As Christ Loved The Church

O Lord, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable in your sight, my rock and my redeemer. Amen.

If you are asked to submit to someone, how do you picture this happening?

You probably think of obeying someone who is above you.

Someone who has more authority than you.

Maybe someone like a boss at a job

or a police officer

especially if he pulls you over while driving.

There is nothing wrong with following authority, is there?

We hope that a person is placed into a position of authority

because the community wants the person there

and the person also wants what’s best for the community.

But the idea of submitting to someone seems to have a negative meaning our modern Western world.

The concept of submitting gives the idea that a person has given up their free will and their identity to take on someone else’s will and identity.

It’s almost as if a person becomes a slave to someone else,

as a slave was to his owner during the American slave trade.

However, Paul in our Epistle lesson doesn’t seem to use the word submit

as if it’s a dirty word.

Nor does he use it in the sense that a person’s freedom is forcefully taken away.

Rather a person gets to choose to submit,

just as a person can submit and follow through the job

given by their boss, the person they choose to work for.

In Ephesians 5:21,

Paul asks the church to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

What does this submitting to each other look like?

It’s allowing each person to do their job.

It’s allowing the people lead when it’s their job to lead.

It’s allowing others to serve when it’s their time to serve.

It’s embracing everyone’s gifts and talents and roles that

each person is given.

It’s living in a community where everyone is embracing each other the best they can.

I would rather live in a community that is for you rather than against you, wouldn’t you as well?

Now Paul gives an example of submission here in verse Ephesians 5:22.

He says, “Wives, submit to your own husbands.”

This instruction can bring some heat into any conversation, couldn’t it?

Then Paul also says, “as to the Lord.”

“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.”

Long time Christians know they should follow and be faithful to God even when they don’t understand why.

And Paul is asking wives to treat their husbands likewise?

Is Paul trying to dig himself in a hole?

What is Paul trying to get at?

Well, then he stops talking about the role of wives

and begins to talk about the role of a husband.

He says, “For the husband is the head of the wife.”

Easy for Paul and I to say isn’t it?

But then he compares this role to Christ.

“as Christ is the head of the church.”

“For the husband is the head of the wife

even as Christ is the head of the church.”

Christ being the head of the church isn’t a role Christians generally wouldn’t argue about.

They know Jesus is head over the people. Over the church.

Yes, we are friends of God, but Jesus is still in authority.

In verse 24 Paul again paraphrases, “As the church submits to Christ,

so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.”

Have you thought of marriage as an illustration to our relationship to Christ?

Something that has similarities that continues to reveal itself?

Marriage is often thought of as an example of love where two people

love each other so much that they are inseparable.

Marriage is seen as a team working together for life.

A couple to be faithful for a lifetime.

Does this always happen?

Do all couples that get married stay married for a lifetime?

… No, no they don’t.

And there are a variety of reasons why.

Lies. Cheating. Neglect.

Too many examples to mention.

But whether a marriage ends in divorce or not,

each marriage has its issues.

There was once a person who shared with his friend that he was having marriage problems.

His friend replied, “I know.”

The person said, “You know?”

The friend said, “Yeah. Because when you are married

those are the kinds of problems you have.

When you’re single you have single problems.

When you are an adult you have adult problems

and when you are a teenager you have teenage problems.

Those are the kinds of problems you have.”

Now let me ask you, what about the church,

do the people in the church have church problems?

or are we all here because we are all perfect and have life all figured out.