The Prize Inside

For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus pon behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, show the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. (Ephesians 3:1-6 ESV).

 

It’s okay to admit that you have at least once taken a box of Cracker Jacks and emptied it looking for the prize inside before taking a bite of the contents. Cracker Jack started its "prize in every box" promotion February 19, 1912. German immigrant F.W. Rueckheim first invented the now-ubiquitous ballpark treat in the late 19th century. It was initially sold at his small candy and popcorn shop. The caramel-coated popcorn made its official debut at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. For over two hundred years this otherwise ordinary snack has been a choice of young and old. This has become such a part of our experience in large part because of the “the surprise toy inside.” We all love prizes!

 

The apostle Paul is introducing us to something like that in Ephesians. We are invited to open a mystery package and peer inside to discover what God is sharing with us. There is more for us to know, and the wonder and mystery being offered to all people points to a new season in the great story of God’s love for the world. God’s plan includes everyone. God’s inheritance is for all who believe, whether Jew or Gentile.

 

In this letter from the Apostle Paul, we discover that we are adopted, chosen, and called to serve shoulder to shoulder with all other followers of Jesus. We discover what it means to be saved by grace, and we are no longer strangers to God’s plan. As the days go forward in Morning Devotionals, I hope we can discover the joy of becoming fully alive in Christ. This is the abundant life that Jesus came to afford to each of us. I hope that will encourage and strengthen you in your journey!