Ephesians 3:14–21

Ecumenical German Service

Grace be with you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, chapter 3, verses 14-21:

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father,

15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,

18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,

19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that and ever! Amen.

Let us pray:

Come Holy Spirit, fill this space with your presence. Open our hearts for your work, guide our thoughts, guide our words, and give us the strength to listen to you.

Amen.

The Sunday called Exaudi takes its name from a cry: Exaudi, Domine - Lord, hear me when I call!

It is the cry between Ascension and Pentecost - the cry for help, guidance, and for understanding.

The writer struggles in prayer for his congregation. He is writing his letter to a community that is under pressure, both internally and externally. Persecution of Christians is on the horizon. Tension exists between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. And yet - or precisely because of this - they are being prayed for.

“…together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

An old song is taken up and rewritten - like a song that needs new words in new times. The listeners need to grow spiritually. Not just in knowledge - but in realisation. Not just in living well in community - but in love.

• An increase in strength - that means inner strength, resilience, faith that does not collapse when life becomes difficult.

• An increase in love - love which is not only compassion or tolerance, but also includes generosity, patience, serenity.
• An increase in knowledge - not as an accumulation of information, but as a deep understanding of who God really is - and who we are in his presence.

“that you, being rooted and established in love”

We are like plants in God's garden. A beautiful image. The source of strength from which we draw is not the law or a fixed order - it is the love of Christ. This love is far more than just an example; it is the living soil from which our whole life grows. It manifests itself in compassion, patience and generosity - especially when we face hardship. And it is not something we can earn, but a gift from God. This love is not a romantic emotion. It means dedication, devotion, patience and inner strength. Love is our foundation. It is the source of life that sustains and nourishes us. And because this is the case, true knowledge always grows out of love. All who love recognise God.

Because God is love.

‘Knowledge’ - that sounds like philosophy, textbooks and theories. And yes, Paul was a scholar.

He studied a lot; he wanted to understand God, wanted to know what was good and evil, what the meaning of life was. However, his deepest realisation did not come from any written scrolls, but from an encounter. On the road to Damascus, Paul met the living Christ. This encounter completely changed his life.

Real knowledge of God comes through relationship. Through the willingness to entrust oneself to God, to allow oneself to be carried by Him. We do not ‘acquire’ this knowledge - it is given to us when we recognise God as God.

An example: A scientist decides to explore the sea. He collects water samples, measures salinity, studies currents. And in the end, he claims: I know the sea. His knowledge is impressive - but somehow lifeless. He knows figures and tables, chemical formulae and current ratios. He can explain what salt water is composed of, how waves are formed, and which animals live in the sea.

And yet he has never experienced the sea himself. He has never felt the salt on his skin. He has never let himself be carried by a wave or been swept along by one. He has never stood in the depths and just marvelled.

It is the same with God. There is a difference between knowing about God - and truly knowing God. You can study theology, memorise Bible verses, express clever thoughts about God - and still remain distant inwardly. We are not told: ‘I want you to have a lot of information about God.’

No: ‘I want you to know the breadth, the length, height and depth of the love of Christ that surpasses all knowledge.’ You can know a lot about God. You can discuss, analyse, even teach.

Paul did this too - as a student of Gamaliel, as an expert on the law. And yet he became a persecutor of the church of Christ.

The turning point came not through a new argument, but through an encounter: Christ himself confronted him - and everything changed.

Real knowledge of God does not begin with understanding, but with trust. It begins where I let go and fall - into God's love. Where I no longer have to control everything. Where I stop trying to explain God - and begin to simply let him be God. And recognise myself as his beloved creature.

That is also the message of Exaudi. ‘Hear me, God!’ - This is not a polite prayer, it is an existential one. It is reminiscent of Psalm 27: ‘Lord, hear my voice when I call!’ God's spirit - that is God himself, as he works in us. And we ask him for three things today:

• for strength of faith that sustains - even in affliction.

• for love that does not seek itself but sees the other.

• for knowledge - that grows from relationship.

Paul does not want to organise the church. He is moved by an even deeper longing: That Jews and Gentiles, men and women, free and slave - that all who belong to Christ recognise themselves as one. Not just organisationally, but spiritually - bound together by Christ's love.

“that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

We are on the eve of Pentecost. The Spirit is coming. And with it comes real understanding, as Paul understood it. The realisation that my life has meaning - not because I am special, but because I am secure in Christ. The realisation that I am loved - with a love that surpasses all knowledge. The realisation that it is not enough to talk about the sea but that I must venture into it.

Paul invites us to go deep. Into the depths of Christ's love. Into the height of the knowledge of God. Into the breadth of fellowship. Into the length of a journey that begins with baptism and leads to God's eternity. God can give us so much more than we can ever give ourselves.

That is why we pray today: Exaudi - Lord, hear us! Amen.

Let us pray:

Lord, your word is like a light on our path, let it continue to work in us, strengthen, comfort and guide us. Give us your spirit, so that we may keep what we have heard in our hearts and put it into practice. Amen.

May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ
Jesus.