First United Methodist Church
August 25th, 2024
Rev. Lauren Hall
Move in Love
There’s an insurance commercial that comes on every once in awhile that reminds us that we wouldn’t settle for “half” when it comes to painting our house, or purchasing a shirt or a cake, or even “half” a dog grooming job, so why settle for “half” coverage when it comes to insurance? In today’s readings, both Jesus and Paul are hinting at the same kind of thing. Let us pray…
When the outer circle of disciples began to thin, Jesus turned to his inner circle of twelve and challenged them to make a decision. Peter then made it clear that he (for a while anyway) got the gospel message and he would cast his lot with Jesus. As a matter of fact, he felt that there was nowhere else to go, for Jesus had “the words of eternal life.”
The challenge here is to those of us who already consider ourselves disciples. Jesus keeps stretching our faith. Jesus keeps saying, “You have come this far, come a little farther. You have committed this much, commit a little more. You love these people, now open your arms to these people. You have compassion for the one hurting person in front of you, now broaden that compassion to all hurting people in God’s world.”
Grow, grow, grow. Jesus is continually trying to remold us into his likeness, which means that there are few stopping points along the journey at which we can rest.
So I guess the question is, how do we grow as disciples?
For the past few weeks we have been exploring Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, and from the beginning Paul asserts that Christians are created to live in community with one another. Doing this requires a certain level of spiritual maturity that we can reach only when we act toward one another in the spirit of Christian love.
Each week has focused on a particular section of the text and how Paul instructs us to act. You have a summary of it on the insert in your bulletin. The first week we were instructed to “Build Up One Another in Love.” The second week, to “Live in Love.” The third week, to “Give Thanks in Love.” This week’s text is more of a sending text: it is not about life in the Christian community, but about putting on the armor of God so that we may go out into the world with a gospel message of love.
Earlier in the letter, Paul instructed us to “put on the new self” (4:24) in baptism, but now as growing disciples, he commands us to “put on the whole armor of God.”
We are roused to action by the call to put on the whole armor of God. The donning of armor was preparatory for going into battle – the very way in which this armor is described indicates that it is to prepare us for the work to which we have been called. For example, a soldier was able to secure the loose fabric of his tunic with his belt so that it would not become a hindrance or danger in battle, so the donning of a belt was a signal that one was ready to enter battle. And the shoes with which we are instructed to put on our feet are shoes for mission, for going out. Even the breastplate of righteousness draws on a reference from Isaiah, chapter 59:17, in which, after observing grave injustice among the people and seeing that no one else is responding, God prepares to respond by donning the breastplate of righteousness. And standing itself – mentioned four times in this passage – isn’t passive, but rather signals the resolve to stay in battle, rather than to flee.
Donning our armor, then, is a way of preparing us to move toward Christian perfection and away from the “Thou shalt not” list. Don’t get me wrong – the Ten Commandments still apply, but Christian perfection is more than simply avoiding sinful behaviors. Wesley believed that Sanctification has a positive meaning and gives us freedom for new behaviors. More specifically, as we grow closer to Christ, we gain a freedom that enables us to grow in loving God and neighbors more fully. Like our salvation, Christian perfection is ultimately a work of God. Therefore, growing in Christian perfection, or discipleship, includes both repentance and works of piety (Scripture reading, prayer, fasting, worship, receiving Communion) and works of mercy (acts of compassion, volunteering at the Neighborhood Center or the Community Meal, offering hospitality to strangers). All these are more than simply good deeds – these acts open us to receiving more of the power of God’s transforming grace.
And so, as we think about Paul’s instructions in Ephesians, how are we called to respond? Paul calls us to “put on the full armor of God” and move in Christian love.
Every part matters, so we should think about putting it on through prayer every morning.
Our belt: truthfulness and honesty hold everything together securely.
Our breastplate: righteousness is doing what is right and good in God’s sight. We listen to the Holy Spirit in our heart, and the Holy Spirit gives us the courage to do the right thing.
Our shoes: make us ready to proclaim the gospel of peace, the good news of Jesus. We are prepared to go and walk right in and speak a peaceful word to people.
Our shield: faith is a strong shield that we hold and move. Faith deflects the fiery messages of doubt and unbelief. They just bounce off, fizzle out, and don’t get through to us.
Our helmet: salvation is knowing in our mind that Jesus is our Savior. We remember that we can count on his faithfulness because he has already saved us.
Our sword of the Spirit is God’s word. God’s word cuts through lies and gives us wisdom.
Ephesians offers advice to ready and equip us to share the gospel of peace. Only God gives us faith, truth, righteousness, salvation and the Spirit, the word of God. We need each one – we need to wear the “whole armor of God” – because when we do, nothing can destroy us. We have the strength to serve and we have the courage to endure. Amen.
