At the end of Ephesians chapter 5, we are told that our marriages are like "Christ and the church." I have often read that and thought how cool it was that God designed marriage to be an illustration of Christ's love for the church.
However, today in my reading I was corrected in my thinking. My study Bible explained that the marriage relationship was compared to Christ and the church because Christ's beautiful, perfect relationship with his church is OUR illustration, OUR example of what our marriages should look like. Christ loved his church unconditionally, allowing himself to be murdered - brutally - because of his deep love for his bride.
I am embarrased that I have believed that our human, imperfect marriages could've been my example of Christ's love. Especially the way the world treats marriage - not even as sacred anymore and certainly not a commitment or selfless love. Christ longs for people to see his love for his church and mold their marriages more in THAT love!
I am more deeply in love with my husband the longer we are married. But when I read this passage and think about Christ's love for his church, I just long to go deeper yet in the love of our marriage. Praise you, Jesus, for knowing exactly what we would need to live and prosper on this earth! Yours truly are the words of life!
-Kelly T
I don't know who posted this, but good post! :) It is so crucial that we don't use a human relationship to explain a divine one, but rather the reverse. We are such AWFUL "lovers" (I don't mean sexually...I mean it as people who love) that we cannot even come CLOSE to the love of Jesus! Thanks for the great insight!
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