Ephesians 4:1-16 Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ
4 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it[a] says:“When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.”
9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) 11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Reflection
It goes without saying that the head is the most important part of the body. A body can keep living and functioning without many parts, but not without its head.
Paul uses the image of a body to describe Jesus Christ as the head of the church. Christ provides the direction and the coordination of his body. Most significant in this imagery, though, is Christ’s authority over his church.Paul’s purpose here is to help us see the nature of our relationship to Jesus and what that means for our relationship with others as parts of Christ’s body. The image of the head and the body vividly shows that in a way like flesh and bone, joined together by supporting ligaments, we are growing and being built up in love, under Jesus, the head of the body.
As we can see from this image of Christ as the head of the body, his church, the names and titles of Jesus are not mere abstract images but vivid descriptions of spiritual truth. And with this vivid image, Paul reminds us that we are under Christ’s authority and that we belong to each other.
What will you do today to build up Jesus’ body in love?
Dear Jesus, you are the head of your body, the church. Help each of us, wherever we are, scattered throughout the earth, to submit to your authority and to cherish and support all of your parts, our brothers and sisters in Christ. In your name, Amen.
Lord, we are not worthy of your grace and forgiveness
How often has our anger spoiled our love and care? We are divided over so many small things. When did we last use our gifts to the full? We want to remain children; protected and cushioned. But we are still your people, you still are our God.
Rekindle the flame of love in our hearts. Forgive, restore and renew us, in the name of Christ. Amen.
Thank you, God, that the Christian Church is one, holy and catholic. And within the unity, there is such stunning diversity. We thank you for that diversity which so enriches the experience of Christian people. Thank you for the Church of England, with its liturgy and its closeness to the heart of the nation; the Methodist Church, with its history of evangelism going back to its founder; the Baptist denomination, with its stress on the participation of the people and the centrality of the Bible; the United Reformed Church, a pioneer in the movement towards greater unity; the Roman Catholic Church, with its wealth of spirituality that benefits us all; the Orthodox Church, with the ancient beauty of its worship; the Society of Friends, with its stress on silence and on justice and peace; for Pentecostal and charismatic churches and fellowships, with their vitality of worship and openness to the Spirit.
Thank you, Lord, for them all – for us all.
Amen.
O God, your Son Jesus, our Lord, had time for children, even if other people thought they were a nuisance. He loved children, even if other people looked down on them. He blessed children, even if other people just wanted to get rid of them. We pray that Jesus, the head of the Church, will help us to value the children who are a part of this family, involved in our children’s and youth activities. Help us to love, respect and protect them, even the demanding ones. We pray that each one of them will be sure they are among friends and will come to know Jesus as Lord. And we pray that you will give strength to the people who teach, lead and care for them.
Amen.
Suggested Listening All over the world https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q76GXwxCHJQ Bind us together, Lord https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHJJzD46-qU
Lord of the church, we pray for our renewing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ntutona2xFc
