The treasures of Truth, Part 2

Have you ever been promised that something would make sense when you were ready to understand it? This was true for the Christians in Ephesus. The book of Ephesians speaks about the "mystery of Christ." This mystery far from being mysterious is spoken of by St. Paul. He states, "Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit" (Eph 3:5).

This statement grabs attention immediately! What was "not made known" but "is now revealed"? Paul answers, "That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel" (3:6). He notes he has been called to preach "the unsearchable riches of Christ" (3:8) to everyone.

Certainly, St. Paul was called to preach Christ to the Gentiles. He explained that everyone is worthy of being God's child, and so heirs of the kingdom of heaven. But looking more deeply into Paul's teachings, we find him opening our eyes to the understanding that all are children of God. All are heirs of Christ. All have the "inner man" (Eph 3:!6). All have been given the promise of the Christly power and presence. All have the same relationship to God, which is spiritual, as His image and likeness. All possess "the unsearchable riches of Christ."

What are these "unsearchable riches"? These sparkling gems are truths of God and man's oneness, relationship, and being. They are the rich, golden laws of God that sustain and protect. They are the solid and unbreakable facts of man's perfection. Wouldn't this be the deeper message Paul was sent to preach, this "fellowship of the mystery"(Eph 3:9), this treasure-trove of divine Love?

Paul tells us that this "fellowship of mystery" has existed from the beginning and is hid in God, the creator of all. Why hidden? Because the time had not yet come to reveal the principle and power of God's law in the kingdom of heaven to the church. It had been revealed, as the prophets of the Bible demonstrate. But now the time had come to reveal it to the church community so they may welcome the Gentile, as well. What is this mystery? It is the "wisdom of God" (3:10).

This "wisdom" is the spiritual understanding of God and man's relationship. It is the awareness of the at-one-ment of divine Love, God, and Love's idea, man made in His likeness. It is the spiritual knowledge of the "Christ is us, the hope of glory" (Col 1:27). This spiritual wisdom gives us strength and a deep sense of God's all-pervasive power. The Christ, the pure idea of man, dwells in our hearts and thoughts. It grounds us in God, good. It enables us to comprehend how we relate to God, as His creation.

Paul reveals, "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus, Christ... that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man" (3:16). This prayer is a prayer to strengthen each one of us as we learn more of our "inner man" or Christ within us. The Christ within us is the man of God's making, pure and perfect. It is spiritual peace, strength, and harmony. It is a realization of man's wholeness and inseparability from divine Love. It is a comforting sense that God is ever-present, caring for us. When we begin to have a better understanding of this, that's when the mystery is unraveled, and the riches appear.

As this understanding of Christ, man, dwells in our hearts we begin to learn of the "breadth, and length, and depth, and height" (Eph 3:18) of God and His acts. We then know of the love of Christ, which gives all wisdom and knowledge. It fills us with "the fullness of God" (3:19).

Chapter three opens our thought to what it means to gain a better understanding of man, God's creation, and to put on this new man through spiritual wisdom and understanding. This is to be done individually and as a church body.

This week let's pray about what Paul calls "the mystery of Christ", "the unsearchable riches of Christ", "the fellowship of mystery", "the manifold wisdom of God", and "the inner man". Let's open our thought to a deeper understanding of what Paul means by the word "mystery" and learn more of our "inner man."

Let's also think on this passage from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy: "Mystery does not enshroud Christ's teachings, and they are not theoretical and fragmentary, but practical and complete; and being practical and complete, they are not deprived of their essential vitality" (98:26).** This assures us that the "mystery of Christ" is not hidden. It has been revealed in scripture. It is not theoretical or fragmentary. It is whole, complete, understandable. This means that Christ's teachings are here for us today. These are the treasures of Truth that are filled with vitality and power, -- and they are ours!