For this reason, a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.  (NASB)

"Mawwige is what bwings us together today." Do you still quote this line, along with others, from the 1987 classic, The Princess Bride?  I do!  “My name is Inigo Montoya,” “As you wish,” ”Inconceivable!” - the list goes on and on.  This phrase jumped to mind immediately when I saw today’s verses because marriage really is what brings us together in this devotional today.  These verses from the creation story describe the first marriage between Adam and Eve.  After Adam was created on the sixth day, Eve was created using part of Adam’s body, and they were joined together.  

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Marriage similes abound.  Marriage can be like music – where two people each play their own instrument, and when played correctly, they make beautiful music together.  When played incorrectly, it is just noise.  Or a painting – a good marriage is like a beautiful painting, where different paints mix with each other to form unique and beautiful colors.  But a bad marriage is just a mess.  Or marriage can be like a sports team, where individuals do their part to function as one.  When marriage works, there’s victory, but when it doesn’t, there’s failure.

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Let me pick another simile – marriage is like grafting a tree - where two people are joined together (much like Eve was created out of Adam’s side in Genesis 2:21-22) to become one productive body, producing fruit. The old individuals are gone, and a new couple has come.

Regardless of our experience with marriage, none of us have, or have seen, the type of marriage that Christ models with the Church.  Some of you have never been married, while others of you have.  Some of you have a wonderful marriage, others not so much.  We have all seen marriages, both good and bad.  But none of us currently live in a perfect marriage, and each of us can learn something from Christ’s relationship with the Church.  His example of being the Church’s bridegroom is characterized by love, faithfulness, sacrifice, and commitment.

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The concept that God was Israel’s bridegroom is in the Old Testament, referenced by Isaiah in chapter 54. Also, Hosea wrote that God promises Israel, "I will betroth you to Me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in loving devotion and compassion" (Hosea 2:19-20). The idea of Christ as the Bridegroom of the Church continues to be mentioned in the New Testament.  Christ calls Himself the Bridegroom in Matthew; Paul, in Ephesians 5, talks about Christ as the Bridegroom of the Church; John writes about Christ as the Bridegroom in Revelation 19.  But still, this relationship between Christ and the Church is an inconceivable mystery.  

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We heard in the last sermon series that the Church is the body of Christ, and that the body is comprised of many members (Eph. 4, Rom. 12, and I Cor. 12).  Each of us has a different way that we can contribute to the church and demonstrate our love for Christ.  We might not all be called to live like Saint Patrick (today is St. Patrick’s Day, in case you didn’t know), but we can all do our part.

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When we believe in Jesus, we have union with Christ, just as He is unified with the Church.  When we are in Christ, we are made new (2 Cor. 5:17 (NIV) - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!).  

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How are we to live when we are grafted into a relationship with Christ? Just as Christ demonstrates His love, faithfulness, sacrifice, and commitment to the Church, so too, we should demonstrate our love, faithfulness, commitment, sacrifice, and obedience to Christ. What does that look like in your life today?

Dear Jesus, thank you for modeling a perfect marriage relationship with the Church and for welcoming me to be part of it all. Thank you that I can be one with You and live life in You. Help me to do just that – help me to live like the new creation I am and to live a life worthy of the calling that I have received.  This week, help me to focus on one area to become closer to You.  Amen.