All husbands want submissive wives. They will eagerly point out the scripture that tells their wives to submit. They usually stop after verse 22. The question is not whether wives should or should not be submissive. The question I want to ask is the husband living his part of the scripture.
Paul compares the relationship of the husband and wife to that of Christ and the church. Christ is the groom, head of the church. Christians are the bride of the church. We are to be submissive to Him. As a Christian we do not question our role in being submissive to Jesus. It is expected and accepted. True we might have a hard time with it from time to time. Husbands need to remember that just as a Christian can have difficulties with submission to God so does a wife with her husband.
I want to focus on the comparison of the husband as head of the household and Christ as head of the church. Why are Christians able to submit to Christ, this is because of several reasons? One reason is Jesus first loved us. He loves us unconditionally and completely no matter what we say or do. Two, Christ came to serve not be served, Matthew 20:28 “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Three, Jesus also suffered a horrible death for the salvation of His bride.
What is the role for the husband? As Christ served, so must the husband serve his wife. Just as Jesus gave of himself so must the husband give for his wife. Jesus sacrificed his life for the life of His bride. Husbands should be willing to give of themselves. Jesus is a teacher, comforter, provider, protector He is all things. Husbands are told to uphold their wives blameless before the Lord, Ephesians 5:26.
It is my belief that if husbands stepped up and fulfilled their obligations to Christ as husbands and truly honored their wives as Christ honored the church wives would be willing to submit to their husbands. Submission to their husbands does not make them sub servant to their husbands. Galations 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Genesis 2:18 “The LORD God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’” Wives are not servants or slaves to their husbands but helpers. Most couples will truly complement each other. Each couple has their weaknesses and strengths. His weakness will be her strength and her weakness will be his strength. There by creating a whole or complete unit. Genesis 2:24 “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.” Is half your body greater than the other? All parts are equal and it takes all parts to make a complete body. In the same way it takes all Christians to make up the body of Christ. To continue the thought process it takes a husband and wife, equal parts, to be complete in the marriage. One last thought we are all incomplete without Christ…
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