, the promise of eternal life. First John tells us, “The Son of God has come and has given us discernment to know the one who is true. And we are in the one who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life (1 John 5:20).” God’s mighty power is shown through the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ who now sits at the right hand of God with everything subjected to him for all eternity. Christians have been called to a sharing in Christ’s glory and the risen Christ is the head of the Church, his body; “For as in one body we have many parts, and all the parts do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another (Rom. 12:4-5).” Christ is all in all (Col. 3:11), “For in him the fullness was pleased to dwell (Col. 1:19).” The Church is the beneficiary of God’s plan through Jesus Christ and therefore it shares in the kingship of Christ, the head. Christ is the source of the Church’s existence, but Christ is also the goal of the Church’s existence.
Almighty God, we are your Church, the Body of Christ, seeking to grow in knowledge and love of Christ that we may lead others to our Lord in accordance with the vocation in which you have called us. Grant us the discernment to know what is true and just and the strength to do what is right in your eyes. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Reference:
Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, & Roland E. Murphy, (Eds.). (1990, 1968). The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentis Hall, Inc.
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