Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text that serves as the basis for this message comes from the reading from the Gospel of John, the fifteenth chapter:
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
Beth and Isaiah, and my dear friends in Christ,
Today is finally the day that you have been waiting for. Beth, you have planned and plotted, you have dreamed and desired. Isaiah, you have been right there with her. We have worked together, we have talked about much, and today is finally the day, the day when you will both take each other as your beloved spouse, to have and to hold from this day forth and even forevermore.
And this is a joyous day. This is a glorious day. This is a wonderful day. But this is day one, my friends. This is the wedding that begins your marriage. Today, you know, is not the fullness of the marriage itself. Today, there are rainbows and unicorns, today there are wedding bells, brass quintets, feasting, and glorious beauty in this place. But I cannot tell you what tomorrow will bring. I cannot tell you that it will all be the same as this forever and ever.
Now, I don’t say that to scare you. I say that, Beth and Isaiah, because you know that I’ve never been anything but real with you. Your marriage begins on the commitment you make this day to each other. This day, you are husband and wife for the rest of your lives. This day, you will stand before each and every person here and you will promise to love each other, to be committed to one another, which is what love is.
And this is what the text today is about, love. But, notice here that love is not based on conditions. It’s not a, “if you please me, then I’ll love you.” It’s not a, “don’t make me mad because I’ll fall out of love with you.” God’s love, because that’s really what the text is talking about here, God in Christ Jesus, God’s love is not conditional. There is nothing you need to do to earn God’s love. You have it. And if you have any doubt that you have it, look above you on the wall.
The cross is the symbol of God’s love. God loved you, God loved the world, and God loved each and every person in this place, so much that He sent His one and only Son to die, so that whoever believes in that Son, Jesus Christ, would have the forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and the love of God always. God was committed, you were acquitted. God gave His Son, you were freed. There were no ifs, ands, or buts about it. God gave His Son. You didn’t have to do a thing.
However, we have done so much evil that we should expect that God wouldn’t have given us His Son. We’ve been such sinners that God would have been justified in never loving us, but leaving us. We should expect Him to hate us, or at least, be ambivalent towards us.
But God loves us. And He loves you. And this passage is a beautiful illustration of God’s love, and it can be turned towards your marriage.
Here’s how it goes: God the Father loved His Son. God the Son has loved you. So Jesus came for you, His bride, the Church. He loved her. And now, in a union with Him, we abide in His love. We listen to His commandments; and what are those commandments? Hear His Word, receive His Sacraments, be forgiven. And so Jesus asks us to abide, to live, to love, to dwell in those gifts of Word, Sacrament, and forgiveness. In the Church, when these things are done, there is nothing but love. There is no condemnation, there is no fear, for this is perfect love, and perfect love casts out fear. The Church then dwells in love with her Savior, Jesus Christ, and we love each other as Christ has loved us. This brings us joy, this brings us hope, this brings us all the gifts of God as we love and serve one another.
Here’s how this is in marriage: Isaiah and Beth, you are embarking on a journey in which you have pledged love toward one another. You are an image of Christ and His Bride. You have gifts for one another, you dwell in the love that is promised one another. And the greatest gift you can give one another, it’s not doing the dishes, it’s not a baby, it’s not a new house, it’s not material things. The greatest gift you can give one another is forgiveness, confession and absolution. This is love, and this is the sum of Christ’s commandments.
Christ’s Word, Christ’s Sacraments, Christ’s forgiveness, they’re all centered around confession and absolution and you can have these together, as a married couple. You will both do things that aren’t loving toward one another, you will sin. Repent and be forgiven. Hear the confession and forgive the other person. This is love. And this is what Christ has done for you. And this is what He will continue to do for you. But it’s also how we live in love toward one another.
Notice again, the love in the passage is not conditional. Oh sure, it sounds like it, “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love.” But, that’s not a condition, that’s just fact. If you receive my forgiveness you will know love. It’s like saying, if you drive between the lines, you won’t plow into a tree. It’s like, if you jump into the lake, you will get wet.
And that’s what marriage is. That’s what we’ve worked towards and that’s what I want to leave you with today. If you jump into the lake, you will get wet. If you are married, you will learn to forgive and be forgiven. There is no greater love than this, for you are laying down your lives, Beth and Isaiah, for each other. Today, you promise to love and cherish. You lay down your selfishness, your own desires for the desires of your spouse. And this is good. This is glorious. This is marriage. This is the image of Christ and His Church.
Remember, Christ loves you. He laid down His life for you. He forgives you. And Christ will do that when you’re having rainbow and unicorn days, and He will even do all that when you feel nothing but storm clouds. If He can do that, He can do anything. And He will. He will guard your marriage. His Word will guide you into all truth. His Sacraments will bring to you His love to share with each other. And His forgiveness will ground you in each other and Him forever. For love, Christ’s love, is as strong as death, and stronger, for He has overcome death, even this very Easter week, to forgive you and seal you together as believers in Him, and as husband and wife this day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord! Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment