Mark Sorensen Paul says in Ephesians 4:1:
“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”
When I was a kid in elementary school, one of my prized possessions (with the exception of my Star Wars lunch box) was my favorite red zippy with the giant hood. Honestly, I so loved that zippy. Not because it was fashionable (see header picture of me for proof of that statement) or even because it was comfortable. I give credit of my love of this zippy to the fact that my mom sewed a GIANT white letter “M” on the back of it. So, if you could jump in a time machine and go back to see mini Mark playing on the school playground, you would see me in that zippy, with the hood on my head and my arms NOT in the sleeves, but, instead extended straight out in front of me because I chose to FLY all over the playground (did I mention I didn’t have a lot of friends in elementary school?). Maybe this is why I have always loved super hero movies.
I love a scene from the first Iron Man movie. If you have seen it, you know that It doesn’t take long into the first movie to see that Tony Stark (Iron Man) is smart, wealthy, has some pretty amazing cars and seems to have it all. But, he’s empty inside. He lacks purpose, passion and calling. Then, conflict occurs. He is captured and wakes up in a prison with a car battery attached to a magnet which is located IN his chest keeping him alive (suddenly, that latte that Starbucks made me incorrectly today does NOT seem to be that big of a deal). With conflict comes purpose. Tony Stark has to get out of the prison and makes friends with a scientist (also imprisoned) who saved his life and helps Tony build the very first Iron Man suit. Of course, things don’t always go the way our heroes plan and, as Tony Stark tries to save his friend and get out of the prison, his friend, the scientist, gets shot. As Tony Stark leans down to see his friend dying, he looks at him realizing that, though he saved Tony Stark’s life by putting the magnet in his chest, he will not be able to save his. Tony Stark looks at his friend and says, “You saved my life.” The scientist then looks at Tony Stark and responds with something that struck with me the first time I watched it and still does to this day. He replies, “Don’t waste it.”
In Ephesians, Paul is writing to the church of Ephesus. In the first half of the book, he is speaking to doctrine. “This is what we know.” But, in Ephesians 4:1, Paul turns to application and how we respond to what God has done for each of us through Jesus Christ. The result? “Therefore, as a prisoner for the Lord Jesus, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling which you received”. In a single sentence, Paul is saying something quite powerful. When Paul opens with, “as a prisoner for the Lord Jesus”, Paul is reminding the church of Ephesus that discipleship is costly.
Funny how this simple verse brought back the memories of that red super hero zippy I had as a child and that scene from Iron Man. As a kid, I fought MANY imaginary battles. There was always a villain that needed to be defeated and someone that needed to be saved. And Tony Stark? Wealth, fast cars and his toys didn’t fill the void left in his life that came from a lack of calling and purpose. So, in Ephesians 4:1, Paul is saying that, now that we know what Christ has done for each of us through the cross, consider the call and live a life WORTHY of the calling with which you have received.
Are we living our lives with the purpose and passion that comes in reaching the lost for the glory of God? Are we loving God with our WHOLE heart, soul, mind and strength and loving our neighbors as ourselves? I love that Brennan Manning said that a great litmus test for the way that we love God is seen in the way we love our neighbors.
The truth? I can’t fit into that red zippy any longer. You and I may not have an Iron Man suit and we can’t fly. But this I do know. As a follower of Jesus Christ I am called. Called to love God and love my neighbor. And when I do? I am building the Kingdom in the process. And if you are a follower of Jesus Christ? You’re called as well.
May we live into the calling that He has placed in our hearts. There is a world that desperately needs to see an accurate picture of Jesus. May we be that picture in the way we live out our calling and love those we encounter!
The Greatest Commandment (Mark 12:28-34)
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
