Being Lavished
I preached Sunday a message that, frankly, was perfect in it’s timing. In the first chapter of Ephesians Paul uses one of his longest sentences. This sentence runs from 1:3 to 1:14. One amazingly long sentence in Greek (though in English, regrettably, it is broken into separate sentences)!!!! The sentence is a God sentence all the way…. containing 7 verbs in which God is Subject. These words are, in effect, a cosmic look at how God so wondrously makes us part of His plan. The Verbs:
Blessed, Chose, Destined, Bestowed, Lavished, Made Known, Gather Up.
The part of the message I needed was God’s use of “bestow” and “lavished”. The word “bestow” (“grace that He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved”) only appears two times in the New Testament and never anywhere else in any Greek literature. It is basically an invented word coming from the noun “grace”. It is a verbal form of grace. Maybe “begraced” would do it as a translation. Many translations use “bestow”. But these translations do not seem to show the force or uniqueness of the Greek. Some believe that Paul is using it with the force of “drenched”!!!!!!! I love that! God drenched us with grace. Paul then uses “lavished” (according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us”. “Lavished” is used almost 50 times by Paul alone. It is common, “bestowed, drenched” is rare. Both speak of the goodness of God and His grace imparted to us.
I can hardly remember the last time I lavished. Can you? “Lavish” is so extravagant and over-the-top. Lavish!!! Oh, to think of God’s amazing grace that He so freely lavishes to us. Some believe Paul uses this word “lavish” a bit much, but I am inclined to think that with God’s grace in mind, Paul could not have used it enough. His grace reaches the highest star with not a thought. It is lavished on us.
In trying times focusing on the goodness of God is as a good medicine. Remembering that we are blessed to overflowing even on the worst day is a source of strength not lost on Paul’s opening thoughts in Ephesians. We are so blessed. May we bear this in mind through our walk.
