In today’s first reading from Ephesians Paul warns us about the cosmic struggle that we face in our daily Christian life: “For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers…with the evil spirits in the heavens.” Paul instructs us that we need to be vigilant but we need not fear because we have the strength, the power, and the truth of God with us. We know the “mystery of the Gospel” and as long as we follow the way and the teachings of Jesus we are walking in the truth of the Gospel.
We need to be vigilant, however, since throughout Christian’s history false messiah or saviors have arisen. Even in our own day we hear certain political leaders declared to be the chosen instrument of God. How do we judge true or false leaders or messiahs? We examine their character and their actions. If they do not follow Jesus’ way of love, mercy, and forgiveness they are false messiahs. If they do not welcome the outcasts, the leper, the immigrant, they are false messiahs. If they do not forgive as God has forgiven us in Christ, they are false messiahs. Jesus teaches that a true disciple is one who does God’s will:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’ (Matthew 7:21-23)
Paul as a servant of Jesus Christ has proclaimed the mystery of the Gospel with boldness following the will of God. They mystery of the Gospel or the mystery of Christ that Paul proclaims is a message of inclusions:
“When you read this you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to human beings in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” (3:4-6)
The Gospel proclaims that God’s will is to save all people. All, both Jews and Gentiles, are invited to be “coheirs, co-member, copartners” of the Body of Christ. God’s desire and will is to include all people. At the end of Ephesians Paul calls us to prayer: “With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit.”
“Therefore, O Lord, as we now celebrate the memorial of our redemption, we remember Christ’s Death and his descent to the realm of the dead, we proclaim his Resurrection and his Ascension to your right hand, and, as we await his coming in glory, we offer you his Body and Blood, the sacrifice acceptable to you which brings salvation to the whole world.” (Eucharistic Prayer IV).
Image: “St. Paul preaching Christ Crucified” by bobosh_t is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.