Husband & Wife
I am going to keep the word volume tamed down as much as possible because there are a lot of comparisons that I could draw, examples I could use, and thoughts I have on the matter and I don’t want to get this convoluted.
Plus, I know you are all busy and I don’t want you to stop reading halfway through. :-)
The question I try to answer in this post is…
Why does Jesus use the Bride and Bridegroom analogy between Himself and the Church?
Before I was married I thought there was a better comparison He could have used. But now I see the parallels are obvious.
I know I am treading on dangerous territory here with some of my assumptions. If you disagree with the wants and needs I have identified and think I am a chauvinist, please give me a little grace. I am trying to keep things simple.
So, to over simplify, in his wife a man wants…
- A woman with eyes for no other - faithfulness
- Appreciation and thus, respect
- To be served by a helpmate
- Intimacy
- A woman he can show off to others (I’m just being honest here)
In her husband a woman wants…
- To be loved unconditionally
- Gifts
- Affirmation
- Intimacy
- To know that her husband is proud of her
From his Church Jesus wants…
- Faithfulness
- Appreciation - Worship
- To be served (his hands and feet)
- Intimacy
- A bride who can be shown off - a reflection of his glory
From Jesus the Church needs…
- To be loved unconditionally (which gets met every time)
- Blessing
- Affirmation
- Intimacy
- To know that Jesus approves of them
See the parallels?
Whenever a husband or wife does not meet the needs of the other or does not have their needs met, a distance is created between the two.
Whenever the Church does not meet Christ’s needs or when it removes itself from a position to receive the last five items mentioned, a distance is created between the two.
My questions to you are…
- In what ways is the Church not meeting Christ’s needs?
- Does the Church feel like Christ approves of it? If not, what implications does that hold?
