Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24 ESVUK)
This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:32)
Matthew, Mark and Luke feature conversations that Jesus has with people who want to see if He knows what He’s doing, and one of the challenges revolves around which is the greatest commandment. The response to this query is the same, involving both vertical and horizontal relationships. People rightly prioritise the first part in the nature of the love we give to God. That is the premise on which we address how we treat everyone who isn’t us.
It’s intriguing to see how both relationships are hugely hinted at in Paul’s instructions to the saints in Ephesus. When dealing with the important first relationship – that between a husband and wife – Paul goes off on a connective flight of the eternal purposes of God when he states that what was outlined in Genesis 2:24 was an indication of what Jesus does with His Bride. He insists this is the resolution of the mystery, yet that resolution still acts as a model for how the human relationship should work out. And so we come back to that initial set-up of male and female.
Man already has his responsibility in the garden. Man is already exercising dominion in naming the creatures that God brings to him. That’s working well, but God knows this is not complete because man needs a helper suitable for him to complete his responsibilities. God knows that, as well as knowing what that will do, as a picture of what it is to be human and how that’s inextricably connected to right relations with the Creator.
When Man sees what God has been getting up to while he was asleep, Man literally is beside himself. He’s ecstatic at the encounter with this final creature he gets to name, and because she’s come from him, he connects with her in a way he will not connect to any other part of creation. Their relationship is crucial to having dominion and completing the mandate that God has given to humanity. Theirs is the pillar and foundation for society. What does love, service and sacrifice look like? It starts in the marriage. What does collaborative harmony for social good look like? It starts with the marriage. What does negotiation, planning, complementing, supporting, encouraging, challenging, nurturing, and so much more look like? It starts with the marriage. Marriage is the base on which human flourishing takes place when that marriage reflects the relational bond and faithfulness that is evidenced in the character of God.
Those qualities are not exclusive to marriages, but they are best expressed in marriage. There are, indeed, facets of the marriage that are unique to the context, but on the whole, what’s going on is a pattern for human relations that takes in responsibility, collaboration and a mutual desire to bring glory to God by doing what’s right in the relationship.
Understanding the call, the responsibility, the diligence, and vigilance, as well as the vertical and horizontal aspects, are all foundational in fulfilling the mission of God and setting up values for any missional enterprise.
Having firm foundations in life can help to thrive in the sunshine and withstand the challenges in stormy situations. Those firm foundations are there to take with us on the move in progressing to the end God has for us. It’s worth assessing those foundations to ensure they start and end with our relationship with God in Jesus Christ by His Holy Spirit. That basis fills everything else in – the relationships on earth, the work we do, the responsibilities to complete the job – everything makes sense in the context of that firm foundation.
For His Name’s Sake
C. L. J. Dryden
Shalom
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