Today's Reading: Table of Duties-To Husbands
Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 5:1-19; Matthew 22:23-46
. . . treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, . . . (1 Peter 3:7b)
Remember all that “let there be” stuff from yesterday—from the Word of God on Creation? Well part of all that was God’s “let there be” command that created a partner and helper for man.
But that partner and helper was not to be another beast of burden created to be subdued and dominated. No, the partner and helper called woman was, and is flesh of man’s flesh and bone of his bone. “Therefore a man leaves his father and mother and cleaves to his wife.”
More than just the duty of a man to his wife, which is a duty of love and sacrifice for her sake and the sake of his children, this cleaving to his wife is the relationship of Christ to His church—to you and all believers in Him.
Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, left His Father’s side in order to cleave to His dearly beloved bride, the Church, which was taken and formed from the water and blood that flowed from His side. Now risen and ascended back to the right hand of the Father, this Christ of God continues to cleave to His holy bride in the water of Holy Baptism and the blood of His new testament in the cup of Holy Communion. In these things he gives her strength in her own weakness and bestows upon all of her members the inheritance of eternal life.
Now remember Little T, that little one baptized into the kingdom of God on All Saints Day 2008 even as he was in the hospital on life support? Was there ever a weaker partner than this one—not even able to breath on his own? Little T never saw his first birthday. He died one year ago today. Yet, through the waters of Baptism our dear Lord made him an heir with you of the gracious gift of life—in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus loves me! This I know, For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong; They are weak, but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so. (LSB 588: 1)