Take a Knee

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father (Eph 3:14). 

Have you ever been knocked to your knees?  Have you ever been so stunned by what you've witnessed that you couldn't stand any longer?  Paul knows EXACTLY what that's like.  "For this reason I bow my knees before the Father" (v14).  He lets his friends back in Ephesus know that Father God has completely bowled him over.  After witnessing what Jesus has done and is doing in and through the Ephesian church, the apostle is driven to his knees.

Why is our buddy Paul so astonished and amazed?  What is "this reason" (v14).  There are a couple of things.  First of all, Paul prays for his Ephesian friends because he has "boldness and access with confidence" (Eph 3:12) to God because of Jesus.  Christ has literally torn the curtain that separates sinful from his holy God (Lk 23:45).  Each one of Jesus' followers can now approach the heavenly throne with confidence to get divine (Heb 4:16).

But "this reason" is more about what Paul started talking about earlier.  This is really a continuation of what he began to write back in Eph 3:1.  It's the apostle's way of saying, "Meanwhile, back at the ranch..."  He's trying to get back to his original point after being completely distracted by who Jesus is and what He's done.  And it's not the first time either.  It happened in the opening lines of the letter.  The first time that our author has gotten swept away when writing about Jesus, he explodes in a fabulous run-on sentence of worship (Eph 1:3-14).  In a Tsunami of Blessing, Paul simply can't stop himself from being overwhelmed by God's grace.  And it's happened again!

So what is "this reason"?  He continues to be blown away by God's stunning and controversial inclusion of non-Jews into His kingdom.  Jesus has obliterated the racial, cultural, socio-economic and religious walls (Eph 2:14).  He's handpicked this former Pharisee as His spokesman to Gentiles around the world (Acts 9:15; Eph 3:1).  He might be doing hard time in Rome (Eph 3:13) but it's for an incredible cause.  So every ethnic group on the planet can hear about Jesus.  This Gentile inclusion is spiritual dynamite for the early church.  Remember, the church was almost exclusively Jewish in its early days.  Jesus came first as the long-awaited Messiah to God's chosen people.  But suddenly He began saving non-Jews everywhere.  There was a HUGE controversy.  Some believed Gentiles should have to convert to Judaism first.  But the Apostle Peter argued that this wasn't something humans should decided.  Who were they to try to put up a roadblock in what God is doing among non-Jews (Acts 11:17).  This even led to a big confab at the home office over the dispute (Acts 15).  Once again, church leaders decided that if Jesus is bringing Gentiles to the party, they don't have to become Jews to follow Jesus.  

"This reason" is why Paul came to Ephesus in the first place (Acts 19).  "This reason" is why he stayed there for three years telling folks about Jesus.  "This reason" is why unbelieving Jews started a riot in the city to shut him up.  "This reason" is why the apostle sits in a Roman slammer waiting for his appeal.

Jesus' shocking inclusion to save every ethnic group on the planet knocks Paul to his knees.  He says, "I bow my knees before the Father" (v14).  The verb here is kampto.  It means to bend, bow in worship and show honor.  While the apostle most certainly is describing his posture of prayer, this really has more to do with an attitude of submission, reverence and passion for God (Ps 95:1-6; Dan 6:10; Acts 20:36).  More than once, Paul talked about that day when "every knee shall bow (Gr. kampto)" before King Jesus (Rom 14:11; Phil 2:10).  God's utter holiness and His miraculous move among non-Jews drives His apostle to his knees.  In prayer.  In worship.  In submission.  In awe.  This is a reminder that the best thing we can do is take a long look at "Jesus, the Founder and Perfecter of our faith" (Heb 12:2).  

Take a knee.

There's an interesting thing going on in the original Greek text.  The verb in this sentence is actually in the present tense.  What's the big deal about that?  Well, it tells us that this is a continual, ongoing action.  It's not a one-time things. "I am bowing my knees."  Not just once.  But again.  And again.  And again.  Who Jesus is and what He's done is a HUGE source of encouragement to the imprisoned Paul.  You can bet that when the prison guards peaked through the bars to check on this inmate they regularly found him kneeling in his cell.  This clearly had an amazing impact for the Gospel on both the corrections officers as well as the other prisoners (Phil 1:12-14).  No wonder this particular prisoner was on his knees all the time!

Make no mistake that Paul is praying while down on his knees.  While this has become a modern day posture of prayer, Jesus usually prayed standing up (Mt 6:5; Lk 18:11-13).  But throughout Scripture, we see folks falling to their knees and crying out to God in times of desperation (Ez 9:5-6).  Our Savior dropped to His knees that dark night in the garden (Lk 22:41).  In his final moments during his assassination, Stephen fell to his knees and pleaded for the forgiveness of his attackers (Acts 7:59-60).  In a very similar way, Paul takes a knee in worship and humility before God.

How often does God's goodness, God's holiness and God's love knock me to my knees?  Excuse me.  I think I need to take a knee.