Ephesians 1:15-23 - An Ascension Prayer - May 21, 2023

I’m sure that all of you – especially you, Bree – have been wondering the same thing I’ve been wondering about for several weeks. “What in the world is the sermon going to be about today?” Have you been wondering that, Bree? There’s so much going on. Not only are we celebrating and affirming Bree’s confirmation; not only are we recognizing the end of the Sunday school year and thanking all of the students, parents and teachers for their time and effort; but we’re also celebrating the Ascension of Jesus to his Father’s right hand in heaven. (I vaguely remember there being something else, but I can’t recall it at the moment.) The question I was asking myself this week was: what would be most God-pleasing and more edifying for you, Bree, and for all of you – to focus on confirmation, the end of Sunday school, or Jesus’ Ascension? Fortunately, I didn’t have to decide, because the text before us addresses all of those topics at the same time. Today we consider Paul’s Ascension prayer addressed to God for his fellow believers in Ephesus.

Given that Paul calls himself a prisoner twice in this letter (Ephesians 3:1; 4:1), it’s safe for us to assume that he wrote it while he was imprisoned in Rome for preaching the Gospel of Christ crucified (Acts 28:16-31). He was writing to dearly beloved Christians from whom he had been separated. These days, if someone experienced the sort of injustice that Paul endured, they would advertise their grievance on social media, they would ask for protests and probably set up a “Go-Fund-Me” account to get them bailed out or pay their legal fees. But Paul didn’t do any of those things. What did Paul do? He did the most powerful thing he could: he prayed.

What did he pray for? This is why, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I never stop giving thanks for you. Wisconsinites are known as a very polite people – we will say “hi” to perfect strangers and say “thank you” when we receive even the smallest gift or service. But Paul doesn’t give thanks for anything he’s received; he gives thanks for their faith in the Lord Jesus. Even though Paul was in prison and deprived of many of the things he may have desired – he still took the long view. Specifically, Paul knew that even though he may never see the Ephesian Christians again in this life (Acts 20:38), by virtue of their faith in the Lord Jesus, he was certain he would spend eternity with them in heaven. Bree, this faith, this faith in the Lord Jesus as your Savior, is what you will be confessing this morning. You have many gifts, many talents, a very bright future – but nothing, nothing is more important to me, to your parents and church family than your faith – which takes the long view of life, one that extends all the way into eternity. We give thanks to God for baptizing you into his family, teaching you the truths of the Christian faith, and, now, for leading you to confess this faith as your own!

But, as James says, faith is never alone (James 2:17). Again, notice how Paul never made a point of thanking the Ephesians for what they had done for him personally – although, given that he had spent roughly three years with them (Acts 19-20), they had no doubt welcomed him and supported him and encouraged him in many ways. But instead, Paul thanks God for [their] love for all the saints. This may refer to the Ephesians’ participation in the offering to the poor Jewish Christians in Jerusalem (2 Corinthians 8). But more likely is that Paul was simply thanking God for the Ephesians’ love for one another. That kind of love – whether it’s displayed through providing food for potlucks and soup suppers (or chili cook-offs – which while I will miss them, I’m happy to leave undefeated!) or cleaning or counting offerings or cutting the grass or administrative leadership – took a huge weight off of Paul’s heart and mind. And he thanks God for it!

While Paul does spend time thanking God for his work in and through the Ephesian Christians; he spends most of his time praying for God to continue to work to and for them. He prays that God will give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. While that might sound abstract, it is actually a very concrete request. Paul is praying that God would keep the Ephesians – even as he’s separated from them – firmly rooted in the means of grace. The Spirit of wisdom is given to Christians of all times and places through the revelation of the Gospel in Word and Sacrament. In other words, Paul is praying that God would keep the Ephesians firm in the certainty of their Baptisms, in the freedom of the Absolution, in the comfort of the Gospel preached and taught, and the forgiveness and fellowship offered to them in the Lord’s Supper.

Why? What will happen if God keeps those Christians rooted firmly in the means of grace? The eyes of your heart [will] be enlightened, so that you may know the hope to which he has called you, just how rich his glorious inheritance among the saints is, and just how surpassingly great his power is for us who believe. By remaining firmly rooted in these means of grace, Paul says, the Ephesian Christians will be enlightened; their eyes will be opened. To see what? To see that the Holy Spirit didn’t just call them to faith so that they would join a group of like-minded people in a social club here on earth – but to the hope of spending eternity with all Christians of all time in heaven. To see that the glorious inheritance God has prepared for them isn’t just a future hope – but a present reality. He wanted them to see that the freedom from sin, the ability to see the world clearly through the lens of Scripture, the fellowship they have with other believers, and the certainty they have in the face of an uncertain future – are all down-payments that they have received and can and should enjoy right now. That freedom, that peace, that joy, that hope are all evidence that God has and will continue to exert his surpassingly great…power in those Ephesian Christians – just as he will continue to do here, among you Risen Savior Christians!

Now, we’ve all heard politicians and celebrities – and maybe even our own family and friends – promise to pray for us for something that is completely out of their control. After every natural disaster or mass shooting or personal disaster – people will always say “our thoughts and prayers are with you.” And, anyone who has been on the receiving end of those “thoughts and prayers” will often think: “That’s great, but what good are your thoughts and prayers when you have no power to do anything about my trouble or problem or issue or fear?”

Don’t underestimate the power of prayer – is the Law for today. God commands us to pray in the 2nd Commandment (Exodus 20:7) and throughout Scripture – he also promises to hear and answer our prayers (Psalm 50:15; Matthew 7:7-11). And yet, how often do we regard prayer as an empty ritual or a polite token offered by a friend or only as the last resort, after all other solutions have failed? How often are we double-minded in our prayers – not trusting God to answer in the way that is best for us (James 1:8)? Given the situation, we can easily imagine that the Ephesians were praying for Paul to be released from prison, that he could return to them, that the persecution they were experiencing from the unbelieving world would be relieved, or perhaps, that Jesus would return to take them home – and yet, God apparently didn’t answer those specific prayers. If God, apparently, wasn’t answering their prayers – what difference did it make if Paul was praying for them? Where’s the proof that prayer is powerful?

This is why we celebrate Jesus’ Ascension into heaven. Christmas, Lent, Good Friday – while we rightly celebrate them – are celebrations of Jesus’ humility to come to this earth to die for our sins. (And even Easter celebrates a resurrection that no one witnessed in person. There was more fear and uncertainty that came out of that first Easter than joy and hope!) But Jesus made sure that the apostles were there to witness his glorious Ascension into heaven – so that they could see for themselves and witness to us that the same Jesus who humbly submitted to suffering and death was now exalted to the throne of glory in heaven.

This means that Paul’s prayers for the Ephesians were not merely wishful thinking, they were not empty words – Paul’s prayers were firmly rooted in the objective truth that the same Jesus who suffered, died, and rose from the dead has now ascended and is ruling all things at God’s right hand. He puts it this way: It is as great as the working of his mighty strength, which God worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule, authority, power, and dominion, and above every name that is given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. God also placed all things under his feet and made him head over everything for the church. The church is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

In other words, Paul was leading the Ephesians Christians to not place their hopes in the outcome of the religious and political process that had separated him from them, in Paul’s personality or work, or their own sincerity and dedication – but in the rock-solid fact that God raised Jesus from the dead and that he now has authority over everything in this world.

Sadness and worry would probably have been the default option for both Paul and the Ephesian Christians he was separated from – but Paul redirects their worry and sadness and fear to certainty, confidence and comfort in what Jesus has done, is doing, and will do into the future. Bree, as you head off to Lakeside next year – and to unknown places beyond there – this is my prayer for you: that in spite of the uncertainty and questions and stress you experience, you will always know that you can return here, to Risen Savior, where you will be loved and assured that your Ascended Savior is ruling all things for your good. (And the same goes for all of you Sunday school students – and for the rest of you!) This church will always be your home!

Did we cover everything? Jesus’ Ascension. Bree’s confirmation. The end of Sunday school. (I still can’t remember the other thing, we’ll get to that some other time.) Separated from his beloved Christian brothers and sisters, Paul prayed for them. He gave thanks for their faith and their Christian love. He asked God to continue to enlighten the eyes of their hearts through Word and Sacrament. He grounded those prayers in the established facts of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension. If I were as smart as Paul, that would be my prayer for you, too. Amen.