Thursday, June 11, 2015

My True Caretaker

Ephesians 5:22-24 is the passage that says that husbands should love their wives the way Christ loved the church.  Christ gave up his life for the church.  Christ, the Church's only husband, has exclusive right to worship and adoration from his bride.

Revelation 12 is that odd passage about a woman who gives birth to the Christ child and a dragon set to destroy both her and the child.  Well, the dragon did destroy the child, but the Child came back from the dead and has defeated the dragon.  He now can take his bride, the woman distressed by the dragon, and live happily ever after.

All people know that Mary physically gave birth the Jesus.  If we take the passage literally, then it would be taking about her.  This being a vision given to John about salvation and the kingdom's consummation, this is actually more than Mary.  It is the whole Church.  Just like Mary's son happens to be her own Creator and Redeemer, so we are the reason Christ came to earth.  We carry his Holy Spirit in us as his redeemed.  In a sense, we gave birth to him, but he is our Creator, Sustainer and eternal Husband.

In some odd way that defies human logic and relations, the Church is both my mother and myself while God is my Father, and Jesus, who is God the Son, is my husband and brother. 

A true local church will allow you to be wed to your husband.  You have doffed the name of your former household and taken on the name of Christ your king.  Therefore, the church needs to allow you direct access to your husband since we no longer need a mediator between us and God the Father.  We should not have to go through anybody other than Christ to get to Christ.  Not a priest, pastor, elder, deceased person, mother, grandmother, father, etc.  You have complete privilege to come into Christ's presence because Christ was slain by the dragon and then defeated that same dragon by rising from the dead and taking his power.  He did this for you the Redeemed.

On my wedding day, Chad who officiated stood by Tim as they watched my dad light a candle in the front of the chapel.  Chad told Tim that the candle symbolized the truth that responsibility for my care no longer falls on my mom and dad.  It now falls on my husband, Tim.  Therefore, if I'm in trouble, I will go to him before I call dad and trust him to take care of me completely.  We need to love our Lord the same way but only better.  Tim may fail me, and I may fail Tim, but Jesus will always succeed for us and bring us to our proper home.  We simply need to let go and trust.

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