“Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.” – Ephesians 6:23-24
Have you ever wished someone well as you left them?
I’ve noticed more and more that when someone on social media isn’t feeling well or has something bad happen to them, many people respond with something like,
“Hopeful thoughts”
“You’re in my thoughts.”
“Well wishes.”
As our society becomes more and more secular, people are finding new ways to say “I’m praying for you,” because…well…they aren’t. While I appreciate that they are expressing that they care and recognize they are being honest, it still saddens me.
A Wish vs A Blessing or Prayer What is the difference between a wish and a prayer or a wish and a blessing? On the surface, they can sound very similar. I can wish someone well or wish something would get better and I can pray for someone to be well or pray for a situation to get better.
However, there is a difference…and it’s huge.
A wish or thought is only an expression of compassion. A blessing or prayer is an appeal to the God of the universe. I like expressions of compassion, but when I’m sick or in a bind, I want real help, the kind of help the One who created all things and holds them all together can give.
The Benediction Ephesians 6:23-24 are the final verses of Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus. He concludes as we do our worship services, with a benediction. He blesses them with the peace, love, faith, and grace of God. He blesses them with everything they need to strengthen them to endure until the Day of our Lord.
This blessing is much more than a wish because God stands behind it.
Peace be to you, brother or sister, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with you and all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” – 2 Corinthians 13:14
What is your favorite departing blessing or benediction?
Many pastors end our worship services with the Aaronic Benediction (The Lord bless you and keep you…). The Irish have some pretty amusing blessings. There is probably a blessing or two which you really love.
Rather than simply signing off, Paul ends 2 Corinthians with the above benediction/blessing. It is rich in meaning.
The Grace of the Lord, Jesus Christ – How does God deal with you? It isn’t through laws and commands, it is through the grace of Jesus. Grace is unearned and undeserved favor. Rather than dealing with you according to your sins, He died for you so you could be forgiven and made a Child of God.
The Love of God – God is bound to you in love. He created you out of love, He redeemed you out of love, and He sustains you both physically and in faith out of love. God made you His Child through the grace of Jesus and loves you as a good Father. He protects you, supplies all your needs, and demonstrates the greatest of love for you.
The Fellowship of the Holy Spirit – God then unifies us by His Spirit. He joins you with Himself, dwelling in You and filling You. He joins you to His church, unifying you with all believers everywhere and of every time. God continues to commune with you and you with all believers through the sacramental meal of Communion.
May God be with you, the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is not some distant God nor is He some non-descript energy in the sky. He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You were baptized into the Triune God and it is the Triune God who goes with You, dealing with you by grace, bound to you by love, and unified with you and all believers.
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Your love, grace, and fellowship. Be with me. Deal with me according to Your unfathomable grace. Surround me with Your boundless love. Always stay with me.
Amen.
Now…May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them,
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.
“So shall they put My name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.’” – Numbers 6:22-27
You may recognize this as the common Benediction at the end of worship services. It is the Aaronic blessing given by God to Moses for Aaron the priest to say to Israel. You may have heard it a hundred or a thousand times. Sometimes, we hear things a lot, but never take the time to really understand them.
So, what does it mean?
“The Lord bless you and keep you;“
The Hebrew word we translate as bless is to kneel, show respect, or give a gift. It can literally mean to kneel in respect as you give a gift (think of the Magi in the Christmas story). God is giving us a gift. Then there’s, “keep.” This word is the same as the word for, “thorn.” It refers to how a shepherd out in the fields at night would arrange thorn bushes to surround the sheep and provide a barrier from predators. To keep is more than to possess. It means to guard and protect.
“the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;“
Have you heard the phrase, “The person was beaming.” It refers to a big smile. “Make His face to shine upon you,” is for God to smile at us and show His happiness with us. This is as opposed to showing His displeasure at our sin. God shows mercy on our sins and graciously (unearned) treats us well.
“the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.“
Lifting His countenance, again, refers to God’s face or God looking upon us with favor. Lastly, there is peace. This peace, Shalom, is not just an absence or conflict as we often use the term today. It has to do with your whole self. It is a state of wholeness and well-being without danger or strife. We have this kind of peace because of God’s favor.
So…
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.