“and he put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” Ephesians 1:22-23 (ASV)
Many years ago I worked for a large church in Phoenix. Christmas was a bustling time as we pulled together our huge Christmas event – not the play or the kids dance event – it was an event called “Drive-By Blessings.” For weeks we pulled together bags of nuts, candy, toys, a tract and a piece of fruit to hand out in the worse parts of Phoenix. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day we took trucks and vans into the most impoverished and dangerous streets to hand out Blessings to the kids and clothing and food to the adults. I treasure the memories of those years.
We left at 6 am to group together and didn’t get back home until 6 pm. There wasn’t a traditional Christmas meal waiting for us, no aroma of a cooking turkey, and no fragrance of a pumpkin pie; but there was a most warm and fulfilling feeling deep in our souls as we talked about those we encountered and how their frowns and frustrations turned to smiles with our simple Blessing.
As we drove into these Phoenix neighborhoods, we became the hands and feet of Jesus, bringing a little bit of hope and happiness into a dark world. We became the only Jesus many of those people will ever know.
In our scripture reference, God has put “all things” in subjection to Jesus, His Son. All Things! Subjection means that others must be submissive and under the authority. All good and all evil were in subjection to Jesus; all living things and all death. All angels and all demons were under subjection to Jesus; even Satan himself was placed in subjection to the instructions and authority of Jesus. All things are under the feet of Jesus (Psalms 8:6).
God also made Jesus the head over the church, which is the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). The church which is the hands and feet of Jesus (Proverbs 31:20). The church which is the unified body of believers who will one day become the Bride of Christ (Revelation 21:2, 9). Jesus sends the gift of the Holy Spirit (John 14:16) and cleansing of Baptism (Acts 1:5). And as He stands in this place of authority, He takes the time to kneel in intercession for all of the needs we lay before him in prayer (Romans 8:34, John 17:9).
We, the believers, become His body. We become His fullness on earth, which is the satisfaction of our deepest needs, which is the fulfillment of His deepest needs. We become His hands and feet to a hurting and dark world. We become the spoken word to a desperate person at a critical moment. We listen carefully for His guidance and recognize our duties and call, stepping forward to fulfill that life changing moment.
“Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours, Yours are the eyes through which to look out Christ’s compassion to the world. Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good; Yours are the hands with which he is to bless men now.” ― Teresa of ‘Avila
My Lord, help us to remember that although You can move mountains and change a person’s condition in a heartbeat, that you prefer to work through the Believers, to continue that precious relationship You place within the Body of the Church. We can receive the supernatural healing while all alone in a hospital room, but oh the joy of knowing that there are people standing in prayer and encouraging us to go forward to a stronger and greater call for Christ.
*A Journey through Ephesians – Chapter 1, Part 13
Written by Linda J. Humes
10-25-2014
Linda J. Humes 
Beautiful, thank you!
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