August 26, 2018 Text: Ephesians 5:22-33
Dear Friends in Christ,
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of God and you witnesses to hear the Word of the Lord. The topic chosen is marriage and the Lord speaks.
There is perhaps no set of verses in Scripture as informative on marriage as our text. Yet they are dismissed as countercultural to our times. Sinful man always has a way of taking what God designed as beautiful and messing it up with his foolishness. Marriage certainly has to be at the top of our list for this era we live in. You know the arguments, you hear the players. Man and man. Woman and woman. Human and animal. I’m waiting for somebody to marry their phone. Who knows that probably has already happened. And the devil laughs. He delights as people live together and mess with the marriage bed. The world is so far away from the man/woman in marriage being a picture of Christ and His Church. We are up against and we know it. How do we answer . . .
“WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL ABOUT A PIECE OF PAPER?”
When people want to change things they have a way of simplifying it with platitudes – you know trite remarks. “Who says we need a marriage certificate, after all, it is not worth the papyrus it is written on.” And the world being the dichotomy it is has the other side arguing to get the piece of paper no matter what kind of sinful arrangement they have made – but we love each other. Please!
The only voice that matters is the One who instituted and designed marriage. He is God and what he says goes. There is no debate. He says marriage is a lifelong union between man and woman not just a functional arrangement between two persons. He also says it is for mutual companionship, help, and support. Husband and wife find delight in one another – sexually and in other ways. Then for the gift of children if it be the Lord’s will.
Since God is the author it can’t be redefined. When people do try to amend marriage they are what Isaiah states in our Old Testament lesson, “their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men.” Get sinful man involved in any of God’s propositions and trouble is soon to follow.
So what should marriage look like from the Lord’s perspective? The husband is to love the wife as Christ loved the church. Is this easy? Men? When your wife is tearing you down instead of supporting you is the command one you are living? Again, man fails. The husband has to confess to the Lord that the honor of being a husband has been tarnished by his sinfulness. He is unfit for the office.
The Lord knows your failures. Christ loved the church. Has the church been perfect? Far from it. But the Lord has cleansed and sanctified and made new again. That is what Jesus does for husbands. He forgives the neglect, the lack of romance, the silent treatment, the contempt. He sends the husband back daily strengthened in Word and Sacrament. He allows the husband to be a Christian leader and voice for his wife and family.
The wife on the other hand is told by the world she is a footstool if she listen’s to this sexist nonsense of submitting to her husband. The Lord tells this dear daughter that she has given her this man to obey and serve and respect. But the wife sees this as an impossible task because her husband often plays the fool and she is too proud to listen to him. I mean look at him, he won’t give me the time and intimacy I need. He’s on that computer again or cheering on his sports teams. Really, Lord, you want me to submit to this guy?
And the Lord tells the wife that she can’t do this on her own. Dear child, hear my Word, partake of my body and blood so that you can go home to your husband and face another week together. I forgive you for those times you didn’t respect, or you didn’t give or you said, “I am woman, hear me roar!”
Through the Holy Spirit the wife like the husband will be enlightened. The marriage will grow in love and respect and submission and sexually. They will give to each other because they are not their own, they were bought with a price. The husband is the wife’s and the wife is the husband’s. And that piece of paper will mean something. Man and woman will honor marriage and it will make a difference in their children’s lives and it will make a difference in society. The evidence is long – from the time of Adam and Eve – throughout each generation. When marriage is as God ordained and planned our world is a better place. Children have fewer problems. Spouses have smiles instead of frowns. Counselors have less business.
This is marriage as we see from Ephesians 5 this morning. God’s Word through Paul. Not husband and wife alone, but of a husband and wife constantly restored by the forgiveness of Christ.
Amen.