Husbands, Love your Families by Growing them Strong
For no one has ever hated his own body but he feeds it and takes care of it, just as Christ also does the church, for we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is great – but I am actually speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each one of you must also love his own wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Ephesians 5:29–33 NET Read More
This is where it becomes clear that marriage, above all other purposes, is designed to reflect the relationship between Christ and the Church. Just like no reasonable and sane person would intentionally hurt themselves, no married person would intentionally hurt their spouse. Topics of abuse and manipulation are obvious, but the next level of taking care of your body is on the positive end. Paul takes it beyond fitness and kale smoothies to the point of spiritually taking care of one another.
In the covenant of marriage, God combines two people into one, so that whatever happens to one person happens to another. That is the ultimate level of communion and shared life together. Just like Christ and the Father and the Holy Spirit are all One in 3 inexplicable but distinct ways, a husband and wife are one in two. As a married man has a ‘better half,’ he must be continually sensitive to his wife just like he’d be sensitive to his aching back or sore feet. He is no longer sensitive to the needs of his parents or his home, but is now building a new family from himself onward.
When a man leads a family, he does it explicitly and implicitly. Daughters pay attention to what a Dad considers pretty and watch his eyes when he looks at women. Boys learn not to sing at church whenever Dad wimps out with ‘I can’t sing that good,’ and eventually learn that baseball and soccer are more important than church if that’s what we teach them.
The spiritual growth of our families must be on purpose and deliberate. The great mystery of a man and woman being joined together will only reflect Christ’s love for the church and His daily involvement in the life of His people if we do it right and on purpose. This is one of those verses that makes us stop and consider: if the Bible doesn’t match my experience, either the Bible is wrong or my experience is wrong.
It is a great mystery, but in reference to Christ and the Church, we should love our wives, and our wives should respect we husbands. As husbands (and men with friends that are husbands), let’s create an environment in which that can happen and Christ can be glorified.
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Extra Credit: There are a lot of great marriage resources from a ministry named after this verse at https://LoveAndRespect.com/