Ephesians 6:1-24
6:1-2 Something many of us neglect to do is perceive our parents as human beings separate from their children. As having once existed without their children. Whether or not we respect our parents varies between person to person but quite often we forget that just as we are individuals conditioned by our environment and our experiences, so are they.
Considering our parents as beings on their own journeys, we come to realize that their flaws and talents, triumphs and failures together are the unique amalgamation of what and who has been a part of their lives. Some of the conditions of our lives we are responsible for, but other circumstances wedge their way into our lives and the same happens (and has happened) to our parents. They've had to react and express and chose and try and hope all of their lives and they have done all of that with the same fallibility we possess.
Paul wants us to respect our parents and the lesson in respecting our parents is this: we cannot accurately judge or fully understand even the people closest to us, the people we claim as our own, because so much of their life, soul and thought process is inaccessible to us. When we learn that we cannot possibly, entirely know even the people the closest to us, we develop a natural understand that we cannot possibly, entirely know anyone else either.
Parents are individuals living in this same earth-classroom as we are. Hopefully they have cultivated our well-being but even when they haven't, we learn to employ some of the most basic, philosophical lessons God has highlighted for us. Kindness to the unkind. Forgiveness for the remorseful. Patience for the fallible. Compassion for all.
From within our nuclear family, we have the chance to learn how to interact with other humans... in (what is hopefully a) more comforting and forgiving environment. We then can apply what we have learned from our niche to the external world.
6:3 The code to living well and long is encoded in our interactions with other humans. The more we learn from our mistakes of impatience and unkindness, they better able we are to live among all life. We learn to be contented with ourselves because we have learned how to cultivate and inspire peaceful environments, strong and healthy relationships (platonic and otherwise). It is now a fact that stress inhibits ailment and degeneration. Paul insists that we respect our parents because he knows this profound truth: when we learn to separate people, ideas, and circumstances from ourselves, we broaden our horizon.
Our parents provide the best opportunity to learn such a lesson because disentangling ourselves from them is perhaps the most difficult. We do not share a bolder physical connection with anyone on the earth. When we learn to recognize them as individuals, it becomes easier to do so for other people, who we frequently grow frustrated with, angry with, sorrowful because of... incorrectly assuming that their actions have anything to do with us at all.
To clarify, "disentangle" and "separate" are used figuratively. Meaning that we have to stop forgetting that they have experiences, thoughts, insecurities that have nothing to do with us... but often feel like they do because they impact their behavior towards us.
6:4 Every member of the family, the spiritual family and the family on earth, is valuable to God. Paul calls us to respect our parents and here calls our parents to respect their children. To respect their children by giving kindness and instruction and faith.
Although not always recognized or treated as such, the role of a parent is a sacred one. It is the responsibility of not just bringing life into the world (that is fairly straight-forward) but preparing that life, that person for the world. To ensure their survival and ability to thrive, Paul gave three strong pieces of advice: Love them, nurture a calm spirit within them (rather than a "wrathful" one). Guide them, help them to navigate this place. And finally, most importantly, inspire faith. Inspire faith because no matter how adept we are, children (people) are not always able to retain calmness... and this is a complex place to navigate! Faith fills and corrects our inefficiencies. Inspire faith because with faith, a child (person) is never alone (no matter what circumstances unfold).
Three simple bits of advice from Paul but not exactly easy, right? Remember, we do our best and faith fills and corrects our inefficiencies.
6:5 This is Paul's example of the difference between having Spirit as your figurehead and having a human as your figurehead. They organize and run their programs differently: one of them selfishly and one of them selflessly.
Translating this to present day: Paul's advice here instructs us to extend our respect to our work environment. (In Paul's context the message seems rather extreme, to be kind even during enslavement.) It is not surprising however, that Paul's advice to us, even under enslavement, is to be kind and productive... assuredly that is our best way out (productivity in patience and the development of wisdom in order to improve/change our circumstance).
It was a different world when Paul wrote this, and although all of his advice can be applied to our lives... not all aspects of our lives are relatable to his. Slavery still exists in our world, though is less overt than it was in Paul's day. He had to reference it... and as he could not outline the exact exit map for every slave on earth, he encouraged resilience in them. He encouraged them to operate the same way he encouraged the free person because he knows that God's guidance and our cooperation with God, always leads to our inevitable freedom.
6:8 However human society categorizes us (social class, ethnicity, age, gender, religion), God values and respects and loves us equally. Another reminder: whatever we give, sincerely, to humanity and the earth, is giving to us. We fill our own basket by filling others' baskets (figuratively speaking). And only what you do with sincere generosity is counted, anything different is vapid.
6:9 What Paul is preaching about is arrogance, greed, injustice and unkindness. No person should ever feel they have the authority to demand reverence or inflict fear. The authority over humanity, and all creation's lives, does not run His universe that way... and therefore, nobody has permission to.
6:10-11 Develop your faith so that it becomes not only your guide and comforter but also your armor. Your armor made up of sturdily-held values, focus, sense of justice, courage. Your armor against everything that is represented within the world "devil": greed, hatred, injustice. The armor of your faith ensures that you are invulnerable in the face of adversity, distraction, derailment and temptation.
6:12 Paul reminds, or perhaps teaches us, that our enemies are not people. Our enemies are injustice and greed and their many manifestations. We need to wear our armor of faith not to defeat mere humans but to tackle and diminish the monsters they work for... the monsters they are influenced by. Children of God are soldiers in a battle quite unlike the type of battles we see nations and people engaged in. Children of God go against GREED itself. Against INJUSTICE itself. Children of God work to topple all of the pillars which uphold greed and injustice (deceptive people, corrupt institutions, unjust ideas) in order to topple the whole entity.
As we have learned before: we are entrusted with so much opportunity here. We have the tools, materials and support to make a massive impact here. With God we achieve incredible things... moment by moment. Do not be overwhelmed or feel unprepared or unworthy or unable because God ensures that we are able to scale mountains in a realistic and attainable way.
6:13 We build our armor in anticipation of adversity. When a turbulent environment or tumultuous relationship or any difficult circumstance confronts us, we are not caught off guard. We build a defense so that we are not scrambling to find some makeshift ground to stand on while under the pressure of an unforeseen event. We've already built a firm platform when we have built our armor, our faith, the strength of our soul.
We build a defense so that we are at all times prepared. We cannot predict everything but we can be prepared to survive anything... to have the mental, emotional and spiritual capacity to withstand any adversity/adversary. We can build, strengthen and make our resilience flexible and adaptable. We can learn to process change and disruption healthily; with organize and focus we outline and then traverse a path of both a growth plan and an exit plan.
Instead of being victims in the world, tossed around by even the whim of the wind, we are able to consciously make a stand to choose how we are affected by external sources. We are not victims, we are students and until we realize that, we continue to fail the class (which feels a lot like life failing us).
We build a defense so that we are at all times prepared. We cannot predict everything but we can be prepared to survive anything... to have the mental, emotional and spiritual capacity to withstand any adversity/adversary. We can build, strengthen and make our resilience flexible and adaptable. We can learn to process change and disruption healthily; with organize and focus we outline and then traverse a path of both a growth plan and an exit plan.
Instead of being victims in the world, tossed around by even the whim of the wind, we are able to consciously make a stand to choose how we are affected by external sources. We are not victims, we are students and until we realize that, we continue to fail the class (which feels a lot like life failing us).
6:14 Be truthful. Be just. Paul has just advised us that our tallest guideposts, visible from anywhere, and brightest lampposts, are truth and justice. Work to discern the truth of yourself, others, ideas and every aspect of life. Progress toward justice in every aspect of life. Truth and justice will help you to explore yourself and your world and to discover all (and more) that you seek to find.
6:15 Preparation! Preparation is an underutilized and underestimated tool. On every level of life, preparation should be our companion. For even if we fail at something, we can prepare for that possible outcome too. Most importantly, we prepare ourselves against failure (foreseen and unforeseen.) How? Being prompt. Being observant. Being inquisitive (doing our research*). Being productive.
*Many of us are not thrilled or even comfortable with presenting publicly in school or work environments. Yet we achieve with fluidity when we have worked to understand both our material and our objectives to the best of our ability. Life is the same: work productively to know your material and your objectives. How? By being present and alert and thereby allowing your brain and emotions process, analyze, interpret, define, absorb and utilize all of the material that is being presented by the world. That is the Research of Life.
6:16 Before, during and after the moments of life which are not perfectly packaged, call to action the resource that is your faith. Your faith will adequately equip you with whatever particulars are needed for the situation you need help in. Ecclesiastes 1:9 explains to us that there is nothing new under the sun here on earth. God with humanity across generations has seen, heard and dealt with it all.
Welcome faith to be your shield so that no matter what adversity douses you with, it cannot pass your protective layer.
Welcome faith to be your shield so that no matter what adversity douses you with, it cannot pass your protective layer.
6:17 How does this armor become accessible to us? How do we truly seal ourselves? By reading, studying and learning the philosophy of life given to us here in God's word. These are the directions of how to obtain productive and responsive faith and to reap all of faith's benefits.
God reaches people in many different and unique ways. Paul gives us advice here on interpreting one of those ways: by listening to what He has to say (as presented by His prophets, disciples, Messiah and apostles). Yes, this Bible is comprised of words... but the Word of God is spoken to us through nature, through our compassion, through our passion and works of justice. We must keep not this physical or digital copy of the Bible close to us but the meaning of the words within it. And the meaning of the words within this Bible are known and taught and exemplified by nature around us (the selfless, intelligent, symbiotic system of life around us).
God reaches people in many different and unique ways. Paul gives us advice here on interpreting one of those ways: by listening to what He has to say (as presented by His prophets, disciples, Messiah and apostles). Yes, this Bible is comprised of words... but the Word of God is spoken to us through nature, through our compassion, through our passion and works of justice. We must keep not this physical or digital copy of the Bible close to us but the meaning of the words within it. And the meaning of the words within this Bible are known and taught and exemplified by nature around us (the selfless, intelligent, symbiotic system of life around us).
6:18 Earnest, humble prayer is our most direct route toward achievement, contentment, justice and happiness. All relationships are dependent on a strong and viable line of communication. Our physical, emotional and spiritual expressions communicate to the universe. We are known by nature, by divine-creation because it listens to us, observes us and interprets our behavior... but do we listen to, observe and interpret the nature? A healthy and productive line of communication requires both entities to participate.
Paul prompts us to cultivate:
1) Vigilance: We must make ourselves aware of our surroundings. Whether we give attention or not, life is happening. If we are not present and alert in life, rather than our actions happening to things, things happen to us. Instead of making an impact, we are impacted.
2) Perseverance: Perseverance is the vehicle which moves forward our progressive thoughts and ideas, actions and intentions. Without the courage and persistence we are stunted. Halted. Muted. Obsolete.
When we humbly, earnestly urge justice and compassion to envelope the world, we make a significant contribution to that very outcome. There are energies on the earth produced by our spirit. Spirit is our origin, our destination, our DNA. We produce. We create. Tangible and otherwise, everything we put out into the world has an impact: Our thoughts become our motivations, our motivations become our intentions and our intentions become our actions... our actions become impacts on the earth and humanity.
Paul is working here in this final chapter of Ephesians to teach us how to operate ourselves within this world. The upshot: 1) we have to pay attention and 2) we have to develop the courage to deal with all the we observe 3) our relationship with ourselves, and /faith/divinity/nature are our tools, guides, support-systems and fellow-workers as we progress along this, our journey, earth.
Paul prompts us to cultivate:
1) Vigilance: We must make ourselves aware of our surroundings. Whether we give attention or not, life is happening. If we are not present and alert in life, rather than our actions happening to things, things happen to us. Instead of making an impact, we are impacted.
2) Perseverance: Perseverance is the vehicle which moves forward our progressive thoughts and ideas, actions and intentions. Without the courage and persistence we are stunted. Halted. Muted. Obsolete.
When we humbly, earnestly urge justice and compassion to envelope the world, we make a significant contribution to that very outcome. There are energies on the earth produced by our spirit. Spirit is our origin, our destination, our DNA. We produce. We create. Tangible and otherwise, everything we put out into the world has an impact: Our thoughts become our motivations, our motivations become our intentions and our intentions become our actions... our actions become impacts on the earth and humanity.
Paul is working here in this final chapter of Ephesians to teach us how to operate ourselves within this world. The upshot: 1) we have to pay attention and 2) we have to develop the courage to deal with all the we observe 3) our relationship with ourselves, and /faith/divinity/nature are our tools, guides, support-systems and fellow-workers as we progress along this, our journey, earth.
6:19-20 As a grateful and dutiful servant of compassion, justice and faith Paul requests for us to pray for and seek spiritual wisdom, in any of the forms that it comes. Spiritual wisdom edifies, renews, establishes, instructs, guides, comforts, loves, protects... Paul reminds us not to take for granted the source and ways in which it comes.
6:21-22 Paul begins to close his epistle to the Ephesians with a hope that they will keep in contact and with the assurance of the presence of another apostle (spiritual guide) for them, Tychicus. Paul does not preach and work in a region and then leave it; per God's instructs, he sets up a network of support to uphold the established faith.
6:23 Peace, love and faith from God through the apostles. God eagerly hopes to work with and through you in the same manner. We are vessels of life, capable of delivering so much compassion and justice to humanity.
6:24 To those who live and love in faith with sincerity, grace (the refined, abundant love, solemnity, joy and serenity of God) is assuredly, fixedly with you.
6:23 Peace, love and faith from God through the apostles. God eagerly hopes to work with and through you in the same manner. We are vessels of life, capable of delivering so much compassion and justice to humanity.
6:24 To those who live and love in faith with sincerity, grace (the refined, abundant love, solemnity, joy and serenity of God) is assuredly, fixedly with you.
