(The Mystery) “which in other generation was not made known unto the sons of men, as it hath now been revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to wit, that the Gentiles are fellow-heirs, and fellow-members of the body, and fellow-partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,” Ephesians 3:5-6
We all love a good mystery. We are given a certain set of facts and circumstances and we try to figure out why and how something “did” happen, or is “about” to happen.
I was late in dedicating my life to God and the ministry. I always knew about God, I prayed all the time, I talked to Him and He talked to me, but I never made the personal commitment and dedication of my life to study and ministry until I was 38 years old.
Nine months after my commitment, I made the decision to leave my job of 19+ years, work part time, and dedicate my time to Biblical study and Kingdom Ministry. I worked from home and learned to balance my schedule which included my 5-year-old son, work, study, and prayer. Unfortunately, my income barely covered my bills. Trips anywhere were carefully calculated and groceries purchases were tough. God provided for us in very unusual and “mysterious” ways.
One day, my next door neighbor came by with several big boxes of dented cans; no labels. He had heard that we were struggling and wanted to help. He wasn’t sure what was in each can, only that it was food. We gratefully thanked him and started our new adventures of “mystery meals!” My son would choose 2 cans every night and whatever was inside was dinner. We had many good laughs over green beans and peaches, or spinach and pears.
One day a friend brought us several packages of deer meat from his previous year’s hunt as he had just been successful in the current year hunt and needed the freezer space. Mystery dinner with a deer roast!
I remember sitting at the table, finished blessing the food, and took a bite of the roast. It was wonderful. Then the big smile on my face quickly turned to tears as I said, “Lord, forgive me, I’m eating Bambi!” For the first time I heard God laugh. It wasn’t a little snicker or chuckle, it was a full belly laugh. I figured that must have meant that it was okay to eat, we enjoyed that meal for days. A “mystery” with a delightful blessing.
I find it odd that they call the acceptance of all people into God’s family as a Mystery (Col 1:26). God created all men and women. There are examples of non-Jews all through the Bible that found favor with God as they followed His ways and blessed His servants. All people were born from the lineage of Eve (Gen 3:20). All came from the lineage of Noah (Gen 9:1, 18-19). Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the Tribes that became Jerusalem, all started from the same lineage.
The question I struggle with is, how did everyone and everything get separated out to begin with? People made decisions, choices and cultures based upon their physical locations. Circumstances and events separated them, and somehow the nations and “religions” changed with it (Gen 10:5). One bad decision led to another, a door was opened to evil, father-son-mother-daughter at war within the family and with others in their country. Boom, the divisions occurred – Jews and Gentiles. It was never meant to be that way. It was a condition of the heart. It was a condition of the soul. It was the consequence of free will.
In Ephesians, the Apostles are trying to explain how all people, Jew and Gentile, were God’s children and all have the opportunity at eternal life, with their acceptance of Jesus Christ. ALL PEOPLE. No preferences of peoples or tribes. No more divisions. Back to the way God intended it to be from the beginning. Mystery solved.
Thank you for loving us and tucking us back under Your wings when we stray (Ps 91:4). Thank you for the mysteries in life and the abilities You give us to solve them and move past them. Thank you God for believing in me and breaking down the walls men put up, so many years ago, as I was born a Gentile, but grafted back into Your kingdom by grace.
** A Journey Through Ephesians – Chapter 3, Part 2
Written by Linda J. Humes
11-7-2015
Linda J. Humes 