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Okay, I know it's dangerous to put such a command as "eat" in a title, especially at this hour of the day, but as I continue my readings of "Go, Eat Peaches and Cream" - Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, I am at Ephesians - Eat!
Like most of the epistles credited to Paul, this one begins with a salutation and a greeting. I was prompted to wonder and ask, What is your signature greeting? Do you still write letters? If so, do you include a standard greeting to friends and loved ones? What signature greeting are you known for?
In my early days of ministry, once upon a time, there were these magical and mysterious machines known as typewriters. With this contraption, one could write letters. One had to be careful in the production of letters, for a mistype had to be corrected with a magical potion known as Liquid Paper, which would smell horrible and you would dab this potion over the unwanted letter or word. You would then huff and puff until it dried the mistake and you would type over it with the proper letter or word. But I receive letters from other pastors, usually in positions of leadership that usually began with "Dear" or "Esteemed", and usually in Spanish. It was the line after that that intrigued me in some letters, for the writer would share something along the lines of the Pauline greeting found in this epistle: "May the grace and peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you." Some would add, "and yours," or "is my prayer." This greeting would set the tone of the letter in a positive way.
This letter to the Ephesians has as its greeting: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. What a tone this greeting sets before us! As the writer greets the audience, the desire is to share God's never-ending grace. It is also meant to share a desire for peace, not in the absence of conflict way, but a desire for a general well-being in the life of the reader; and all this shared in the name of God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ," the writer was writing to believers from the standpoint of a believer.
The letter contains a praise offering to God and Jesus Christ, whom the writer knows to be the source of all good things. He is thankful among all things for the gifts of redemption and forgiveness. All working together to reconcile all things and all people under the leadership of Jesus Christ, a "deposit" of the coming of even greater things, our inheritance of the fullness of life here, and the coming life with Jesus for all eternity.
EAT-TO-YOUR-CONTENT PRAYER: Loving God, for Your grace we are so thankful; for peace in our hearts we also give thanks; for the Gospel which freed us from sin, we thank You. Let us be blameless in Your sight, and let us work together to reconcile all people and all things under Christ Jesus. This is our prayer, amen.
