Sunday, June 18, 2006

Marriage at the Resurrection

Gen 2:18-24; Matt 22:29-30

Now, as "everyone" knows, I'm Mr. Romantic and is of course going to be happily married one day (you can laugh now). So, after having had many mishaps in this particular area in my life (I MAY share about those someday), I've been really cautious and am really relying on the Word for guidance in this.

*Warning* Further reading may totally drain off all your hope/desire/aspirations/ideals of marriage.

Oh man, feel like I'm teaching ss... ANYWAY.

Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him...

The man said,
" This is now bone of my bones,
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man."

For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. Gen 2:18; 23-24

The book "Boy Meets Girl" by Joshua Harris called these verses as the "Original Love Story", and I gotta admit it's true. So amazing ain't (not a real word) it? The first man: yet to see, hear or conceive of a mate a partner; for him to take a glimpse of her for the first time and know that God made her just for him? A real "match-made-in-heaven" if there's ever such a thing.

Embarrassingly to admit, this passage has regularly given me "hope". Hope that God doesn't want the Ho to be alone. That God said it wasn't good for the Ho to be alone. But alas! Man had to fall and ruin this beautiful part of God's creation. Reduced it to this:

But Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven." Matthew 22:29-30

So was it a mistake? This whole "and they shall become one flesh". I've always felt uncomfortable with the vow "till death do us part". Why till death do us part? Why part at all?
Can't people stay married in the Kingdom of God? Isn't marriage the beautiful creation of God, so beautiful in fact, that He uses it as a picture of the relationship of the church and His Son? The Holy Institution/ Matrimony?

Thus, after a lengthy discussion with kc, my conclusion is this. Call me a cynic, but marriage isn't as great as I thought it to be. A rite where 2 people form a covenant of love only and only for this lifetime. Yes, love is unpopular and it can be beautiful, sacrificial and self-less. But yet, all nulled by the great equalizer (death). Imagine, 2 people go through thick and thin for each other because of their boundless love. Yet at the resurrection, we'll all have no "special thing" for anybody. Oh sure, the memories will be there. But it will not matter. "We will be like the angels in heaven".

Please don't misunderstand me. I in no way am bitter towards my Maker and I still DO intend to get married one day (so don't despair, you still have a shot), yet after having arrived to these thoughts, I felt empty. And in my heart, I cried. Not for my future marriage. But cried that sin has defiled this beautiful part of God's plan. That where God intended for us to love one another forever, to find each our own "helper", sin has obilerated and smashed to irrelevance in the new Jerusalem.

*Man I'm starting to yawn, hope it's nothing to do with this post.*

The fact is, despite all those romantic dramas, stories, songs or even great Christian love stories of our age, we are incapable of that. That which is a total joining of 2 bodies, 2 lives, 2 souls into 1 body, 1 life , 1 soul. At this point dear reader (if you're still awake), my thoughts become incoherent pertaining this topic.

So I'll just leave you with this question: "It's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all." What do YOU think? My parents are getting old and like all of creation, will die. Entering heaven, they will no longer be husband and wife. Fellow children-of-God "only". All the love, things they have gone through. I know it's a better way, God's way. But yet, feelings of loss/sadness creep into me...

Comments appreciated: whether on this topic, improvements on my written english or to write something less "gloomy".

p.s. Once again, don't worry. I still intend to get married (future blog post topic?).

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