DYNAMIS!
A publication of St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral
Wichita, KS

Ephesians 4:1-6              (11/29)               Epistle for the Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

 

Resources: Ephesians 4:1-6, especially vs. 1: “I...beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called....”  Saint Paul pleads with us to live according to the Lord Jesus’ call to follow Him.  What Christian would quarrel with the Master of lowliness, gentleness, and longsuffering Who bears with each of us in love (vs. 2)?  Our Holy Faith is no set of ideals to approximate, no philosophy or ethic to achieve.  The Lord Jesus Himself is our standard of virtues.  He invites us to follow His example and learn right attitudes and actions from Him.

In beseeching us to walk worthy of the Lord, the Apostle Paul knew the struggle of living the Faith but also appreciated the resources that God provides for overcoming those difficulties.  Examine what the Apostle of our Lord Jesus teaches us concerning the difficulties of the life in Christ and the resources that God provides that we may succeed.

In begging us to manifest the virtues of the Christian Faith, Saint Paul speaks from experience.  He became an Apostle because the Lord spoke directly to his heart and wakened desire in him to walk worthy of the call He issued to Paul (Acts 9:5,6).  At the same time, Saint Paul knew the frustration of desiring a worthy life and yet of doing the exact opposite.  He hated the weakness and vacillation in himself (Rom. 7:15).  He called it, the flesh, and observed that “...those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh...” (Rom. 8:5).

How the flesh preoccupies my mind, distracts me, and lures me away from virtue to indulgence!  As soon as I resolve to be lowly and gentle, someone will say an unkind word.  Treat me rudely or fail to do what I want and immediately I think, “How dare he act that way toward me?”  My ego rises up gruff and abrasive.  I snap back or abuse the next person I meet.  Does such soul-sickness sound familiar to you - living opposed to your heart’s desire?

Do not despair!  The Lord Jesus is the true Physician.  He calls us to Himself as He did Lazarus from the tomb - come forth!  Be healed by Life Himself (Jn. 11:43).  In our puny strength we wallow in a terrible, helpless state, except for the Divine resource that is ours: “...to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift” (Eph. 4:7).  The great Physician Himself measures out the exact, healing dosage of grace you and I need.

What is this healing prescription from the Lord?  It is He Himself!  He is the medicine of eternity, the healing balm of the Kingdom of God.  The Savior of the world is the resource that enables me to purify myself from preoccupation with my flesh - if I take the medicine.  He makes it possible for you and me to have His response in all lowliness, gentleness, and longsuffering.  As the medicine of eternity, He must be received at the first hint of the endemic sickness, when it threatens to overwhelm.  And He must be received therapeutically for life!

Another difficulty of a worthy walk before the Lord is maintaining  “...unity of the Spirit...”(vs. 3) with others.  We have good intentions, but how often we quarrel, pull back, and break the “...bond of peace” (vs. 3)!  However, the Apostle reminds us to: endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit (vs. 3).  It helps knowing that “There is one body and one Spirit...one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is...through all and in you all” (vss. 4-6).  We need not exacerbate our differences: male and female, rich and poor, young and old, cradle and convert, highly trained and less educated.  The truth is we all receive the same Baptism and Chrismation.  We all partake of the same Holy Gifts.  Use the resources of the Holy Spirit of God - repentance, forgiveness, and kindness to one another.  Submit to God the Holy Spirit, and He gives the blessed unity of His grace.

Let us commend ourselves, and each other, and all our life to Thee, O Christ our God!

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