And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
Ephesians 1:22,23
When my mom said she was going to make homemade spaghetti, the house immediately went into a frenzy. We got out her four-foot wooden board and rolling pin. They were placed just so on the kitchen table. We also got down the “chitarra[1]” that she used to cut the noodles.
Once everything was ready, she got a five-pound bag of flour and emptied it into the center of the wooden board. She turned the bag over and shook it, making sure that nothing was left inside. She got it all out. Nothing was left behind.
With her fist, she made a hole in the flour. She then got a carton of eggs and cracked the entire dozen into the flour. She took each egg, carefully cracking it and emptying its entire contents into the flour. She cleaned out the inside of each eggshells with her finger, making sure that she got all of it.
Mom then whipped all the eggs and folded in all the flour. Over and over, she folded all the dough it with her hands until a ball formed. She then rolled all the dough with her rolling pin until a sheet of thin and tender dough appeared, covering the entire wooden board.
She wasn’t done until all the flour and all the eggs were made into spaghetti. Nothing was left behind. Nothing was excluded. All meant all with my mom’s spaghetti.
And all means all with Jesus. Everything, and I mean everything, was put under his feet. He now has absolute and total control of everything. He’s in charge. But why? For what? What’s all this power and authority for?
Answer – the church. Jesus has total love and responsibility for his bride, the church. Not the institution. Not the organization. Not the buildings. But the people that God has called to himself. The called-out ones who have run to Jesus for forgiveness of sin, restoration of our broken spirits and lives.
Jesus is so much more than someone at the top of an organization chart. He’s more than the man upstairs. He is God, the holy one who gave his life for people that now have a living, vital relationship, and eternal connection with him. He is the source of all truth and wisdom. He designed and made this universe. He also keeps it going. He gives us power for today and bright hope for tomorrow.
And his body, his church, is the tool that he has chosen to change this world. With all its problems, failures, weaknesses that we have, we are still his choice. His chosen ones.
This just blows my mind. Imagine that God would not only die for us, save us, make us new, prepare a place for us with him. But it’s better than that. We are his chosen instruments to change people’s lives. That he would want to use you and me for his glory. For his good. For the benefit and salvation of many.
Now, if that isn’t amazing grace, I don’t know what is.
But it’s not free. It costs. Yes, we are saved by grace through faith because of the shed blood of Jesus. And his salvation full and free to us, but it still cost. It cost Jesus his life.
And it costs you and me. Salvation is free, but we are to respond by giving him all we have, everything we are. We cannot repay him for his death. It’s not about repayment, but about loving, worshiping, and submission. We are to love him with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind[2]. This will spill out into our worship and service.
Loving God is more than hiding away in a church sanctuary, going to small group meetings, or attending conferences. There is an individual part to it, but there is also a community part to it.
We cannot become the men and women of God that he wants without each other. We desperately need one another to grow in Christ.
You’ve heard the expression, “It takes a village.” Well, nothing could be more true than that when it comes to following and growing with God in Christ. I need you. You need me. We need each other.
We are his body. All Christians. And all means all.
Noodling Questions
How practical is it to your life that everything is under Jesus’ feet and control?
What value do you put on other Christians and their ability to help you grow?
What value do you bring to other Christians that are right around you?
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