One of the
most famous speeches ever given in this country is called "acres of diamonds".
It was written over a hundred years ago by a man named Russell Conwell. He delivered
it hundreds of times from one coast to the other, and even people who heard
it before would come to hear it again. It eventually made it into book form
and is one of the most widely read speeches in American history.At the heart of the speech is a story that Conwell heard in his travels in Asia. He had a tour guide who delighted in telling stories, and of this particular story he said, "It is a story that I reserve only for my friends." It is a story about a wealthy and contented man, a Persian named Af Hafed. One day Al Hafed was visited by a priest who told him a magnificent story about how the world was created. The priest concluded his marvelous story by saying that the very last mineral that God created was the most precious mineral of all - diamonds. And the priest said that with just a handful of diamonds a man could purchase an entire country.
The Persian went to bed that night discontented. All he could think about were diamonds and the things that they could buy. The next morning he sought out the priest and asked him where diamonds could be found. The priest replied, "When you find a river that flows between mountains and over white sands, there you will find diamonds." So, the Persian sold his farm and all he had and with the money went out to search for diamonds. He wandered the world in his quest, spent all his money, but was never able to find this treasured substance. When all his money was spent and he was in rags, he despaired and took his life by throwing himself into the sea.
Back home, on that very same day, the man who bought the Persian's farm was watering his camel on a stream that ran through the farm. As he was doing so, he noticed a flash of light from the sands in the stream. He picked a black stone which had an eye of light that flashed the colors of the rainbow. He had no idea of what it was and simply placed it on a mantle in his home.
A few days later the same old priest who had told Al Hafed the story of creation came by again. When he saw the flash of the black stone on the mantle, he thought that Al Hafed had returned. You see he knew what diamonds looked like in their rough form and he thought that Al Hafed had been successful in his quest. When he was informed that this wasn't the case, he asked the man where he had found the stone. He led the priest to the stream and they stirred up the white sands. There they found many more diamonds even more beautiful. It turned out to be one the richest diamond mines in all the world.
Well, the moral of the story is this: if the Persian had only had the eyes to see, he would have discovered acres of diamonds in his own back yard. And doubtless that story has been repeated again and again. We do not see the riches that God gives us. We do not see the diamonds in our own backyard.
In his letter to the congregation at Ephesus I think the Apostle Paul is making exactly this same point. And for us who gather here this morning he wants to drive the same truth home. In the very beginning of his letter he says that his chief prayer for them is that they have the eyes to see the glorious riches God has given to them in that multi-faceted diamond that we call Jesus. (vs. 16-18) Like Al Hafed this congregation did not have proper appreciation for what was right there under their very noses. And that's a common problem. For whatever reason, over time, we lose appreciation for the precious gifts that God gives to us. We even do this with the most precious gift of all -- the Lord Jesus Christ. So Paul prays for them and for us: may we have the eyes to see the precious gift that has been given to us in Jesus.
When our eyes are opened to the riches God gives us, what do we see in this multi-faceted diamond called Jesus? If it is true that the value of a diamond is based on the number of facets, then indeed Jesus is the most precious diamond of all. And Paul talks about these facets so that we might appreciate the treasure we have in Jesus.
The first facet is this: in Jesus life comes together. In chapter one, verse ten, Paul says that it is God's intention "to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth." Does it feel like your life is disintegrating? Does it feel like your life is not holding together? Could it be that you are drifting away from Jesus? Could it be that you know who Jesus is, but you've never given him your heart? He is not at the center of your life. When we center our lives in Jesus, life comes together. I'm sure there are lots of Tiger Woods fans here. I'm sure many of you saw Tiger accomplish the incredible feat of winning the four major tournaments in golf in the space of one year. Something no one has ever done before. How did he do this? Many say it is because of his incredible power of concentration. Like many of the finest athletes he has the ability to focus all his attention on his game. Nothing distracts him. Because he does this, everything in his game comes together. Even so, when we focus our attention on Jesus, life begins to come together. Jesus is the glue of the universe. When we draw close to him, our lives come together.
The second facet of the diamond is forgiveness. In the tenth verse of the first chapter of Ephesians, Paul says, "We have redemption , the forgiveness of our trespasses." I think Paul puts this most beautifully in his letter to the Colossians (1:19). He says the whole purpose of what God did in Jesus is to reconcile the world to himself. He does not want us alienated from him. He does not want us alienated from each other. The whole purpose of the cross is to establish forgiveness. All we need to do is turn to Jesus and confess, and because of what God has done in Jesus our sin is forgiven. It's like the old story of the man who gets on the bus carrying two heavy suitcases. He pays his fare, and he stands in the aisle holding the suitcases. The bus driver says, "Sir, you can put your bags down, the bus will carry them." Jesus says the same to us today, "Let go of your sins, I will carry the burden for you."
The third facet of the diamond is the gift of eternal life. We make a lot of this on Easter Sunday and rightfully so. Jesus has conquered death. We need not fear it. Because of Jesus, death has merely become the gateway to everlasting life. (Ephesians 1:20) How sad that so many people still live in fear of what the future holds. They feel compelled to consult the Ouija board, the horoscope, the astrologer, people who can put them in contact with departed spirits. They are even willing to read books on magic and witchcraft. And if you think I'm exaggerating, the next time you visit Border's bookstore look at the all the shelves of books that have to do with such things. They are there because people buy them. But we who know Christ. We know the future. Our future is eternal life. All things will come together perfectly for those who trust Jesus.
And the final facet of the diamond we call Jesus is that new power for living is available now through Jesus! We are not talking about pie in the sky by and by. Paul says that this new power is available through the Body of Christ which we call the church. (Ephesians 1:22-23) And so the only question we need ask is this one: are we taking advantage of that power? The truth is that this community we call the church is the place where Christ promises to be present through his word and in his sacraments. Are we taking advantage of this power, or is the church just one priority among a host of others?
Pastor Robert Moss tells the story of visiting the men's room in the visitors' center on the American side of Niagara Falls. When he turned on the faucet out came the tiniest trickle of water. He says the contrast was impressive. Only a few feet away was the flow of this tremendously powerful waterfall, but in the men's room all you had was this tiny trickle of water. We find a similar contrast in our lives. We have access to the power of God in Christ, but we choose to be satisfied with the kind of power that is inconsequential. How would life change if we were more willing to tap into the power Christ gives his church?
This is our prayer today: might the Lord give us the eyes to see the riches he has given us in the precious diamond we call Jesus and seeing these riches use them!