Ephesians 6:10-20
We have often heard it said that our greatest gifts can also be our biggest stumbling blocks. The gift that I have been blest with is a big and sensitive heart. With it I am able to see the good in all people, be optimistic about the future and have hope that all of God’s creation will live in peace and harmony together. My sensitivity allows me to reach out to those who are in need and to comfort them as they weather their storms. The gift of empathy lets me meet people where they are at in their journey and glimpse into what it is like to walk a mile or so in their moccasins.
As grateful as I am for my gift of sensitivity, I also regret it. My sensitive heart is equipped with a very thin skin. My feelings do get very easily hurt. I will find myself worrying more about how other people perceive me rather than doing what is right. I am more likely to take things too personally rather than sorting out what are other peoples issues and what are my issues. I may be slow to anger, but I must admit I am also slow to forgive because I am so easily wounded. It is hard to maintain my faith when all I use for armor is resentment and righteous indignation.
6:12 For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but …against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
When I was younger, I tried to hide my sensitivity behind a very tough exterior. My outward appearance did not match my inward sensitivity. I became the woman that people were afraid to mess with. Like the character Julia Sugarbaker in the show Designing women, I became a verbal terminator. I would cut people down to size with the lash of my tongue thus letting my adversaries know where I stood and how right I was. I thought I was gaining people’s respect, but sadly all I was getting was their fear. The armor that I chose to wear did very little to protect me. There were many chinks and gaps in my tough exterior. It did keep people out however the hurt would still find a way of getting in.
6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Paul’s letter to the Ephesians begins with a striking visual image, that of a Christian standing as a fully armed Roman infantry soldier against the assault of flaming arrows thrown down from above. Paul believes that his audience to be in the midst of a spiritual warfare and is telling them to protect themselves with the whole armor of God.
Biblical scholars note that the Paul gave the names of the various pieces of armor that a soldier wore so as to show what the early Christians needed to defend themselves against that which is evil. “The belt of truth” Roman soldiers wore a belt that was so wide and thick that it protected the soft underbelly of the soldier. Paul recognized that the soft under belly of any community was falsehood and gossip. It is the truth can keep a faith community together.
“The breastplate of righteousness” and the “helmet of Salvation” these instruments shielded the most important parts of the human body, the heart and the head. In Paul’s time it was believed that the heart was the seat of emotion and the head was the center of reason which are the important parts of the emotional and spiritual life. Knowledge of and faith in God’s grace and love given to us freely through Jesus Christ gives us the strength to think and do the right things.
“The shoes on your feet.” Romans soldiers wore half boots so that they would be able to move quickly over the Roman roads. Paul’s image of feet made “ready to proclaim the gospel of peace” tells his listeners that they must be ready move quickly and broadly to share the good news of God’s love and grace for all as shown to us through the life and ministry of his son Jesus Christ so that all may know God’s salvation.
“The shield of faith.” The shield was the most important piece of armor that a soldier of that time carried into battle. With it, a soldier could deflect the attacks of swords and arrows. However some armies used flaming arrows to attack their enemies, a move designed to get individual soldiers to drop their shields long enough to put out the fire, thus exposing them to attack. Roman soldiers used shields of heavy wood with a leather covering that and soaked it with water to extinguish these flaming arrows that hit it. When the flaming arrows of the enemy hit the shield soaked in faith, the arrows sputter out and the Christian “soldier” is saved.
“The sword of the spirit, which is the word of God” up until now, Paul was exhorting these Christian soldiers to take a defensive position against evils unseen. However the sword is used in offense. What Paul is saying is that the only thing we can use for offense is the word of God. Now I do recognize that there are some “offensive” Christians out there; however the offense we are called to use is one that hits people not with condemnation and judgment but with the Good news* of God’s love and grace for all of God’s creation. We remember that in all three gospel’s Jesus states explicitly that the whole of scripture depends on these two commandments, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul and with all your mind.” And “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The sword of the spirit is forged with love for God and tempered by the love for neighbor.
In his article “Reflections on the Lectionary” Rev. Matt Fitzgerald shares his thoughts on what it means to wear the armor of God in the midst of spiritual warfare. He talks about a photo of a lunch counter in Nashville during the civil rights movement. He states, “A white man and a white woman are sitting with an African-American woman. Their backs are turned on an angry mob gathered behind th
em. Their waiter has just poured a bottle of ketchup over the white man’s head. In the black and white photograph, the ketchup looks like blood as it drips down the man’s jacket. His jaw is clenched, his shoulders braced. He must want nothing more than to turn and attack the jeering crowd, to pick up a sword and wade into battle. But he sits still. On the world’s terms he is weak; armed with nothing but the gospel of peace as he receives every sort of abuse. The difficult thing about Christian armor is that it lets more in than it keeps out.
The eyes of the crowd are insane, lit up by the cosmic powers of that dark time. One man has a sugar jar in his hand and a joyful smile on his face as he pours its contents over the African-American protester’s head …If one of the protesters had carried anything but God’s weapons, I imagine [their adversaries] would have fought back with pleasure. But [the adversary’s] weapons proved no match to the armor of God…For God’s victory emerged years later.”+ The victory of equality for all God’s people was won, not by violence but by love. These scenes of: people being attacked at lunch counters, young people being hosed down at civil rights protests and African American children walking with their heads held high into newly de-segregated through throngs of people shouting all sorts of hatred against them that showed the world the evil of racism and now we are living in a world that seeks to celebrate diversity rather than squelch it.
Earlier in my sermon I shared with you how I tried to put on an armor of toughness to shield my sensitivity. This did not protect me from the flaming arrows of hurt and shame that were hurled against me by others who were also hurting. It took years for me to realize that God loves me just as I am because I am God’s beloved child. The good news of God’s love and God’s grace as shown to me by the ministry and life of his son Jesus is the armor that I wear not just to protect me from that which would hurt me in this world but also strengthens me to live a life of service towards building God’s kingdom here on earth. Yes, I still have to dodge the occasional flaming arrow and yes at times I have dropped my shield and have been pierced. It is in these times that I pray to God to give me the strength to pick up my shield and persevere by responding with love and grace. Go and do likewise.
May it be so.
Amen.
*Bob Kaylor “The Liquid Armor of God” Homiletics Vol. 21-4, p. 64
+Matt Fitzgerald “Reflections on the lectionary” Christian Century Vol. 126-16. P. 21
We have often heard it said that our greatest gifts can also be our biggest stumbling blocks. The gift that I have been blest with is a big and sensitive heart. With it I am able to see the good in all people, be optimistic about the future and have hope that all of God’s creation will live in peace and harmony together. My sensitivity allows me to reach out to those who are in need and to comfort them as they weather their storms. The gift of empathy lets me meet people where they are at in their journey and glimpse into what it is like to walk a mile or so in their moccasins.
As grateful as I am for my gift of sensitivity, I also regret it. My sensitive heart is equipped with a very thin skin. My feelings do get very easily hurt. I will find myself worrying more about how other people perceive me rather than doing what is right. I am more likely to take things too personally rather than sorting out what are other peoples issues and what are my issues. I may be slow to anger, but I must admit I am also slow to forgive because I am so easily wounded. It is hard to maintain my faith when all I use for armor is resentment and righteous indignation.
6:12 For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but …against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
When I was younger, I tried to hide my sensitivity behind a very tough exterior. My outward appearance did not match my inward sensitivity. I became the woman that people were afraid to mess with. Like the character Julia Sugarbaker in the show Designing women, I became a verbal terminator. I would cut people down to size with the lash of my tongue thus letting my adversaries know where I stood and how right I was. I thought I was gaining people’s respect, but sadly all I was getting was their fear. The armor that I chose to wear did very little to protect me. There were many chinks and gaps in my tough exterior. It did keep people out however the hurt would still find a way of getting in.
6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Paul’s letter to the Ephesians begins with a striking visual image, that of a Christian standing as a fully armed Roman infantry soldier against the assault of flaming arrows thrown down from above. Paul believes that his audience to be in the midst of a spiritual warfare and is telling them to protect themselves with the whole armor of God.
Biblical scholars note that the Paul gave the names of the various pieces of armor that a soldier wore so as to show what the early Christians needed to defend themselves against that which is evil. “The belt of truth” Roman soldiers wore a belt that was so wide and thick that it protected the soft underbelly of the soldier. Paul recognized that the soft under belly of any community was falsehood and gossip. It is the truth can keep a faith community together.
“The breastplate of righteousness” and the “helmet of Salvation” these instruments shielded the most important parts of the human body, the heart and the head. In Paul’s time it was believed that the heart was the seat of emotion and the head was the center of reason which are the important parts of the emotional and spiritual life. Knowledge of and faith in God’s grace and love given to us freely through Jesus Christ gives us the strength to think and do the right things.
“The shoes on your feet.” Romans soldiers wore half boots so that they would be able to move quickly over the Roman roads. Paul’s image of feet made “ready to proclaim the gospel of peace” tells his listeners that they must be ready move quickly and broadly to share the good news of God’s love and grace for all as shown to us through the life and ministry of his son Jesus Christ so that all may know God’s salvation.
“The shield of faith.” The shield was the most important piece of armor that a soldier of that time carried into battle. With it, a soldier could deflect the attacks of swords and arrows. However some armies used flaming arrows to attack their enemies, a move designed to get individual soldiers to drop their shields long enough to put out the fire, thus exposing them to attack. Roman soldiers used shields of heavy wood with a leather covering that and soaked it with water to extinguish these flaming arrows that hit it. When the flaming arrows of the enemy hit the shield soaked in faith, the arrows sputter out and the Christian “soldier” is saved.
“The sword of the spirit, which is the word of God” up until now, Paul was exhorting these Christian soldiers to take a defensive position against evils unseen. However the sword is used in offense. What Paul is saying is that the only thing we can use for offense is the word of God. Now I do recognize that there are some “offensive” Christians out there; however the offense we are called to use is one that hits people not with condemnation and judgment but with the Good news* of God’s love and grace for all of God’s creation. We remember that in all three gospel’s Jesus states explicitly that the whole of scripture depends on these two commandments, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul and with all your mind.” And “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The sword of the spirit is forged with love for God and tempered by the love for neighbor.
In his article “Reflections on the Lectionary” Rev. Matt Fitzgerald shares his thoughts on what it means to wear the armor of God in the midst of spiritual warfare. He talks about a photo of a lunch counter in Nashville during the civil rights movement. He states, “A white man and a white woman are sitting with an African-American woman. Their backs are turned on an angry mob gathered behind th
em. Their waiter has just poured a bottle of ketchup over the white man’s head. In the black and white photograph, the ketchup looks like blood as it drips down the man’s jacket. His jaw is clenched, his shoulders braced. He must want nothing more than to turn and attack the jeering crowd, to pick up a sword and wade into battle. But he sits still. On the world’s terms he is weak; armed with nothing but the gospel of peace as he receives every sort of abuse. The difficult thing about Christian armor is that it lets more in than it keeps out.The eyes of the crowd are insane, lit up by the cosmic powers of that dark time. One man has a sugar jar in his hand and a joyful smile on his face as he pours its contents over the African-American protester’s head …If one of the protesters had carried anything but God’s weapons, I imagine [their adversaries] would have fought back with pleasure. But [the adversary’s] weapons proved no match to the armor of God…For God’s victory emerged years later.”+ The victory of equality for all God’s people was won, not by violence but by love. These scenes of: people being attacked at lunch counters, young people being hosed down at civil rights protests and African American children walking with their heads held high into newly de-segregated through throngs of people shouting all sorts of hatred against them that showed the world the evil of racism and now we are living in a world that seeks to celebrate diversity rather than squelch it.
Earlier in my sermon I shared with you how I tried to put on an armor of toughness to shield my sensitivity. This did not protect me from the flaming arrows of hurt and shame that were hurled against me by others who were also hurting. It took years for me to realize that God loves me just as I am because I am God’s beloved child. The good news of God’s love and God’s grace as shown to me by the ministry and life of his son Jesus is the armor that I wear not just to protect me from that which would hurt me in this world but also strengthens me to live a life of service towards building God’s kingdom here on earth. Yes, I still have to dodge the occasional flaming arrow and yes at times I have dropped my shield and have been pierced. It is in these times that I pray to God to give me the strength to pick up my shield and persevere by responding with love and grace. Go and do likewise.
May it be so.
Amen.
*Bob Kaylor “The Liquid Armor of God” Homiletics Vol. 21-4, p. 64
+Matt Fitzgerald “Reflections on the lectionary” Christian Century Vol. 126-16. P. 21
3 comments:
Beautiful job GG!
You really hit it all on the nose and I love the pics.
Are you in a place where you can show the pictures to the congregation or was that just for the benefit of the blog readers?
I wish i had the electronic capability to do photos, pictures, etc. I guess it is the teacher in me and the visual stuff coming out. Anyhow, you did a great job. Congats!
well done!
indeed. "the problem with Christian armor is that it lets more in than it shields." from a heart place, so true.
thank you, dear!
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