Attending a wedding can bring to mind precious texts of Scripture about our Lord Jesus and His Church.
Today, it seems that women have far less reason to seek a husband. In olden times, a unmarried woman was desperate for marriage, for only in that state could she be protected and provided for. Outside of marriage was usually poverty and ignominy and a precarious existence. Not so, it seems, today.
Thus, there is little modern cultural context in which a pastor can exhort young married couples. We would do best to appeal to Paul's teaching, which did not rely upon local customs or mores, but rather on the model of Christ and His bride the Church.
Christ and His bride have certain reciprocal duties that model those duties of a Christian man and his wife. The wife is to obey her husband like the Church is to obey Christ.
Notice the reason Paul gives for this: because he is the savior of the body! This is a very sufficient reason the Church should obey the Lord Jesus - because He has saved us! He has rescued us, delivered us, redeemed us, forgiven us, and reconciled us to a once-offended God. Who can tell how much we owe Him!
In similar manner, the Christian wife is to obey her own husband, because he is ordained to be her protector, defender, provider, and the savior of her body. A woman who does not intend for her husband to act in such a manner is not, in her heart, really married to him.
Husbands, on the other hand, are commanded to love their wives, like Christ loved the Church, and gave His own body to redeem and cleanse her!
Now all the Church’s beauty comes, not from herself, but is placed upon her by the Bridegroom Himself as He perfects us! |
