Day 370 · Year 2 · Life with God
A profound mystery
Christian marriage is a picture of something larger than itself.
Today's passage
Ephesians 5:25-27
25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her
26to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,
27and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless.
Berean Standard Bible · public domain
Reflection
Paul tells husbands to love their wives 'as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her.' That is a staggering standard. Christian marriage is not a contract for mutual benefit; it is a small daily picture of how Christ loves his people. That means love is sacrificial before it is reciprocal. If your marriage is in a hard place, you are allowed to grieve, to seek wise help, to be honest. You are also invited to ask, not 'what is my spouse owing me?' but 'what would it look like for me to love the way Christ does, today?'
From the great tradition · paraphrased
Timothy Keller · Modern · 20th–21st c. · USA
Tim Keller wrote that marriage is hard because it is shaped to be a school of Christlikeness — that two sinners promising to love until death will need the same gospel they preach to each other.
Paraphrase only. Scripture, not any teacher, is the authority.
Think it through
- How is the husband's love modeled, according to verse 25?
- What is the goal Christ has for the church in verses 26–27?
- What would it look like to love your spouse (or your closest neighbor) sacrificially today?
A prayer to pray
Bring your marriage (or your most strained relationship) to God. Ask for the grace to love the way Christ has loved you.