St. Paul pens in compact verse our celestial future

By John Pearring

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/101522.cfm
Ephesians 1:15-23
Luke 12:8-12

There’s a bit of an argument regarding the longest sentence in St. Paul’s letters. I thought today’s verses could be the one, Ephesians 1:14-21. The debate gets very complicated. No matter. With every new translation, factoring the word counts gets too technical.

In any case, the reading below, a translation by the NAB Catholic Bible which you might be able to read outloud in four or five breaths (it took me six), encompasses one of the loveliest odes to God in all of scripture.

May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call,
what are the riches of glory
in his inheritance among the holy ones,
and what is the surpassing greatness of his power
for us who believe,
in accord with the exercise of his great might,
which he worked in Christ,
raising him from the dead
and seating him at his right hand in the heavens,
far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion,
and every name that is named
not only in this age but also in the one to come.
(Ephesians 1:14-21)

Paul’s sentence has been composed as a song hundreds if not thousands of times over the many centuries. Beneath the lyrics and meter, regardless of the various bible translators, resides a beautiful theology.

Paul reminds us, the believers, about the cosmic nature of God. We are included in this celestial vision because we are made in God’s image. God's human image is confirmed in the person of Christ. Paul waxes eloquently by projecting the setting of heaven for our residence under Jesus' reign well into the next age.

The next age comes when Jesus restores the universe. This is a high falutin’ characterization, especially considering the 1st-century context. The “eyes of our hearts” somehow enlighten our store of knowledge. We will know the “hope that belongs to his call.”

Paul is our example, encouraging us to believe like him that we will go to this place. Consistent in that portrayal across all his writings, he operates from a place that expects “the riches of glory” as an inheritance. In this heaven, we are the “holy ones.” We should imagine what is coming, Paul insists. He wants us to know we are not just included in heaven. God has an immortal future for us.

For emphasis, Paul calls the incarnation, life, and death of Christ an exercise of God’s great might. This is not a depiction of the greatness we see with superhumans in Marvel or DC movies. Nor of any great men or women of royalty. Nonetheless, Christ’s sacrificial life, laboring career, and homeless ministry count as “great might.” Jesus’ despicable death caps the glory of God’s mysterious interlude into creation.

Next, the resurrection of Jesus places the Son of God at regal seating beyond any other being. Not just beyond but “far above” every “principality, authority, power, and dominion.” Just to be sure we’re getting the message, Paul doubles down on the elevation of Christ. Our Redeemer reigns over “every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come.” Nobody will ever change the grandeur and power of God.

He packs even more theology into this sentence. Joining Christ followers in the experience of our sacred life to come, Paul says we will experience together “. . . the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones . . .” Because our perspective on what treasure and honor means in heaven surely misses the actual mark of an immortal life with God, we should allow for more surprise than expectation. That is, our imagination about glory and inheritance likely falls short of the coming reality.

One clue of glory in our immortality comes from the gospel for today, in Luke.

“I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God.”
(Luke 12:8)

Jesus is emphatic in this section of Luke, ushering his followers into immortality. Most commentators speed by the holy ones grouped with Jesus and spend their energy on the analysis of “anyone who denies me,” the startling verses that follow. Rather than beat that dead horse any further, I fall instead upon focusing our desire to honor Jesus Christ. not betray him — I suggest we focus on the imagery of Paul. Consider your place among the holy ones, not as an accomplishment or a right, but as a hope and prayer.

We’re not entirely sure what beings other than angels exist with the mantels of principality, authority, power, and dominion in heaven. Paul references only the angels when he speaks about these four important folks of royalty. Jesus confirms the angelic species, but maybe he doesn’t want to startle us with other celestial creatures beyond the angels? Either way, the high honor to be acknowledged before the angels of God should be our vision too.

This brings us back to the long-winded, sing-song verses of Paul’s ode. Keep this image in mind, brothers and sisters. Our God is good, holy, and loving. He chose our species as the image which represents him in all of creation, even in heaven. Jesus, as one of us, resides as the king above all.

“that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call,
what are the riches of glory
in his inheritance among the holy ones”

Much may be expected of us in acknowledging Jesus now. Of all the things we may do, and fail to do, this one recognition of the Christ as our brother, our redeemer, and our king should stand.