Marriage is a Significant Allegory
Do you remember from 1 Corinthians 13 in week two of our series that love will last forever when everything else fades? And then, when all is complete in heaven and on earth for all eternity, we’ll finally get it totally right! But for now…
The present is our practice run. The church is where we learn to love like Jesus so that love will prevail over fear and hate, despair and brokenness. Yes, the church is imperfect, but Jesus loves the church and gave his life for her!
The day I married Lacy was one of the happiest days of my life, but in the back of my mind lingered faulty teaching about “wives submitting to their husbands.” Maybe you have experienced similar, questionable teachings about Ephesians 5. I invite you to refresh your memory and re-read the text for yourself.
Read:
Ephesians 5:15-33 (CEB) | Be filled with the Spirit
Reflection:
We often look at this passage as it relates to marriage and family, but the apostle Paul purposely chooses marriage, for better or worse, as a significant allegory or picture of how Christ loves the church – and how the church (that’s YOU) should love one another, and God.
In other words, there is a passionate connection between Jesus and the church that drove him to the cross. As we prepare to enter the season of Lent this week and begin to re-orient our lives towards the cross, we will soon recall the Passion of Christ on Good Friday before we arrive at the eternal hope of Resurrection Sunday on Easter morn.
Beloved, the place to learn how to love everybody always is in the local church.
● In the church, we learn about the love of Jesus together.
● In the church, we practice loving each other, even when it’s hard.
● As the church, we go into all the world, loving everybody together.
Christians aren’t called to a life of “casually dating” the church. The church deserves our passionate love (yes, the type of passionate love newlyweds experience at the outset when vows are exchanged, the cake is cut, and the honeymoon is underway; AND the type of passionate love offered by two people who have been married over decades that weathers the ups and downs of this life). Oh, and by the way, we do this “love” thing way better as a family of faith, the body of Christ in the world, than we do as individuals.
It’s time to get passionate!
● We demonstrate our passion when we gather together.
● We demonstrate our passion when we grow together.
● We demonstrate our passion when we give together.
● We demonstrate our passion when we group up together.
● We demonstrate our passion when we go together.
Are you demonstrating your passion? Jesus demonstrated his passion on the cross!
Ephesians 5:15-33 paints a beautiful picture of marriage, not just as a relationship between a husband and wife, but as a significant allegory of Christ and the Church. Paul urges believers to live wisely, making the most of every opportunity to reflect God’s will. In this passage, he describes the role of husbands and wives, comparing the sacrificial love of a husband to the self-giving love of Christ for His Church.
Marriage, in this sense, transcends mere companionship. It becomes a living testimony of the Gospel. Just as the Church submits to Christ in love and trust, a wife is called to reflect this submission in her marriage. Likewise, a husband’s role mirrors Christ’s sacrificial love—he is to love his wife as his own body, cherishing her and placing her needs above his own. Indeed, we are invited to “be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (v. 21)
This imagery serves as a reminder that marriage is not about self-gratification but about reflecting God’s covenantal love, humility, and grace to one another and to the world!
Reflection Questions:
- How can I cultivate a deeper sense of selflessness and sacrificial love in my relationships, modeled after Christ?
- In what ways can I honor and cherish the people in my life, whether in marriage or other relationships, as Christ cherishes the Church?
- How does this passage challenge me to live wisely and intentionally, so that my life reflects God’s will?
Take a few minutes to meditate on these questions and seek God’s guidance in applying this allegory to your life. Whether married or not, the relationship between Christ and the Church offers all believers a profound model of love, submission, and grace.
Prayer:
Dear God, Thank You for the profound love You have shown us through Christ and for the gift of relationships in the church that reflect Your grace. Help us to live with selflessness, humility, and intentionality, mirroring the love of Christ in all that we do and strengthening all of our relationships. In our daily interactions, guide us to honor You and to be a light to those around us. May our lives continually reflect Your will and bring You glory. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.