"MATRIMONIAL MISS"

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Hello Covenant Family!

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When my wife and I got married almost thirty years ago, there was an abundance of summer weddings with those who sought matrimonial bliss. Recently, I have noticed the trend toward later fall weddings. Likewise, there have been many couples who decide to wait until they are more seasoned in age and maturity before they make that leap of faith into a journey of becoming one. Others bypass the path of matrimony altogether for a variety of reasons. They don’t want to be “tied down” to one relationship for the rest of their lives when there are so many options available. Some see marriage as an unnecessary societal constraint that brings them nothing in return. I understand their cynicism because many people have struggled in relationships amid such a selfish culture. So, they decide to be alone or partake of meaningless disconnected flings devoid of love. The latter misses the point of marriage. It goes beyond companionship and physical gratification. It’s more than “two hearts beating as one.” Marriage is a covenant that shows our commitment to each other and God. It shows that we have adopted a more selfless approach to life because we have decided to unconditionally love the person we chose to wed.  Unfortunately, we tend to overlook the work and intentionality it takes to make it successful which results in a matrimonial miss.

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“Well, Pastor I am never getting married.  So, this doesn’t apply to me,” you may say. Sure, you may choose never to get married. Yet, the bigger picture is that as part of the body of Christ, the Church, which includes you and me, we are the Bride of Christ.  It’s an odd metaphor that the Apostle Paul uses often, especially since he was never married (Ephesians 5:19-32; 2 Corinthians 11:2). However, Paul likens this matrimonial bliss to the ultimate price Christ paid with His life in a divine interaction that cemented the relationship. Our natural reaction should be a grateful mutual exchange of unconditional love. Similarly, the Apostle John referenced the importance of being ready to be received by Christ as His bride (Revelation 19:7; 21:2). Again, the point is receiving the covenant promise of a life fulfilled in relationship with Christ. Any pursuit of relationship outside of that becomes empty because Christ isn’t in it. On the other hand, when Christ is in it, life is worth living because Jesus “sanctifies,” “cleanses,” and “washes” us with the “water of the Word” so we are spotless (Ephesians 5:27-28). Will life be perpetually filled with bliss? No. Nonetheless, the assurance we have is that Jesus will present us to the world and to Himself a “glorious church” that He can be proud to call His bride (v. 27).