God’s Design, Our Calling
Today’s Bible Verses:
Mark 10:6-9 ESV
(Jesus said) “But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Today, a friend of mine is getting married. Last night, I reflected on the meaning of marriage, especially because our Lord Jesus gave us the words from our verses this Sunday in our Gospel reading.
In these verses, Jesus reminds us of the fundamental truth about marriage, established by God at the beginning of creation. He points back to Genesis, where God created humanity in His image, male and female, and instituted the sacred union of marriage.
Jesus highlights two essential aspects of marriage: leaving and cleaving. A man leaves his father and mother, signifying a shift in primary allegiance. While honoring and respecting parents remains important, the marital bond creates a new family unit where husband and wife become each other's priority.
This leaving is not merely physical but also emotional and spiritual. It involves establishing a new household, setting shared goals, and making decisions together as a couple. This process can be challenging, requiring maturity and a willingness to embrace a new level of responsibility and interdependence.
Cleaving, conversely, speaks of the profound intimacy and unity that marriage is meant to foster. The two become "one flesh," indicating a union that goes beyond the physical. It encompasses emotional, intellectual, and spiritual connection, creating a bond of mutual support, love, and shared life.
Jesus' words affirm that marriage is not a human invention but a divine institution. It is God's design for humanity, reflecting His image and serving as a testament to His love and faithfulness. This understanding provides a solid foundation for marriage, grounding it in something greater than fleeting emotions or societal trends.
Living out this calling requires intentionality and commitment. It involves prioritizing the relationship, practicing forgiveness and grace, and continually seeking to grow together in love and faith. It also means recognizing that marriage, like all aspects of human life, is affected by sin and, therefore, requires God's ongoing grace and guidance.
Prayers
Remember:
The people of the southeast who are dealing with the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene.
All people dealing with cancer
Those who reject Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
A Prayer for Today:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of marriage, a reflection of Your love and the sacred union You created. Please help all married couples to honor Your design, leave and cleave faithfully, and seek Your grace to build strong and lasting marriages that bring you glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
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