Great Expectations #2
Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself [being] the Savior of the body. 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives [ought to be] to their husbands in everything. (Ephesians 5:23-24 – NASB)
Let me without delay declare what this passage does not mean:
It does not mean the husband is the boss of the wife, and it does not mean the wife is the slave of the husband. It does not mean the wife is to always be at the beck and call of her husband and attend to his every need regardless of her own needs and desires.
To their shame Christian men of the past have subscribed to some form of this perverted interpretation of the marriage bond. Even in its mildest form this attitude is not only destructive to marriages in general, but a parody of what God intended for marriages to be.
You may think I am ranting about this, but the mere thought of a husband treating his wife in such a manner stirs up feelings of disgust and abhorrence, and a desire to set the record straight.
So, what when the apostle urged wives to be subject to their husbands, declaring husbands to be the head of the wife?
What is the relationship of your head to your body?
Your head, with its capacity to reason and make decisions has the responsibility of looking after your body, not abuse it. If you are not mentally deranged, your head bestows tender care over your body. You nurture and care for it. Sure you want your body to be subject to your commands, but only for its own good.
Being human we do not always treat our bodies in the best way in terms of what we eat and drink, and the things we subject it to. In general, however, we treat our bodies with respect so it can function in the best way possible. Our head, our reason, teaches us to care for our bodies, and not subject it to unreasonable stress or damaging circumstances.
We do not stab our bodies with a knife, beat it with a stick, or put it at risk to disease and danger. You are not the boss of your body, but its care-giver, its nurturer and champion for its good. If your hurt your body, you hurt yourself.
Such is the meaning of a husband being the head of his wife. He is dedicated to her, tender toward her, solicitous toward her, concerned for her needs, and in all ways treats her with respect, and appreciation for who she is.
For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself [being] the Savior of the body.
Ask yourself how Christ treats the church, and then treat your wife in the same way.” Christ gave Himself for the church. A husband’s relationship must be a self-giving, not a self-serving one.
But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives [ought to be] to their husbands in everything.
Ask yourself how the church is subject to Christ? The church is subject to Christ in the simple knowledge that He loves her. Every true follower of Christ desires to be obedient to Christ in the firm knowledge of His love for him or her. A wife who knows her husband loves her will not find it difficult to be in subjection to him. She will know that everything he asks of her will be motivated by a desire to bless her and care for her.
My father gave me instruction upon this matter from the time I was no more than seven or eight years old. He said:
Christopher, Women are God’s special gift from God to us men, and it is our responsibility to love them, care for them, respect them and protect them.”
I remember only two occasions on which my father was really angry with me, and when he disciplined me severely. On both occasions it was when I had disrespected my mother. My father knew how to love his wife – my mother.
Loving Your Wife
(© Wednesday 2nd March 2016 – by Christopher Shennan)
I always take care of my body’s needs,
So a husband should take care of his wife;
He’ll always be careful the way he leads,
And give of himself to enhance her life.
He does not consider his wife a slave,
Or one he considers of lesser worth;
He sees her more as a treasure God gave,
And as a great blessing here upon earth.
A self-giving love resides in his heart,
A reflection of the love God’s given;
He gives of himself in whole, not part,
Well aware it has come down from Heaven.
Don’t think of your wife as chattel or slave;
She’s a treasure till you go to the grave.
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A groom placing a wedding ring on the finger of his bride during a wedding ceremony by Petar Milošević. Copyright. Used under theCC BY-SA 4.0 license; please note the Disclaimer at the previous link. We have made no changes to this photo, except a possible sizing change.
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