God Is Extravagant – Pastor David Tsai

Ephesians 3:14-21
In seminary, not only there are classes on how to interpret the Biblical text in English, but there are also classes on Biblical interpretation in Hebrew and Greek (The technical term for these later classes is “exegesis”). In my Greek exegesis class, one of the assignments was on Ephesians 3:14-21. I don’t remember every grammatical point I learned while working on the passage, but I do remember immersing myself very deeply into the text, thinking about what each word meant, how it was used elsewhere in the New Testament, what Paul might be trying to tell us by using it in this context.
Studying the passage so very closely, I came away with the distinct sense that Paul’s sentences simply overflow with words. Even if you are reading it here for the first time in a while, you may get that sense, too. Paul’s prayer here for the church in Ephesus is extravagant. He wants them to be strengthened with power, to have Christ dwell in their hearts, to be rooted and grounded in love, to understand the “breadth and length and height and depth” of Christ’s love, to know His knowledge-surpassing love, and to be filled with God’s fullness. It is an amazing prayer when you think about it. I am exhausted just trying to summarize it!
Paul is so excited, so astounded by the love of God, and so desperate for us to know how extravagant the love of God is that he can’t control his metaphors and syntax. How do you know something that surpasses knowledge? New Testament scholar and Pauline theologian N. T. Wright wrote in his book, “Surprised By Hope,” “Paul was good at richly mixed metaphors: in 1 Thessalonians 5, he says that the thief will come in the night, so the woman will go into labor, so you mustn't get drunk but must stay awake and put on your armor. As the television programs say, ‘Don't try that one at home.’”
It’s a very audacious prayer. Working through it word-by-word years ago, it became a prayer for me and all of those I love, in the hope that we would experience God in all His breadth and length and height and depth. There are many other prayers in the Bible which are good to pray through for ourselves and the world around us (The Lord’s Prayer, for instance), but this is certainly one to add to your list.
Two weeks ago, I preached on John 15 and how God wants us to abide in Him so that we may bear “much fruit.” The extravagant love of God is meant to produce an extravagant amount of fruit in our lives. It ought to remind us that, when we are being stingy, (whether it is with money or love or grace or kindness) “God is extravagant.” God has given this whole beautiful world for us to enjoy, and we are fighting over trivial issues like whether the church ought to have a new carpet, for instance. Instead, we ought to be praying that we, His people, might have the power to comprehend together, what is God’s breadth and length and height and depth. I think we ought to try that one at home. And in church, and at work, and everywhere.
Lord, help us to know the love that surpasses knowledge
and be filled with Your fullness—and then to share it. Amen.