MARRIAGE IS A BLESSED COMMITMENT.
In the name + of Jesus.
The background of this lesson you chose,
as you know, is the bond between a young woman and her mother-in-law. Naomi, the elder of the two, had taken refuge
in the country of Moab during a famine.
Naomi’s sons had married local girls, but both marriages ended abruptly
by the death of Naomi’s sons. With the
famine ended, Naomi returned to her homeland, Israel. She urged her daughters-in-law to go back home
to their families. She had nothing to
give them, no future to promise them.
While the one woman went back home to her
family, Ruth was determined to be faithful to her mother-in-law. It was more than a familial bond that
motivated her. She vowed, “Your people shall be my people, and
your God my God” (Ruth 1:16). Through Naomi’s
family, Ruth had learned about the Lord, the God who saves and loves sinners,
the God who grants unbreakable peace and eternal life. Ruth was not willing to be separated from
Naomi because she did not want to be separated from this salvation. Therefore, she made a blessed commitment to
her.
Nick & Andrea, your bond will be much
tighter and much more intimate than any vow to an in-law. Today, the Lord binds you together as husband
and wife—not merely to become one family, but to become one flesh. And while Ruth’s vow to Naomi is no marriage
vow, part of her pledge will be yours today: “May the Lord do so to me and more also if
anything but death parts me from you” (Ruth 1:17).
For, what God joins together here today, no person may tear apart. You are bound together, one flesh, for
life. Marriage is a blessed commitment to
one another.
The marriage bond is a reflection of the commitment that Jesus Christ
has made to his Church. The Church is
his bride. Jesus united himself to us
when he became a man. He is one with our
flesh and blood. Then Jesus gave his flesh
and blood into death as the bride price to redeem all mankind. Those who believe in Jesus are taken as his
special people, the Church. The Church
is his bride. By his precious blood, Jesus
not only claimed his bride, but he also purified her of any blemish. St. Paul wrote, “Christ loved the church
and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed
her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might
present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any
such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:25-27).
Nick, when you look at Andrea, you do not look for flaws or
blemishes. You only see her beauty. Even more so, Jesus sees his Bride as
beautiful! Jesus has covered every blemish
of sin with his purity. Jesus emptied
himself to enrich his Bride. Jesus humbled
himself to glorify his Bride. Jesus
sacrificed himself to give his Bride all good things. Therefore, Jesus’ Bride is radiant. She is evidence of his glory. This is the love a groom is to have for his bride. This is a blessed commitment, Nick, which you
will make for the good of your bride. Just
as Jesus willingly did this to gain his Bride, so it is your delight to do so
for your bride.
Andrea, the vow which Ruth made to Naomi reflects the vow you make to Nick
today. It is a blessed commitment because
it is made without fear or reservation.
You are eager to help and encourage him as he loves and serves, protects
and provides for you. This is a reflection
of the Church’s commitment to Jesus Christ.
Jesus purifies his Church, protects his Church, provides for his Church,
and faithfully loves his Church for time and eternity. By submitting to Christ, the Church receives
good gifts from Jesus and is exalted by him.
By submitting to your husband, Andrea, you will be exalted by him. He will be devoted to your good, and you will
be devoted to his honor. Marriage is a
blessed commitment.
When Ruth vowed, “For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I
will lodge… Where you die I will die…” (Ruth
1:16,17), she had no idea where that would be. Ruth may have heard stories about the land of
Judah, but odds are she had never been there.
She did not know what her future would be, only that she would be faithful
to her mother-in-law.
Nick and Andrea, you don’t know your future either. For now, Livonia will be home. That house may end up welcoming children. We pray it will, but we don’t know. Jobs may change. You may have problems with money and debt. There will be days of utter happiness and
days of deep sadness. You have already
known some of those difficult days this past year, having lost several family
members. And you will have disagreements. Although you are called to deny your own selfish
desires for the good of your marriage, you will fail to do that from time to
time.
The devil will use every conflict and every challenge to drive a wedge
between you. But where the Church is, Christ
is there to the very end of the age.
Where you go, Christ will be with you.
Where you stay, Christ will be with you.
The Lord will strengthen and preserve your blessed commitment to each. This commitment is stronger than feelings. A love based on feelings can turn gooey-eyes
to daggers over a poor choice of words. A
love based on a blessed commitment will show mercy to one another, forgive one
another, and continue to seek each other’s good. This
is precisely how Jesus Christ loves his Bride, the Church. Jesus is resolved in his commitment to
you. The devil cannot break that. Therefore, you need not let the
devil break your commitment to each other.
Marriage is a blessed commitment. God has established marriage for the good of
a man and a woman. His blessing rests
upon it, and upon you. Wherever you go, whatever
you face, you face it together in joyful union.
You are bound together as one family, one flesh, until death parts you. And—God be praised!—Jesus Christ has bound
himself to you. And not even death will
part you from him. For, Jesus lives and reigns
eternally. His Bride will live and reign
forever with him. “Blessed
are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation
19:9). The
faithful Groom will strengthen and sustain his Bride in its commitment to him. And he will strengthen and sustain your
blessed commitment to each other.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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