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Sermon Text: Ephesians 3:2-12
It’s cute when a 4.5 year old almost lets the cat out of the bag about a surprise or overhears something and shares it wildly out of context to everyone’s delight. Too excited to keep quiet! It’s not as cute when a 24.5 year old almost lets the cat out of the bag and ruins an upcoming proposal. Yeah. I said, “Congratulations!” to someone I thought was engaged, but wasn’t, yet. I realized this, quickly found a different reason to celebrate, then ran away. Keeping quiet would have been awesome, but I couldn’t because of what was on my mind!
When Paul talks about his life as a steward of the gospel, he explains a similar joy around it, that being a faithful manager of something so excellent means not keeping quiet about it. Being responsible with the gospel means making sure people know it! Talk about what you know! Christians spill the beans about Christ, about his birth, his cross, his resurrection, because they’re too excited! Paul certainly was! God gave him the gospel not only to save him by it, but to honor him by sharing it. This was grace upon grace for Paul, even though being an apostle was no cakewalk. It was a high and humbling honor to be in a position to not keep quiet about the mystery of the gospel that is the central idea of Ephesians.
The mystery is that God not only puts people at peace with him in Christ but that God puts people at peace with each other in Jesus’ cross too. In Eph 3:3, Paul says, “The mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.” Here’s the “briefly” from Eph. 2:14-16, “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.” This is what was revealed to Paul, and what he wanted others to understand. God dropped hints throughout the Old Testament that the Messiah was for all people. We heard one earlier, Isaiah 60:3, “Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” Then, in Jesus, God made it unmistakably clear with the ministries of the apostles reinforcing this, “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” (Eph. 3:6)
God loved the world. That’s why Jesus came into the world. The promises of eternal life in God’s majestic city of peace, atop his holy mountain, belong to Jewish believers in Jesus just as fully as they belong to people of every other background and heritage. In strong form, Paul uses three phrases to drive home the point that all believers have completely equal status in Christ. 1) Fellow heirs. Heaven awaits all who believe in Jesus, because the same Spirit gives them new birth into God’s family. 2) Members together of one body. Closer than family, believers are one body, by body of Christ. All parts need all the others, even the parts you don’t see or think about much. When you consider those different members, remember that Jesus chose them because of their differences. He made them different to perform indispensable roles. 3) Sharers together of promise. Heaven, yes, but also every promise that comes with the gospel: protection, peace, acceptance, love, forgiveness, support. Every blessing tied to Christ belongs to anyone who believes in him. Paul solidifies this in Eph. 4:4-6, “There is one body and one Spirit…one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all.”
This was big news! Still is, but doesn’t feel like it because we’ve known it for a while. Living it, though, this remains just as difficult. How many multicultural congregations truly gel? Some do, but not many. Why not? Because learning to live together, even within one body, is hard. Try learning a new dance or instrument. It takes time for the members of your body to learn how to move together in new functional ways. For people, this mean patience, openness, love, much practice, and continued awareness that it’s just hard. And yet, this kind of welcome, over time and with sustained effort, is exactly what we’re called to as people who know Christ and him crucified and risen. We’ve seen him by faith call him Lord so Jesus calls us friends and reveals his will to us. And his will is for us to reveal his will to others.
So we don’t keep quiet. We share and we live the mystery of the gospel with the same mindset as Paul, that it’s an honor to serve the gospel of Jesus. This is grace upon grace, because like Paul, you know you’re the least of all. In letters to Corinth and Timothy, Paul admitted his unworthiness for the task of proclaiming Christ, because he knew his own sin. Yet, that unworthiness made him ideal. His life displayed what God’s grace forgives and what his love overcomes. So does yours. Your status as a forgiven sinner makes you ideal. You can humbly talk about the one who put you back together, who made you whole again, better than before. “Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ.” (Eph. 3:8) The Japanese art of kintsugi is repairing cracks in potter with gold, highlighting the repair by making it beautiful. If that doesn’t describe what God does with us, I don’t know what does! You’ve been repaired entirely by the Son of God, the Word made flesh, the Light and Life of the World. Now, you are a light bearer.
That’s what Epiphany’s all about, the light of life shining to the nations and peoples of the world. That shining began in Jesus, continues through his Word and Sacraments, and in those who have his Word in their hearts. You possess a radiant treasure: the multifaceted wisdom of God useful in every time and place and for eternity. God has given you the gospel and calls you to be responsible with it. So be a wise steward and give it away!
People need to hear the mystery that all peoples on earth are made one because Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of Man, fulfilled the law, forgave sinners, and gave them his righteousness. People need to hear that there’s peace with God in Jesus and because of that, peace between people. Sin’s gone! Light and life have taken its place!
Speak that powerful gospel boldly knowing that even the angels are listening in gladly while the devil and his cronies cower in fear each time you open your mouth to speak of eternal peace and unity in the Lord through Jesus’ cross. You can’t keep quiet about that! Instead, “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” (Eph. 3:12) Our worthiness for the task and ability to be confident before God is found in him, not us. He gives us the Spirit and other believers to share his Son’s name. This is our ability to be outspoken like little kids who belt out songs at the top of their lungs or to be gentle and steady because we know what’s true, that salvation has come to the world. Let the cat out of the bag. Spill the beans. Shine the Light. Tell everyone Jesus has taken their sins away. Amen.