A Walk through Ephesians - Pt 23

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. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Ephesians 5:25–33 ESV).

 

Today’s reading continues the Apostle Paul’s practical instruction of the relationship of the husband to the wife in the family of believers. He says, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (v. 25). This is the foundational biblical command. It directs husbands to lead through self-sacrificial service, deep care, and unconditional devotion. It is modeled after Christ in that it should be a love that is sacrificial, active, and protective rather than passive.

 

Martin Luther once said of his beloved Katherine Von Bora, whom called Katie, or sometimes “Mrs. Dr. Luther”. He observed on one occasion, he said, "If God wanted me to be married to a meek woman, he'd have to carve one out of stone." What he was saying was that Katie was beautiful inside and she had a great spirit, but she wasn't a doormat for anybody, or Martin Luther or anyone else that came into the house. God is not calling women to be doormats, to be slavish in the way they relate to their husbands any more than God will ever tolerate a man exercising a tyranny over his wife.

 

Again, one of the great calamities of our day is the epidemic of wife abuse. I'm going to say this to every man in who reads this devotional, there are lots of sins that I can understand, but I cannot for the life of me understand how any man could ever hit a woman. Never let it be said of you that you would ever let your anger, in a domestic dispute, move you to such an action as to actually hit your wife. That's absolutely unconscionable. There are other ways to “hit” your wife. Emotional abuse, demeaning references, or rude remarks cannot be tolerated either. This is simply not the way of Jesus.

 

We must take care to treat our wife as our own body, nourishing and cherishing her. We should show mutual respect, building a unified partnership rooted in spiritual commitment. Some of the ways we can do this is through praying for your wife's spiritual and emotional well-being; listening actively during regular, open, relational communication; serving her daily needs through small, thoughtful acts of kindness; and, prioritizing dedicated time together without distractions.

 

This is the way of Jesus. It ought to be our way as well!