Dearest e-votees-
This week we will look to our appointed reading from Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus to shape our time. No doubt our powerful gospel text in Matthew 25 about the sheep and the goats will also contribute to the conversation.
Peace,
Karl
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I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Ephesians 1:15-23, NRSV
When you read this letter to the church it appears that Paul doesn’t personally know the saints. In some of his other letters there are more personal greetings. Paul seems to be relying on third person accounts in this case.
It is a dangerous thing to fixate on what others think about us. Putting too high a premium on how others regard us causes much pain in our growing years. Things are spoken from uninformed perspectives all too often. Even things spoken in truth are shaded by agendas of those spoken much of the time. Most of us would do well to not pay any attention to what others say about us and just do what we know to be right trusting that God can work all things for good for those who love God and are called according to God’s purpose as Paul says in Romans 8:28.
But for a moment maybe we can ponder how others speak of us and regard us. Presuming they are speaking truthfully about us, what might they be saying? Do they see us as a sheep or a goat? We know with a moment’s honest self reflection that we are a hybrid. But are we more of a sheepish goat or a goatish sheep? How do others perceive us?
Paul has heard about these unfamiliar Ephesian saints and their reputation says that they have faith in Jesus and love towards all the saints.
How about us? When people are unfamiliar with us hear about us do the third party accounts say that we have faith in Jesus? Do people who gaze into our lives have any sense of who is our Lord? Do people who gaze into our lives see us being loving towards the saints?
My prayer is that when people talk about you and when people talk about me that they would see two things--our faith in Jesus and that we are loving towards all. I think the real gauge of our lives is how loving we are towards the unlovely and the seemingly unlovable. How do we treat the goats? How do we treat those who are unrepentingly nasty? How do we treat those that others tell us aren’t worth the time or are a threat to our well-being?
Lots of ink has been spilled over who “the least of these” are in Matthew 25:40. My guess is that we will always include too few people when we try to sort out the list. How we treat these fringe folks matters more than what any other person says about us. But hopefully when we are being watched and we don’t know it people are seeing us shower kindness on love on all we encounter—particularly the “least of these”.
God, help us have faith in you. Help us love the saints whether goatish or sheepish. Stir us especially to love the sinners whether goatish or sheepish. Help us to know your faithful and abiding love for us regardless of if we are having a sheepish moment or a goatish moment. Amen.
This week we will look to our appointed reading from Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus to shape our time. No doubt our powerful gospel text in Matthew 25 about the sheep and the goats will also contribute to the conversation.
Peace,
Karl
------------
I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
When you read this letter to the church it appears that Paul doesn’t personally know the saints. In some of his other letters there are more personal greetings. Paul seems to be relying on third person accounts in this case.
It is a dangerous thing to fixate on what others think about us. Putting too high a premium on how others regard us causes much pain in our growing years. Things are spoken from uninformed perspectives all too often. Even things spoken in truth are shaded by agendas of those spoken much of the time. Most of us would do well to not pay any attention to what others say about us and just do what we know to be right trusting that God can work all things for good for those who love God and are called according to God’s purpose as Paul says in Romans 8:28.
But for a moment maybe we can ponder how others speak of us and regard us. Presuming they are speaking truthfully about us, what might they be saying? Do they see us as a sheep or a goat? We know with a moment’s honest self reflection that we are a hybrid. But are we more of a sheepish goat or a goatish sheep? How do others perceive us?
Paul has heard about these unfamiliar Ephesian saints and their reputation says that they have faith in Jesus and love towards all the saints.
How about us? When people are unfamiliar with us hear about us do the third party accounts say that we have faith in Jesus? Do people who gaze into our lives have any sense of who is our Lord? Do people who gaze into our lives see us being loving towards the saints?
My prayer is that when people talk about you and when people talk about me that they would see two things--our faith in Jesus and that we are loving towards all. I think the real gauge of our lives is how loving we are towards the unlovely and the seemingly unlovable. How do we treat the goats? How do we treat those who are unrepentingly nasty? How do we treat those that others tell us aren’t worth the time or are a threat to our well-being?
Lots of ink has been spilled over who “the least of these” are in Matthew 25:40. My guess is that we will always include too few people when we try to sort out the list. How we treat these fringe folks matters more than what any other person says about us. But hopefully when we are being watched and we don’t know it people are seeing us shower kindness on love on all we encounter—particularly the “least of these”.
God, help us have faith in you. Help us love the saints whether goatish or sheepish. Stir us especially to love the sinners whether goatish or sheepish. Help us to know your faithful and abiding love for us regardless of if we are having a sheepish moment or a goatish moment. Amen.
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