Do you still believe in marriage? Praying a benediction over a jubilant young couple at the end of a wedding ceremony on Saturday reminded me of how much I love this institution. Marriage was God’s great idea. I signed the license, and we send it in for the county clerk to record. But it has already been recorded in heaven.
Adam approved God’s masterpiece when he saw Eve for the first time. True, Eve cost him a rib, but I get the feeling Adam would have gladly given an arm and a leg for a partner like her. They were created by God in his image. They shared bones and flesh as God took Eve out of Adam. The point of marriage is that husband and wife become one flesh.
Jesus and Paul both quoted this passage to establish the purpose and permanence of marriage. Husband and wife become one. We have seen in our own extended family how painful it is to dissolve the bond. Jesus said, “What God has joined together, let no one put asunder.”
The writer shows us the innocence of the first couple, as well. Created in God’s image, they felt no shame at all. Sin had not yet intruded on and distorted their understanding of themselves. This passage is the end of the first section of God’s big story. God’s creation was good from the start. God still believes in marriage. Do we? I said it again Saturday, “Let marriage be held in honor by all.”
