The Mystery of Christ and the Church
October 23, 2024 - Wednesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Ephesians 3:2-12
In today's excerpts from his letter to the Ephesians, Paul refers to the mystery of Christ. This mystery was revealed to him, and he shared it with the Ephesians in the first two chapters of this letter. Paul makes it clear that this mystery could not be known by the Gentile philosophers or poets. The mystery of Christ was revealed only to Christ's apostles and prophets through the Holy Spirit. It is worth noting the vital role of the Holy Spirit in revealing the mystery of Christ to us.
Paul recognizes that the revelation of Christ's mystery and the task to make it known to the Gentiles was an act of God's grace. With humility, Paul placed himself at the lowest place among all the apostles of Christ. He never forgot how much he was forgiven. Thus, here he considers himself "the very least of all the holy ones" (Eph. 3:8), and later on, he would call himself the foremost of sinners (see 1 Tim. 1:15). It was a surprise to Ananias (Acts 9:15) and to Paul as well that he was chosen for such a noble task. Unsearchable are the ways of our God, and Paul would have multiple chances to prove his love for Christ.
The task of Paul and all the apostles was to preach to the Gentiles "the inscrutable riches of Christ" (Eph. 3:8). This phrase reminds me of Jesus' parables of the Hidden Treasure in the field and the Pearl (Matt. 13:44-46). In Jesus, Paul found that treasure and that pearl. The statement that Christ's riches are "inscrutable" indicates that they are beyond understanding, impossible to fully comprehend or explain. What Jesus offers us—His love, grace, forgiveness, peace, and eternal life—is so immense that it's beyond our ability to fully grasp. It is like trying to count the stars in the sky or measure the depth of the ocean; it is too vast and wonderful to ever fully comprehend. No matter how much you explore, there is always more to discover.
But as we continue reading, we are in for another surprise: Christ's mystery and God's manifold wisdom can only be known through the Church. Not even the angels were given insights or were aware of this mystery. Like the whole world, they get to know about it and its content through the Church (see Eph. 3:10; 1 Peter 1:12). This statement helps us to realize the importance of the Church in God's mystery of salvation. In recent years, the Church has received bad publicity in mainstream and social media. But that does not change the fact that God uses the Church—us—"the least among the holy ones" and "the foremost of sinners" as the instrument to proclaim the Gospel.
We can ask: what do the angels learn through the Church? That we can do what they cannot. When they want to approach the Almighty God, they have to cover their faces (see Is. 6:2). On the other hand, we can approach God with the confidence of children through Jesus Christ. We have been given the Spirit of Jesus into our hearts, and this Spirit, the Holy Spirit, enables us to pray the shortest and yet the most endearing prayer: "Abba, Father" (see Gal. 4:6).
Two things stand out in today's excerpts from Paul's letter to the Ephesians. First is the realization that the mystery of Christ is so great that we can spend a lifetime exploring it and still never reach the end; let us, therefore, remain ever curious and open to deepening our understanding of His love. Second is the role of the Church in revealing God's wisdom to the world. Despite human shortcomings, God uses the Church—imperfect and humble—as His vessel to share the inscrutable riches of Christ; let us commit ourselves to being faithful witnesses of His grace and truth.