Family
"Family" is a word that brings up mixed emotions for people. Positive, negative, joy, sadness, blessings, losses, harmony, acrimony.
Family is often a difficult part of people's lives. Yet this was not God's plan for humanity.
Christmas is possibly one of the most difficult times of the year for those who find family a difficult part of their life. Yet this was not God's intention for Christmas.
We often refer to our "Church family", yet our churches are not always places that model what a good family should be. Yet this was not God's plan for the Church.
Paul writes to the Ephesian Church in prayer. He is aware, as we are, that things are not perfect. But his prayer is that they would know how it is supposed to be, and that the church in Ephesus might sense some of that. Paul kneels before God, the Father of all, the Father of every family on earth, and prays for the Ephesian Church. And what does he pray for?
Ephesians 3:14-19
14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Strength. Faith. Love. The power to grasp how much Jesus loves them. And finally, for them to be filled with all the fullness of God.
What Paul is praying for God's family here is that they would begin to comprehend how much God loves, them, how big he is, and how powerful he is over their lives. Despite the brokenness of the world, and of every family in this world, Paul reminds us that God's power is greater than our brokenness. God's love is greater than our failures.
God's fullness that Paul talks about is the "completeness" God offers. His prayer is that God's Church would know that God offers us all we need - the complete package. He offers us fulfilment like no-one else can. "Completeness" or "Fullness" does not come from the things of this world. Our family units, and even our Churches are not a place where we can experience the fullness of all our needs and purposes, because they are flawed, and a little, or a lot, broken. But in God, we can find this completeness, this fullness.
Paul prays that we might be able to grasp this truth.
Paul concludes with these well-known words - words reminding us who God is, and offering all the glory to God for this:
Ephesians 3:20-21
20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
To Him be glory, in every generation, forever.
Prayer
Lord God, we know our lives are broken. We know our communities are not perfect, and not what they should be. Yet we know that your plans are good. We know that you are able to do more than we can ask or imagine. Father, provide us with what we need, and help us to find our fulfilment in life in you alone. Help us to grasp how much you love us and how powerful your love is to change us. As we come to this time of Christmas, may we know more and more what it meant for you to send your son, Jesus, Immanuel, God with us, into this broken world to offer us a love that we can only begin to grasp the depth of.
Amen.