Ephesians 1:15-23

            When I recall Rogers and Hammerstein’s 1951 Musical “The King and I” two things come readily to mind; Yul Brynner’s bald head and Deborah Kerr singing “Getting to Know You”.  Getting to know you getting to know all about you.  Getting to like you, getting to hope you’ll like me.  Because of all the beautiful and new things I’m learning about you, day by day.”  I don’t know how much singing the Apostle Paul did, but reading the part of his letter to the Ephesians that we read a moment ago I am reminded of this song.  Now I know the song “Getting to Know You” was talking about getting to know the students not the king.  And I know Paul was not talking about the king of Siam but the King of everything, our Lord Jesus the Christ.  But use your imagination; I don’t think it is that much of a stretch to connect the two. In fact Paul’s prayer begins “I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him.”  Paul then goes on to say what getting to know Jesus involves, and it is a day by day process. 

            First, getting to know God involves getting to know the hope of God’s calling.  This calling is an invitation to be daughters and sons of our God, being grafted into God’s family through Jesus Christ.  Second Getting to God involves, getting to know about the glorious inheritance that is ours because of what Christ did for us.  God not only accepts us into God’s family but God also showers upon us extravagant love and lavish affection.  Third getting to know God involves getting to know the immeasurable greatness of God’s power working on our behalf.  This is a power that is above all, it is the ultimate authority and it is used by God for our benefit.  To know these things is to better understand God and what God has done for us in the person of Jesus Christ.  Therefore knowing these things is not entirely a matter of the head, nor is it entirely a matter of the heart, more it is a matter of relationship, getting to know the one who wants to be in relationship with us. 

            This passage is really about relationship.  Paul wants us to get to know Jesus better so that we might be in better relationship with Jesus.  Getting to know Jesus more fully we not only learn what he did for us, but we begin to gain an appreciation for who he is and what he has done and out of thanksgiving we are compelled to be followers and to begin imitating his actions.  The better we know him the better we can imitate what he did.  In a passage we did not read this morning but we have read in the past about the sheep and the goats; we learn that Jesus had little toleration for treating other people badly.  Nothing got Jesus worked up more than when people of faith failed to show love for others.  Nothing invoked Jesus’ judgment as much as people who refused to give of themselves in tangible and substantial ways to others.  When you get to know God through Jesus the Christ you come to understand that God is not an abstract God but is instead a dynamic doing God; acting, creating, judging, loving in the lives of people everywhere.  We come to know this best through Jesus because Jesus is the best example of God’s proactive involvement in human life. If we want to be in relationship with the Christ our King then we need to start living like the King, day by day.  

In February 1984, a former Marine sergeant named Riley Arzeneaux, who was serving a 25-year prison term for murder, escaped from Fort Pillow State Prison in Tennessee along with four others. After splitting off from the others, Riley acquired a gun and invaded the home of an elderly couple, threatening them with his weapon. Louise, a grandmotherly black woman, responded by identifying herself as a disciple of Jesus Christ, one who was in relationship with Christ. “Young man,” she said, “I am a Christian lady. I don’t believe in no violence. Put down that gun and you sit down.”Surprisingly, Riley obeyed, and told Louise that he was hungry and cold. Louise sent her husband to get Riley some dry socks and started cooking breakfast. She set the table using her best napkins. When the three sat down to eat, Louise insisted on praying, and in her prayers, she gave thanks that Riley was safe.  After breakfast, Louise took Riley’s hand and asked him about his family, and he told her about the death of his grandmother. He went on to say that no one was left who cared about him. Louise then told him, “Young man, I love you and God loves you. God loves all of us, every one of us, especially you. Jesus died for you because he loves you so much.”Shortly thereafter the police arrived. Riley was afraid that the police would kill him, but Louise told him to stay put. She went out and talked to the police, telling them to put their guns away because she didn’t allow violence there. When the police did as she asked, Riley surrendered and was taken back to prison, and no one was harmed.  That was not the case with the other escapees. Louise and Nathan were asked to press charges against Riley for holding them hostage, but they refused to do so, saying he had done them no harm, so those charges were dropped. Louise began corresponding with Riley and visiting him in prison. On those visits she prayed with him. Through her influence, Riley eventually came to know Jesus and be in relationship with him as he became a Christian. 

Most of us will never find ourselves in similar circumstances. But Louise in her relationship with Christ embodied who Christ is.  Our opportunities generally come in less dramatic situations, but by virtue of being in relationship with the one who is the author of salvation we are charged with spreading his message of salvation.  May we get to know Jesus better and better every day and may we get better and better each day at sharing his love with others so they also can know him.  Amen.