Ephesians 1:15-23

Pentecost + 23 (last) - Year A

Ephesians 1:15-23

How is your trust translated into caring for your own? Got a good ratio going?

Good. Now gather around so you can find out what you have won. You have won a glimpse at Jesus’ glory. That ought to be more than enough for anyone.

What you thought was about you turned out to be about Judge Jesus moving from background to foreground. Great reward, right?

A church year has brought us through hopes and fears and ups and downs and ups again to the glorious position of having a larger crowd appreciate how great it is to win - that is, to judge losers. As The Message puts it:

The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world;
the world is peripheral to the church.

Rather than acknowledge this is not the best of all possible worlds, we haul out a flag and plunk it down in Jesus’ name. It’s sort of like hoisting a “Mission Accomplished” banner up and thinking it is reality because we said so.

Well, prepare for reentry - next week we recognize how far short this Sunday has fallen from its claim. Let’s try again.

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A judgment scene is a better starting point for the year (potential Advent 1 lection), not an ending point for the year.