The Mission of Marriage

Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

August 25, 2013

Genesis 1:26

The Mission of Marriage

This is the fourth and final sermon based on

Tim Keller's book The Meaning of Marriage.

In the name of Jesus.

I.

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to speak once of marriage. We've given away the secret of marriage and discussed its essence. But what is it all for? What did Jesus design marriage to do?

II.

To find the answer, let's go back to the beginning. In the beginning God created the world in six 24-hour days. On Day Six, He said, “Let Us make man in Our own image.” Who is the Us? To Whom is He talking?

The Us is the Trinity, our Three-in-One God—the Holy Father, the Holy Son, and the Holy Spirit. They reveal Their desire to make a holy man.

Through the inspired pen of Moses, we get an insight into how we were designed. The Persons of the Trinity love and honor each Other in a perfect relationship. They always speak of the Others as the most important and precious. Thus, it is reasonable to conclude that, among other things, being created in God's image means that we were designed for relationships, where each person loves and honors the other. (Keller, The Meaning of Marriage, page 111)

Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being. . . . Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper as his complement.” . . . So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to come over the man, and he slept. God took one of his ribs and closed the flesh at that place. Then the Lord God made the rib He had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man. And the man said:

This one, at last, is bone of my bone

and flesh of my flesh;

this one will be called “woman,”

for she was taken from man.

(Genesis 2:7,18,21-23)

“At last!” said Adam. He's no longer alone. You might point out that Adam wasn't alone because God was there. But it is God who pointed out that Adam was alone in the first place. From His own words, God reveals to us that He designed man to need relationships with other human beings. The poet John Donne wrote (Meditation XVII):

No man is an island,

Entire of itself

God did not design us to be alone.

III.

We need relationships. You have many of them. And some of them are friendships. There are some friends who are friends because they have common interests. Other friendships are based on common beliefs. Perhaps the best relationships, especially marriages, are the ones that share the same interests and the same confession of Christ.

In marriage you get to be your spouse's dearest companion and friend. And this means that you are transparent with each other. You are honest with each other by honestly confessing your sins and also lovingly confronting the sins of your spouse.

Brothers, if someone is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual should restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so you also won’t be tempted. (Galatians 6:1)

The other part of friendship is constancy. Married friends stick together when parents or children die, when the money is gone or going, when one of you has Alzheimer's.

Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2)

This is the mission of marriage. God designed marriage to put you into an intimate relationship where you get to see and support your beloved at their worst and at their best. When you see their sin, call them to repent and thank God. When you see their best, rejoice with them and thank God.

On the cross, Jesus was forsaken by God Himself and rejected by all mankind. But so what? At the request of His Father, He gave Himself for us despite us. He put the desire of His Father and our good ahead of Himself.

And this is the secret of marriage: holy Jesus and His bloody cross where He gave up everything for you. This perfect supreme consideration of others ahead of Himself is given to you through the Gospel Sacraments and gives your marriage power. Your promises to Christ and to your spouse to be faithful help you daily in the mission of marriage: to be Christ to your spouse. As Gospel fruit, you consider your spouse as the most important thing and you act and speak accordingly.

Dearly beloved, let us pray.

Eternal Christ, source of Love, help us to fulfill the promises we have made or will make to reflect Your steadfast love in our love for each other. Give us kindness and patience, affection and understanding, happiness and contentment. Use our promises to You and above all, Your promises in the Sacraments to support us in difficult days, that our love for each other may continue to grow for the rest of our lives.

In the name of the Father

and of the † Son and

of the Holy Spirit. Amen.