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Eph 4:11-16 (ESV)
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
When my family lived in Merced, CA, we planted a young Raywood ash tree in our backyard. Raywoods are beautiful trees that typically grow quickly. On average, they grow to be between 40 and 50 feet tall and have a 25-foot spread in their branches, making them ideal for creating shade or reducing the amount of sun hitting your house.
When we planted the tree, we took all the measures to ensure that it had a deep root system and grew strong. We dug the right-sized hole, surrounded the tree with the appropriate soil for nutrients, and then drove some stakes into the ground and anchored the tree to them so that the tree would grow straight and tall.
After about two years, the tree was doing great and maturing nicely. It had grown to about 20 feet tall, the branches were filling out, and the tree seemed sturdy and well-established, so I removed the stakes that had supported it during the first couple of years. However, that fall, we had a very windy, hard-driving rain one night, and the next morning, I looked in my backyard to discover that the tree was no longer standing straight but had been pushed over by the wind and was leaning over at about a 45-degree angle. So I went to my local hardware store, picked up several large poles, and drove them into the ground. Everyone in the family helped me anchor the tree to poles to see if we could rescue and straighten out the tree. Thankfully, we were able to save the tree, but it had a slight lean to it from that time forward.
I was thinking about that tree as I read this passage. In the passage, Paul writes about new believers and how vulnerable their faith is in the beginning, using some great images: children who are susceptible to being easily deceived, boats tossed back and forth on stormy seas. Paul’s concern is that new Christians can easily be caught up in things that lead them away from Christ.
That’s why Paul’s desire here is that these babies in faith grow up and mature so that they are not helpless, can discern the truth about Jesus, and know the Gospel. In doing so, they can stand firm in their faith and are not easily deceived or led astray.
All this growing and maturing results in believers being united in Christ. Jesus is the head, the center through which everything we experience in life is filtered, and all of us together make up the body of Christ. The point of this body imagery is that believers are united, with each person fulfilling a purpose within the whole community of faith: nurturing, equipping, and encouraging each other to be built up into a maturing faith in Christ Jesus.
That’s the point of the different roles listed in verses 11-12. Those who are called to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers are called so that all can come to know, love, and follow Jesus in their own lives.
The key to this process of building, growing, and helping others mature in faith is that it’s done in love. We are to speak the truth to one another, which isn’t always easy or comfortable. Still, we are to speak to each other in love, encouraging, nurturing, and at times directly urging each other to live our lives worthy of Christ and His calling for us as His missional disciples.
So, as I reflect on this passage, a couple of questions come to mind:
First, where does your church need to grow and mature as it seeks to be faithful to the Lord, and what gifts have you been given to help with that work of building?
Second, where do you need to grow and mature as you seek to follow the voice of Jesus in your life?
God bless you, and know that I’m praying for you constantly.
Scott
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