January 23
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THE LOVE THAT THE HUSBAND OUGHT TO GIVE HIS WIFE
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28 So husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 because we are parts of His body. 31 FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND HIS MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless, as for you individually, each husband is to love his own wife the same as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.
-Ephesians 5:25-33
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There is so much confusion in the roles of husband in our world today. It was the same issues that the Ephesians were facing in the days of Paul. So, he gave them a guideline as to the husband’s mandate to love the wife that was given to them. In verse 25, Paul commands husbands to give their wives the kind of love Christ would give his church. What does this mean? Paul gives a clear example how Christ gave Himself up for the church. He is talking about “sacrificial love”. Do we know how to sacrifice in this age of “selfies”? Do we value sacrifice in a world where the gods are the self? In verse 26, Paul gives the reason for sacrificial love that is ought to be given to the wife. It will purify her and Paul further instructs him how to do this: by cleansing her with truth that comes from God’s word. Verse 27 gives the husbands what the result or consequence would be if he did sacrificially love and cleanse her with Scriptures: she will be holy and blameless.
Paul reminds the husband of his own body when he commands him to love his wife. No wonder we have so much proliferation of pornography. Many men probably do not love their own bodies or they wouldn’t engage in such filthy acts of lasciviousness. Paul likens a man’s care for his own body as Christ cares for his church. Paul further expounds on the mystery of marriage, the two are already one flesh and no longer two separate bodies. They are now bound to operate as unified one body and need to care for that united flesh and united spirit just like Christ and his church are one.
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REFLECTION
• Why are husbands unable to sacrificially love their wives in our current world?