Day 2

"Grace to you and peace from God the father and our Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 1:2 (ESV)

This passage took a lot less work to memorize than the first. This is probably because Paul uses this quick prayer in some form in almost all of his letters. A quick search on biblegateway.com reveals that Paul uses this prayer in his letters to the Romans, Corinthians (both of them), Galatians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians (both), Timothy (both), Titus, and Philemon. My conclusion is that Paul considered this an important message. But why?

Grace and peace. Of all the things he could have prayed for these churches, Paul leads with grace and peace. Why not courage? Why not strength? Or love? I don't have an answer to that question. What is clear, though, is the type of grace and peace that Paul prays for the churches. He prays for the kind that comes from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

The kind of grace and peace that comes from God and Jesus is, first of all, not cheap. It is not an fleeting emotion and it does not come to us just by a smile or pat on the back. The grace and peace that Paul prays for the church Ephesus is a grace and peace that Christ won for us by His death and resurrection. It is offered to those who "are faithful in Christ Jesus" and it surpasses our understanding (Phil 4:7). This is surely a prayer that the persecuted church would welcome. When I think about it that way, it is also a prayer that I welcome.

I often feel overwhelmed by my responsibilities. Deadlines pile up, finances back up, my daughter needs to play with her daddy, my wife needs to share life with her husband. I need this prayer every day in my life. I need to remember that the peace that comes from God and our Lord Jesus Christ transcends my circumstances in ways that I will never understand; but I can be faithful to the author of that grace and that peace.

One final question that I do not have an answer for today. Paul seems to deliberately make a distinction in this passage between God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. It is clear that he is setting up the trinity in these early writings. This from Paul, who was formerly a strict monotheist as a Jew. I wonder how controversial this simple prayer would have been in his day? But here's the question I really need help with: why does Paul leave out the third person of the trinity? Anyone know the answer to that?

by the will of God,

Jonathan