Topic: MARRIAGE IS A GREAT MYSTERY!
THEME SCRIPTURE:
Ephesians 5:31-33 (KJV)
[31] For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. [32] This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. [33] Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
MESSAGE:
We discovered in our previous devotion that marriage is primarily for companionship, for purposeful living. There must be a purpose for which the man and his wife come together as companions; for where there is no purpose, abuse is inevitable!
As both husband and wife pursue a purpose for living, the more the husband loves his wife, the more the wife loves him back. Likewise, the more the wife gives reverence to her husband or respects the husband by submitting to him, the more the husband honours her both privately and publicly. In other words, marriage is built on mutual love and respect.
This is the exact picture our theme Scripture seeks to paint. In one breadth, Apostle Paul was talking about a man leaving his father and mother and becoming one flesh with his wife; and in another breadth, he starts talking about Christ and the Church. Then, he swiftly turns back to the subject of husband loving his wife, even as himself, and the wife seeing to it that she gives reverence to her husband. No wonder Scripture calls it a great mystery. It’s not just a mystery, but a great mystery! A mystery is a hidden secret. The correlation between husband and wife in one breadth, and Christ and His Church in another breadth, is a great mystery!
We said marriage is for companionship, for purposeful living; but until married couples discover that the ultimate purpose of God is for the marital union to be the perfect picture of the union between Christ and His Church, the marriage hasn’t achieved its true purpose yet.
