April 28, 2024

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“Find out what pleases the Lord. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body.” (Ephesians 5.10; 28-30)

REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

Let me quickly say this: Paul does not say “Husbands ought to love their wives for their bodies.” No. No. No. Now it doesn’t mean we should love our wives’ bodies. But there is a valid difference between love and lust. Lust serves the need only of the one who is lusting. Jesus made sure it was understood that when a man lusted a woman, he had sinned against her in his heart as surely as he had acted out what he had been lustfully thinking. Paul called such lusting a “fire burning in one’s soul.” It would be a consuming fire leaving nothing because no good could come of it. It is not a purifying fire as we find with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit purges the evil and reduces it to ashes scattered by its own breath like a mighty wind. It boils down the elements of life and only the pure material is left. Lust is a fire that burns down the other person and itself leaving nothing good in its course. Paul urged Christ followers to consider “if you are filled with such unquenchable fire, then you should marry for it is better to marry than be consumed with an unquenchable fire.” (1 Corinthians 7.9) Paul says some things I have a difficult time agreeing to and this would be one. If one marries simply because they cannot control themselves, then they will doubtless be able to control other things in their lives which would negatively impact the marriage relationship. His word to the Community of Faith in Christ of Ephesus is a better statement: “Husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies; loving one’s wife is loving one’s self.” He goes on to illustrate how men should love themselves with food and care thus building up and strengthening their own bodies. By equal measure, making sure their wives were loved in a similar fashion having their needs met not only strengthens them but the relationship as well. Doubtless someone reading this already uttered “Happy wife, happy life.” It is true. But, let us be careful about what we define as happiness. Paul associates happiness with contentment and righteousness which honors and glorifies the Lord. Happiness is not merely pleasing one’s self and feeling good in the moment.

True happiness casts its eye on the future. Notice how Paul alludes to this when he says “After all, no one ever hated their own body but they feed and care for their body just as Christ does the Church.” Sadly, we know of those who do hate their bodies. It is a sickness rooted deep in the pervasive and invasive nature of sin. It cuts a person off from seeing themselves in God’s eyes and through God’s eyes. I am not trying to make a solution sound simple. It is complex and requires determination and wise counsel to overcome it. But, “Nothing is impossible with God when He is included on the healing and redemption team.” (my words, of course, in the paraphrase of that scripture) Losing sight of one’s self is exactly what the enemy of God and humanity desires. It was evident in the Garden. It was evident outside of the Garden. It was evident before the Flood. It was evident after the Flood. Even in the days of Jesus, we can see the evidence such as in Judas of Kerioth. Scripture tells us that Judas had lost sight of himself and surrendered himself to the will of Satan. It happened in part, I believe, because Judas was led to believe in a Messianic agenda that Jesus never saw in the word of God. Judas stopped loving himself feeding instead of bitterness, confusion, jealousy and an ethnic hatred long seated in the history of those of Kerioth dating back to the days of Saul and David. In Jesus, Paul says, we are given the priority of care for our bodies and the body of faith which is the Church. I believe the “food and care” Paul was alluding to had “communion” in mind. The bread was the food. The wine was the community. Maintaining that sweet communion which speaks of our salvation hearkens back even to God’s extension of grace to Adam and Eve. It was clear that a separation was visualized between them as they gained a new “vision” of each other. They saw each other as they had never seen before. Thoughts were awakened in them they had never thought before. Suddenly there was blame and envy and shame. Maybe they were latent in them from the beginning and succumbing to temptation only brought them to the surface. Their presence became a defining moment that they were different from God. It also signaled they were accountable to God as they not only blamed each other but the Serpent. What didn’t happen was a claiming of their own guilt in not caring for each other. Unhappiness was experienced then and there and it had everything to do with their spiritual lives. They deserved the penalty of death. Instead, God’s grace was sufficient.

Isn’t that what we ought to experience in communion? The knowledge that we deserved the penalty of death for our unrepented sins; but Jesus took them on instead. He didn’t play the blame game. He embraced the claim name: Jesus is Lord of all. His declaration was for all people for all had and have sinned and fallen short of the goodness of God. But we also experience the grace of God as the blood of the perfect Lamb was slain so that we in our shame could be covered up and allowed to move forward to make of the world a better place. Isn’t this the purpose of men and women, husbands and wives? Yes, they are to care for each other’s needs physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. They are also to care for the world which God has made and called good and blessed. It is a reflection of the nature and character of God as much as we are; we who are created in His image. Even though sin has made a mockery of God’s creation, we are nonetheless God’s image, God’s children and God’s people. His love is for us and abides in that communion where Christ is remembered, the body and the blood of sacrificial love which speaks of our forgiveness and reconciliation. Is that what we are pursuing as we care for ourselves, men? Are we seeking to honor God and lift up the work of Christ who has given us the opportunity to be authentic men of the Kingdom over and against the world? Is that what we are pursuing as we care for our wives? Are we seeking to honor God and lift them up as Christ lifted up the Church from the grave and in His resurrection presents us all to God as valued, worthy and welcomed? I think that is a pretty solid accountability statement for successful marriages. If you disagree, then I am open to hearing how you think it is not. I believe that is what pleases God.

TODAY’S PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD:

Father, before we were conceived in the womb, You had already formed us in Your love and by Your Spirit brought us into being. Each one of us is blessed with the opportunity of doing right, being good and producing the fruit of the Spirit so that others may be fed the truth of that same love so that the two will become one. It is our soul’s sincere desire to embrace the oneness You have in mind that we would know that we are Your people and that You are our God. Lead us in that discovery of the truth and the manifestation of that love for us all. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.