Being Strengthened (2): May We Grasp the Love of Christ!
Scripture: Ephesians 3:14-21
In praying for the strenthening of the believers in Ephesus, Paul prays that they may truly understand the love of Christ. If we read the passage, we realize that what he is praying for is that they may grasp that which is immeasurable and that they may know that which is beyond knowledge!
But if it is immeasurable, how can one grasp it? If it is beyond knowledge, how can one know it?
A lot has been discussed about these seemingly contradictory statements, but we must remember that we are talking about love.1 Love is hard to describe. Ask some children whether they understand the love of their parents, and most of them will answer yes. Ask them to describe that love, and you can tell that they do understand somewhat, but at the same time you can tell that they do not, or at least not completely.
Until one day they finally came to an understanding that they never had before. Maybe it was part of growing up. Maybe it was after some bad experience. Maybe it was a lonely situation when they felt that no one in this world truly cared about them except their parents. Maybe it was their becoming parents themselves. Whatever it is, at some point children seem to come to understand parents’ love.
If at that point we asked them to describe parental love so that future generations could understand it better, they would still not be able to describe it any better than previous generations had tried. Love is somewhat describable yet somewhat indescribable, but at one point one comes to understand or “grasp” even the indescribable part.
It is similar when we talk about God’s love. Of course God’s love is much deeper than any human love, so it is even harder to describe, measure, or completely know. But at the same time, it is understandable; it can be felt, and it can be grasped.
And that is what Paul is praying for the believers in Ephesus. If he was alive, I am sure he would be praying for the same thing for us.
The prayer is that we may know the love of God. Yes, of course we all know the love of God. Or do we? Paul’s prayer that is we really know it although it is beyond knowledge, that we can grasp it although it is immeasurable. When we can grasp God’s love that cannot be grasped and know God’s love that cannot be completely known, our life will be different. Both of inner life and our outward living will be completely different.
So let us at least pray about it too.
“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now 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, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:14-21 TNIV)
- It is also good to point out here the difference between linguistics and grammar. While grammatically or logically it is difficult to analyze the idea of “knowing what is beyond knowledge,” linguistically the phrase is expressing an idea that is not difficult to understand. Similar occurrences are frequent when we speak or write. Someone might say, “my love is deeper than the ocean.” And we can say, “well, do you know how deep the ocean is? Have you measured your love? How can you compare the two? It doesn’t even make sense.” But in reality, everybody understands what the statement is trying to say. ↩
Continued on “comfort from God” as comfort is part of the love of Christ.
In my experiences, most of times in the past years, when I had some problems or thoughts or feelings that bothered me much, God used His Word preached in the Sunday sermon right after that week, to comfort or urge me. Sometimes, God used a song we sang during the worship to bring me up. Sometime when I read Bible, God’s Word hits my mind and heart to convict me while another time God’s Word warmed my heart to know He cares….. Oh Lord! I would say – You have really known me and cared for me.
God’s Word (Bible) is powerful and mighty! Our loving God often speaks to us and comforts us by His Word.