It takes power to know this love?

It takes power to know love?

One of my favorite passages in scripture, as well as a favorite prayer of Paul, is Ephesians 3.16-21. I had never seen the connection before, and was taken aback by the connection Paul draws between power and love. I understand how divine love is powerful, as in nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ. That's the most powerful love ever. But I never saw, and still don't quite grasp, why it takes incredible power to understand His love. I can understand how it takes wisdom, understanding, surrender, faith, truth, etc., to know His love… but power? Hmm.

There are five references to 'power' within these 5 verses.

 

16: "May he strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being"

• "strengthen": meaning to empower, increase in vigor
  
• "power": meaning force, miraculous power of works and abilities (our word dynamite comes from this root)
  
• So, verse 16 could read, "May he empower, strengthen, and increase your vigor with dynamite force and miraculous ability"
  

 

18: "I pray that you… may be able to have power… to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge"

• "may be able": have full strength, entirely competent, exercise force (our word execute comes from this root)
  
• "power": to seize, possess, take eagerly, comprehend, overtake, attain (the same word is used twice in Phil 3.12 "I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me")
  
• So, verse 18 could read, "I pray that you… may execute full forceful strength and entire competence to eagerly seize, possess, and take hold of His love"
  

 

20: "To Him who is able" (the word used in verse 18, from which our word dynamite comes)

 

What is this love that requires dynamite power and miraculous ability for me to take hold of mightily? I'm still not quite sure why it requires this awesome power to understand this divine love… unless it's referring to the fact that it requires dynamite power for one to hold on to this divine love. Any thoughts on this relationship with power and love?