Dearly Beloved Isaiah 29:11-19 Ephesians 5:22-33 Mark 7:1-13 Pentecost 14 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. To the saints who are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God, our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Bridge 4 years ago (after a Saturday evening Divine Service in June of 2014), Kami and I formally renewed our wedding vows after 30 years of marriage, doing-so before this altar with the help of Pastor Jacob Heine from our neighboring congregation at the time officiating. Dearly beloved, we are gathered together today to renew again all-of-our wedding vows, those of our baptism as well as every other one which includes our marriage vows and our parenting ones as well as our work contracts and friendship and neighbor agreements. We remember first, though (and again), the vows God made us in Jesus. The Father gave a Bridegroom to be joined to His counterpart in the Church, created for and by Him so that He could be forever of the same flesh (and of one-and-the-same body) as His beloved. A faithfully-determined and committed Husband left His Father and mother to hold fast to His wife upon a cross, so-as-to, also, hold on to her through to a resurrection with Him. He remains loving the Church inseparable-to-her as she s His own body, having shed His blood to take her, sanctifying her now, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word for the purpose that He might present her (the church) to Himself and His Father in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, proud that she might BE holy and without
blemish. Faithful, committed, and dutiful husbands will always do for their wives what Jesus did and does for His: sacrifice (or just plain love, because that s what love really is) and sanctify (guard her purity because that s the eternally-loving goal: to have her that way). For husbands who are-of-god (and that, often, includes women and children-of-god given, also, husbandly tasks of caring for others as Christ does the Church), we sacrifice ourselves to better the one we care for. Text for wives Addressing His people as Dearly Beloved for, also, dearly loving, what a perfect identifier that title is. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul has been telling us all about God s love for us as (literally) His daughters-in-law, in Christ / His Son s wife and of one flesh with Him His most Beloved. Arranged-for-in-marriage to His Son since before the world s foundation, God the Father adopted us to be children-by-marriage (daughters-in-law again, wed to Jesus death and resurrection through baptism) so in, then, His very own divine household to take-care-of-us constantly like a perfect father would a daughter. For us who are male in the room, faithful husband-ship is manly, but even the gruffest among us have-to, first, embrace our more feminine side told we re the wife (literally) of our Husband Jesus. I m wearing my, remember, wedding dress by example. You saints, also, where yours (as the Book of Revelation tells us). The writer, John, saw you and I (male and female and even himself) clothed in the white robes of Christ s righteousness. That s (literally) how Heaven sees us as does Hell (dressed in the purity of our husband s gift). Embrace your reality as one who s a daughter-in-law for the Heavenly Father. Embrace your wifely-role married to His Son Jesus. That role (or vocation) for us (loved, so cared-for) is what equips us to also engage in the husbandly (manly and parental / managerial) role on the flipside.
Without the care and feeding of the Lord God in Jesus as a husband tends to his wife, you ll not be equipped to be the husband or father or boss or care-giver that you need to be that truly is learned from the perfect man and husband in Jesus-for-us. And wives and children and employees and people being-cared-for, submit to your husbands or parents or authorities or care-givers as you ve learned to submit (and be cared-for) by God in Christ Jesus. Before it s ever the Godly-thing-to-do in giving care and love, receiving it graciously / submitting-to-it humbly, gently, patiently, and with thanksgiving is the THING. In this Divine Service, I m cared-for by the One who s Divine (and that s God in Christ), but I also serve as His hands and feet and mouth / therefore as your visible husband and father and care-giver / shepherd under the Great Shepherd, Jesus, doing-so for Him. My job, then, is to love you as Jesus did and does by giving you His Word that s healthy and food and audible forgiveness for Jesus, blessing you in-person for Him. In this place, a police officer would be wise to submit to Christ through me, receiving the best from His Husband Jesus by my hands and voice. But after Church, if I were to speed on down the road, I d be, then, wise to submit to him as his wife and child, him in authority for Christ Jesus to care for me and this town by watching out for me and my speed and our safety. Children, you have teachers who will act on behalf of your parents come Monday, and workers, you ll have bosses and supervisors who will provide a husbandly and parental duty to you for Christ. Submit to these all as to Jesus Himself (because that s who they stand in the stead of). That submission is God-pleasing and the right way to act as a wife and children / students or employee s pleasing God. Text for husbands Husbands (those in husbandly and parental and overseeing roles), love as Christ loved the Church, giving 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 her 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 hated His own flesh, but nourishes it and cherishes it, just as Christ does the Church, because we are members of His body (of one body with Him after He had made Himself to be of one body with us). Husbands, and fathers and mothers (parents), and teachers and employers and police officers (in your duty) and friends (for people who need a friend), be the sacrificially-loving husband that Jesus was (and still is) for the world. God loved the world by giving to it His one and only Son, to marry it in the incarnation so that whoever believes in Him (joined to Him as one flesh with Him) might not perish but have eternal life. Husbands (or those in that husbandly role / care-givers in every walk of life), bare that sacrificial task as Christ Jesus bore it (is still baring it continuing to intercede for us / on our behalf with His blood to His Father, feeding us all the meanwhile and being with us). Don t, just, like from the selfish feelings that the world promotes as love (which isn t but, only, an affection maybe or, even, just lust). Love actively and by commitment, determined in spite of feelings ( while we were sinners, Christ died for the ungodly ). Application In practical application, this is nothing short of understanding that every ounce of relating (which is the active moments in relationships) are unequal constantly. In any given active moment of relating, one person is to serve while the other submits to that service. Roles can change, certainly, as do the circumstances of their specifics, but each has a duty on one side of the equation or the other; and recognizing that will dedicate our actions appropriate to the side you re on. In this room, I cherish my moments at the far end of the communion rail. I enjoy (for the moment) embracing my wifely and child role as one of the elder s husbands me / serving me /
feeding me the bread and wine of Jesus body and blood. My Amen at the end of his blessing is every bit of a thank you in humble-appreciation of getting what I ve been given by a husband-figure standing in for Jesus (my main husband). And I don t mind (completely) being my wife s wife when she cares-for-me regarding my eating habits. As my husband in that area, she s loving me (and I know sacrificially as it d be much easier for her to not have to put up with my complaining about her concern for me there) as she compels me to eat more-healthy. I know that she d not have to sacrifice so much if I didn t fight her engaging her husbandly role with me in holding me to a good diet so, Kami, I m sorry I make your husbandly duty with me on that tough. I address all of you as kids, often, when I welcome you into the church building remembering my fatherly role with you here in this place: to be husband and teacher and Jesus-(see-able as much as I can) to be faithful to that responsibility. I am pastor because that husbandly job needs done. The world needs cared-for, and what a privilege it is that God makes US duty-bound to serve (in His Son s stead), husbandly and parental, being care-givers as Jesus IS when we are doing it for Him. Wives (of both sexes and of all ages), love the Lord God with all your heart and mind, submitting to Him. Husbands (of both sexes and of all ages), love your neighbor as yourself, caring-for every one of them in +Jesus name. Amen.