Ephesians 5:25-33

Ephesians 5:25-33

Husbands, love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and handed Himself over for it in order that He should make it holy by the washing of the water in the Word in order that He should present the splendid church to Him while not having a spot or wrinkle or any such thing but in order that it should be holy and blameless.  Thus, husbands are also under an obligation to love their wives as their own bodies.  The one who loves his own wife loves himself.  For nobody ever hated his own flesh but nourishes and cherishes it just as Christ does for the church because we are members of His body.  For this reason a man will leave father and mother and he will be joined together with his wife.  And the two will be into one flesh.  This is a great mystery.  And I am saying it is into Christ and into the church.  In any case, you all also are the ones according to the one.  Let each one love his own wife as himself.  And the wife in order that she should respect her husband.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Again we return to the point that we started yesterday.  Paul is clear about speaking to how husbands should relate to their wives.  You will take note that Paul does not emphasize domination or superiority.  Rather, Paul emphasizes love.  In fact, Paul emphasizes sacrificial love.  Christ handed himself over for the church.  Jesus allowed Himself to die under God’s agenda so that the church would be saved.  This is the same perspective that a man should have for his wife according to Paul.  A husband should love his wife deeply enough to sacrifice his own agenda for God’s will that He love his wife.

How many husbands do you know that demonstrate this kind of love towards their wife?  How can you draw close to that example and promote it in the world around you?

Second Thought:

We continue to hear Paul speak about how Christ did what He did in order to present the splendid church while not having spot or wrinkle or blemish.  This is how husbands should look upon their wives.  For that matter, I think this is just a good model for marriage period.  Spouses should not look to embarrass of humiliate one another.  Spouses should not find ways to denigrate one another.  Rather, spouses should look to make one another blameless.  Specifically, Paul tells husbands that they should set the example and work to present their wives and a spotless, blameless treasure.

How many marriages do you know that exemplify this dynamic?  Does the world typically look to portray marriage as spouses looking out for one another so that they appear blameless and spotless and holy?

Third Thought:

In the first thought we focused on the sacrificial nature of a husband’s relationship with his wife.  In the second thought we talk about how a husband’s love for his wife should be sanctifying.  In the end of this passage we find that a husband’s love should be unbreakable.  The two shall become one flesh.  Just as nothing can break Christ’s bond to the church, nothing should be able to break a husband’s love for his wife, either.

Do you think of love as unbreakable?  Do you think the typical man in the world thinks of love as unbreakable?  If you are a man, how can you believe love is unbreakable?  If you are a woman, how important is it to you to be with a man who considers love unbreakable?

Passage for Tomorrow: Ephesians 6:1-4