Love For All – Wk 40

Ephesians 3:14-19

Three-year-olds get it.

One day, as I was busy doing the dishes and prepping for dinner after a long day of work, my three-year-old boy hugged my leg and said, “Mommy, I just love you.” My heart melted, and I quickly responded, “I just love you too buddy.” He beamed as if that was a complete given! What wasn’t to love about him?

When we are kids, love seems so simple. We love those that we trust, and we love those with whom we feel safe. Yet, along life’s journey, we begin to see the brokenness and sinfulness of humanity. Safety and trust are sometimes compromised. We suddenly realize that perhaps we are not always as lovable as we had hoped and that those around us don’t always love us the way we need.

This is where the prayer of Paul begins. Paul is writing to the church at Ephesus and imploring them to live in Christ’s unfathomable and unsurpassable love:

For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:14-19

Here Paul recognizes the power of the Trinity. Paul reminds the Church that we are safe members of His family through the glorious riches of our Heavenly Father. It is through the Holy Spirit that we are strengthened with His power, and it is with the love of Christ that we are filled with the fullness of God.

The promise of Christ’s love was so rich that it literally brought Paul to his knees in prayer on behalf of the Church. Paul knew what we all needed and what he needed: Christ’s love. There is no limit and there are no contingencies to the love of Jesus.

I am humbled when I think about my son’s optimistic trust in me as his parent. I am humbled to know that my love will unfortunately fall short of everything he needs and deserves. Yet, I also rejoice that my son has a Heavenly Father whose love never runs dry or comes up short.

My friends in Jesus, today hear that Christ’s love has a breadth, length, height, and depth that never runs out. Jesus’s love never disappoints. Let’s live in that truth today and lavish that truth upon our children, neighbors, family, and friends.

Loved Deeply

I will leave you with this final quote:

“Unfathomable oceans of grace are in Christ for you. Dive and dive again, you will never come to the bottoms of these depths. How many millions of dazzling pearls and gems are at this moment hid in the deep recesses of the ocean caves! But there are unsearchable riches in Christ.” Robert Murray M’Cheyne

As you consider this scripture and reflect this week, respond to the following questions:

1. Who in your life needs to hear the earnest prayer of Paul? Take a moment to pray this prayer over someone in your life who desperately needs the love of Christ.

2. What does it mean to be rooted and grounded in Christ’s love? How can you love like Christ this week?

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