The Groom's Day

Husbands, love your wives, as 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 ESV). I read the following true story recently. It is amusing and it holds a deeper truth than any of us might at first imagine. It seems that, fed up with the way the bride invariably steals the show at her own wedding, the university at which Rob Tombes works (exact school unknown) carried in its news weekly its own “unbiased” account of his recent marriage to Mary Beth Snyder: Mr. Robert Tombes, son of Dr. and Mrs. Averett Tombes of Fairfax, Va., became the bridegroom of Miss Mary Elizabeth Snyder today at Fairfax Presbyterian Church. His brother Thomas Hamilton Tombes as best man attended Mr. Tombes. As the groom approached the altar he was the cynosure of all eyes. Blushing handsomely, he replied to the questions of the clergyman in low but firm tones. He was charmingly clad in a 3-piece suit consisting of coat, vest and pants. The coat, of some dark material, was draped handsomely about the shoulders and tastefully gathered under the arms. A touching story was current among the guests that the coat was the one worn by his father and grandfather on their wedding days. Mr. Tombes would neither affirm nor deny the truth of this sentimental touch. The vest was sleeveless and met in the front. It was gracefully fashioned with pockets and at the back was held together by a strap and buckle of the same material. The groom’s pants were of some dark material, and were suspended from the waist, falling in a straight line almost to the floor. The severe simplicity of the garment was relieved by the right pantelet which was caught up about four inches from the floor by a Boston Brighton worn underneath, revealing just the artistic glimpse of leather, laced with string of the same color. The effect was rather chic. Beneath the vest the groom wore blue galluses attached to the pants fore and aft and passing in a graceful curve over each shoulder. His neck was encircled with a collar characterized by a delicate sawedge, and around the collar a cravat was loosely knotted so that it rode up under his left ear with a studied effect of carelessness which marks supreme artistry in dress. The best man’s costume was essentially the same as the groom’s, and as the two stood at the altar, a hush of awed admiration enveloped the audience. As Miss Snyder led the groom from the nuptials, it was noted that she wore the conventional white veil and orange blossoms. Unbiased? Hardly! It sounds so strange because we are used to the splendor of the bride being described. It just doesn’t seem fitting for that same sense of “glory” to be attached to the groom. And yet, in a spiritual sense it is most fitting. For those who are in the church are the “bride of Christ,” and the groom is none other than Jesus Christ himself. And while we are used to hearing about the splendor of the bride, in this relationship it is the groom who is to be held in awe. Any glory that is ours is only because of what the groom has done for us. Focus your attention on the Groom and his magnificent glory today!