Sleuths for Christ

Ephesians 3:1-12

Epiphany / January 8, 2012

 Have you ever thought about the fact that God created us to be curious? Just think of the two year old who asks “why?” about every little thing, driving us crazy with her insatiable curiosity. Or think about the fact that we all slow down with the rest of the traffic to see the damage caused by an accident, curious and wanting to know more. Or think of Eve and the forbidden fruit – we are naturally curious.

Perhaps that is the reason we like mysteries. How will Sherlock Holmes or Nancy Drew solve this crime? Was it actually Colonel Mustard with the lead pipe in the dining room? What will the characters on CSI learn this time from their autopsy, forensics and visit to the crime scene?  We like watching as pieces of the puzzle are pulled together to reveal the truth. Of course, these mysteries are always solved by the end of the hour or the end of the book; so we leave satisfied, knowing justice has been served once again.

Today we enter into the mystery of the Epiphany. The three wise men were seeking the child who was born King of the Jews. A star led them as far as Jerusalem and then they were stuck. A conversation with Herod led to a conversation with the chief priests who turned to scripture and said “Bethlehem.” And that is where the wise men found the child with his mother Mary and fell down and worshipped him.  Mystery solved, right? Wrong! Why is this child born in Bethlehem being worshipped like a god? How can he possibly be the King of the Jews?  Actually, the visit of the wise men is more like a mystery revealed than a mystery solved. Who is this child, that wise men would travel from the east seeking him? Who is this child, that all of Jerusalem became frightened upon learning about him?

This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing;

Haste, haste to bring him laud, the babe, the son of Mary (UMH 219).

This child is the mystery of our faith.

Interestingly, the Greek word for “mystery” refers to something that is hidden or secret – something that is not revealed. Mysteries are only confided to those who are initiated, the way a fraternity handshake is shared only with the brothers. It should be difficult, if not impossible, for outsiders to discover the mystery, which is why a good mystery story leaves us on the edge of our seats until the very end.  But this mystery is curiously different.  This mystery is not like CSI or Sherlock Holmes. This mystery leaves us all wondering just what Paul is up to when he talks about the mystery of Christ.

In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he writes, “In former generations, [the mystery of Christ] was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.”  Just look at Paul’s own life – he didn’t grasp the mystery until he was knocked over the head with it.  Paul was “circumcised on the eight day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteous under the law, blameless” (Phil 3:5-6).  These are the words he uses to describe himself in his letter to the Philippians. Paul should have been on the inside track for understanding the mystery of Christ, clearly one of the initiated.  But instead he was the church’s greatest persecutor. Paul was blind to the mystery until Christ himself struck him down on the road to Damascus asking, “Why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:5).  In that moment, Paul’s spiritual eyes were opened and he saw the truth. He then spent the rest of his life sharing the mystery of Christ with the world.

Paul’s story shows us that no amount of data collection and analysis will ever fully reveal the mystery of Christ. You can know it all in your head and still not know Christ in your heart. The mystery of Christ is not like an ordinary mystery. Unlike ordinary mysteries, the mystery of Christ is (1) not a secret; (2) it is revealed and not solved; & (3) it leads to freedom, not imprisonment.

The mystery of Christ is not a secret. Often we point to scripture for evidence of Christ. His coming is foretold in the Old Testament – especially through the prophet Isaiah. The Gospel of Matthew and the Book of Hebrews are full of Old Testament references, revealing the ways Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of old. The mystery of Christ is not a secret; and yet it can never be fully discerned from the facts. The facts point to a deeper truth, a truth that escapes us if we rely solely on the facts.  We sense that the mystery is not a secret, and yet we cannot deduce the truth on our own, no matter how smart we are. No matter how good our intuition is.  The mystery is not a secret, but it often eludes us.

Which is why I believe the mystery of Christ is revealed and not solved. In a typical mystery much time is spent gathering clues and evidence, following a trail that will lead to a solution. But with Christ, rather than piecing clues together, God reveals God’s self – first and foremost as a baby in a manger, God made flesh.  God reveals God’s self most powerfully through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. And today God continues to reveal God’s self through the waters of baptism, and through bread and wine.  Or God may use more ordinary means like a song or a prayer or a walk down the road to Damascus. God reveals God’s self to us through an epiphany – a sudden revelation of the truth that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, our Savior.  God reveals God’s self to us by grace – this incredible gift given to us that helps us discern the truth and sense the presence of the living God.  And it is by grace that we are set free – free to fall down on our knees and worship Christ the King. 

Which brings me to my third point.  The mystery of Christ leads to freedom.  In a typical mystery someone ends up in jail by the end of the story. Once all the clues are pieced together, someone is found guilty and thrown behind bars. But the mystery of Christ leads to freedom.  We are set free from the chains of sin and death, free to live abundant lives in Christ. 

Now at this point, the curious among us must be full of questions. Why can’t we deduce the existence of God? Why are moments of epiphany so rare and so elusive? Why does God seem so far away, often when we need God the most? And why, if we have been set free, do so many of us live as if we are in bondage? Why do so many of us feel like we live in darkness, unable to see the glory of the Lord shining in our lives?

There are no easy answers to these questions; sometimes the only answer seems to be the one we end up giving the two year old who asks “why” all the time: because; just, because.  But Paul does give us one answer when he tells us just what the mystery of Christ is: through Christ, “the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise of Christ Jesus through the gospel” (Eph 3:6). In other words, not only is the mystery not a secret, but all of humanity has been welcomed into this mystery. We are no longer slaves or servants, but brothers and sisters through Christ, all heirs of God’s kingdom. And lest you want to squabble with your brothers and sisters, concerned that you won’t get your fair portion of this inheritance, Paul speaks of “the boundless riches of Christ” (Eph 3:8).  There is more than enough for everyone. This is the power of God’s love poured out for each one of us – we are one in Christ Jesus, all one body.  By grace, all are promised an incredible inheritance.

We all have access to God in boldness and confidence through our faith in Christ Jesus. Faith that is given to us by grace. Faith that encourages us, and keeps us from losing heart. Faith that assures us that Christ will come again in final victory and we will feast together at his heavenly banquet.

In the meantime, we are called to be sleuths for Christ. Investigators who pour over the Scriptures and listen to the Holy Spirit through daily devotions, Bible study, and weekly worship. Detectives who reveal God’s glory in the beauty of a sunset, a broken piece of bread, and a hug from a friend. We are called to go out and track and trail people to catch them up into this great mystery – this deep truth that all are welcome in Christ’s body. And at the end of the day we recognize that the conclusion to this mystery will only come when all of humanity has been apprehended and brought into the light; the mystery will be solved when Christ has been revealed in his fullness to all the world. So we set out again each morning, putting on our detective’s cap and going out into the world to share the good news of Jesus Christ with everyone we meet, in anticipation of the day when we will meet Christ face to face.

Let me leave you with Paul’s own words in Ephesians, chapter 3: “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Eph 3:14-21).