“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. Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power.” – (Ephesians 3:6-7, ESV).
From the 14th century until the mid-17th century, Venice held Europe in an economic stranglehold over one of their most renowned products. No other nation was able to produce it in the way that the Venetians could thus allowing them to hold a monopoly over it. This product was in such high demand that in the 1500’s Henry VII bought one near the cost of a royal navy warship. Its production was held as a state secret and manufacturers who escaped with knowledge of this process were even assassinated to keep the information of its manufacture safe from the outside world. This product is now used everyday by most people who conduct proper hygiene and something I need to clean more regularly. It is the mirror.
Every nation wanted to know the secret so that they could make such a valuable product for themselves, hence the high level of security and scrutiny by the Venetian state. However, France was able to woo some Venetian artisans and successfully learned the trade secrets of glassmaking in the mid 1600’s. From these artisans King Louis would commission one of Frances’ most iconic architectures in the form of the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles. At the palace, Louis hosted a massive party with delegations from nations all around Europe, including Venice, and led them to his newest installation: the hall of mirrors. 357 mirrors adorned the hallway, bigger and better in quality than anything Venice had. For context, with the rate that mirrors cost at the time, it would have been cheaper to plate the entire hallway in gold than it was with mirrors. In one fell swoop Venetian dominance ended and the secret of glassmaking they had held on to so dearly for 300 years was now open for all.
This historical illustration reminds me of the gift of salvation, something that was so closely guarded and revered by the Jews throughout their history. They were chosen by God to carry His Name through the Earth and from them He would bring forth the Messiah. Paul refers to salvation as the “mystery of the gospel” in Ephesians 6:19, something that not everyone understood, something that theological detectives needed to crack. The mystery is something that had not yet been revealed in Scripture and yet we see that in Ephesians Paul is letting his readers know exactly the answer to the mystery.
The mystery of the gospel is that salvation was meant to be available for all people, Jews and Gentiles alike. Whereas the Jews looked towards a coming day of their own chosen salvation, what we see is that God intended for all people who call to Him be saved. This is the gift that was closely guarded but shown to all the world through Jesus. Salvation was never meant to be a Jewish monopoly, this treasure was meant by God to redeem all of creation. So today reflect on this gift that Jesus has given to you. More valuable than gold or silver. More valuable than a mirror. Salvation is the free gift that God has made available to all who personally trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Grace and peace.
Stephen Lee
July 6, 2025