Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female. And he said, “‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. - Matthew 19:4–5
Where do I begin with this? I rarely struggle for too long knowing what to say as I develop the weekly newsletter. And it is not that there is nothing that can be said, rather, that there is so much that can be said. Let me start here. Jesus affirms the Old Covenant worldview in regard to male and female, father and mother, husband and wife, and union between a man and a woman in a sacred tie that binds the two into a marital weaving that would last as long as they have breath in their lungs. Christ gives no other alternative, and by His mere mention of it and unequivocal expression of it, He eliminates all other options. This is the divine ideal for intimate human relationships. There is nothing else. Marriage, however, is not a command. It is a privilege and a gift. No one is obligated to enter into it, and singleness is just as much a gift as marriage. But marriage between two equal opposites is the preferred context for all healthy and holy, divinely approved intimate engagements.
And yet, humans do not live in an ideal world. As I have argued in the past when broaching this particular subject, we live in the real world. The ideal is long gone. It fell apart when men fell. It is not irrelevant, although many, even among churchgoers, find the ideal to be passé and anachronistic. It is interesting that the verses above were spoken to the religious elite of Jesus’ time who somehow wandered and deviated so far from the Bible that Jesus had to give them a lesson on the elementary basics of Adam and Eve. Here is the problem…because men are in a fallen condition, and still falling, they grasp what was and pull down everything that existed in God’s perfect world as they plummet to the depths of degradation. In doing this, they established their own new desired ideal and consider the previous one to be unreal and out of reach. Consider that what God has said about the purpose and meaning of marriage, the boundaries for sexual expression, the concept of gender identity, have all been undermined by all. At this point you are probably thinking of some particular person or group of people that have done this. But please, do not do that, look no further than yourself. You are a sinful and delinquent human being. You have broken God’s law more times than anyone but the angels can calculate. You are imperfect at expressing much less describing the love of God. You have failed oftentimes to reach the divine ideal in your intimate relationships. Yes, even you. This is why the Bible is so explicit about the fact that all people fall short of God’s glory. Therefore, every person, regardless of their proclivities and identities, is shamefully and woefully responsible for the decaying of the Lord’s flawless model for human existence. ”So what now then?”, you ask. Glad you asked.
Jesus has not given up on bringing the human race back to His ancient ideal. As a matter of fact, the reality of the redemption of humanity hinges on this. There is no hope and there is no help for us unless it be in Christ’s exemplary and exclusive ability to renew fallen people into the original image of God. And this restored nature is available to all. It is for all. If received in full, it will alter the desires, the behaviors, the manners, the thoughts, the cravings, the morality, the sensibilities, and the spirituality of any and every individual on earth who accepts the Holy Spirit of Christ within the soul. That which men have dismissed as outmoded is the very model men need. Christ in us, fixing our marriage problems, breaking our addictions to inappropriate imaginings and viewings, freeing us from our inordinate attractions. I know what it is like to be delivered from these things, and if Christ can deliver one, cannot Christ deliver all?
As you can see, this Sabbath’s message will be heavy, but so will be the presence of God. We will study with great interest, The Life and Teachings of Jesus: Relationships. Our focus will be the gospel of Jesus Christ, not the same routine critiques and complaints about the culture. It is the church right now that needs a refresher on the power of scripture. And do know, that I will be careful to use appropriate language and consider the young ears among us. May we seek to worship Jesus this weekend together in a spirit of humility and surrender. See you then!
Pastor Dean