"Given in Love"

“Given in love”

A marriage is planned and the father will hand over the bride to her future husband.  Usually, a dowry is paid to ensure a completion of the contract, at least it was that way many years ago.

During the exchange of promises, the marriage vows, each will promise to live according to the mandates befitting their position in this spiritual event that is asked of God to bless.  

How important this promise to each other will become once the wedding ceremony grows cold and the words of fidelity now become real.  It isn’t that the wedding is forgotten but the reality of a life-time contract between a husband and wife now requires a full-time commitment that only they can fulfill.  Certainly there are friends and relatives who will always be around to support the newly-weds as long as everything goes according to a book of “Marriage made simple if such a book exists.  But when any challenge confronts our new couple the close friends and relatives seem to disappear and walk away, one by one.

Looking back at the words witnessed by those in attendance as the vows were spoken, the result of lasting support appears to be just for the newly-weds and not for anyone else.

In the parable of a wedding feast a king was about to give a banquet for his son and dispatched servants to summon the wedding guests, but they refused to come.  A second time he sent other servants, saying, “Tell those invited; behold I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast.” Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business.  The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.”   (Mt. 22:  2 - 6).  

First, when you are invited to attend a special occasion by an honorable person of importance, it is in bad taste to refuse to answer.  Second, a gracious manner of respect is to attend and make note of it to have an obligation to repay the invitation in some way even to the point of an undying sign of respect to the one whom the banquet was held.  

When we hear of a special need regarding the son of an important person our respect requires an attempt to make an effort to help.  Hence, the fuller adherence to be part of the vows spoken during the wedding.

Jesus used the very promise of a wedding to be held in his honor.  The main thrust is a marriage to be given by his Father.  The bride remains in waiting as a virgin is prepared until the dowry is  paid.  

As a man seeks until he finds a virgin worthy of his position so Jesus sought to find and prepare his future bride to share a marriage worthy of his Father’s approval.  His Father has already sent many servants into the fields where a harvest is about to reach fruition and needs workers to reap the harvest.  

Two actions are present to complete this wedding.  The bride must be ready to secure the crops for the feast.  And a dowry needs to be completed for the marriage to be blessed.  

We are the bride of Christ gathering the harvest, and the dowry was paid on the cross at Calvary.  When we hand over the pure grain of a harvest of souls the marriage will begin.

Ralph B. Hathaway