“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

This passage, found in Genesis 2:24 and echoed in Ephesians 5:31, provides for us the perfect definition of marriage.

The first important image we see is a man leaving both “his father and his mother”.  He is not leaving “his father and his father’s wife” as if to assume a different woman than his mother.  Likewise, he is not leaving “his mother and her husband”.  This implies a longevity of marriage, that a man and his wife remain married for the long haul.

The second important image we see is a man being united with his wife.  He is not being united with his girlfriend, his fiance, or his wives.  Neither is he being united with his husband.  He is being united with his one and only wife.

The final important image we see in this verse is the two becoming one flesh after the man being united with his wife.  This carries two important points of marriage simultaneously: that sexual relationships take place within the confines of marriage and that sexual union carries a great weight with it, such that the man and wife are considered to be one in the eyes of God.

We see in this passage a permanent union between one man and one woman with sexual abstinence until after the marital union.  Not only this, but we also see a pattern of this definition of marriage with the man’s father and mother.

This Biblical definition of marriage has been under attack for many years now.  In fact, we even see this issue under attack in the pentateuch.  Nothing that we face today is new, and the Biblical definition of marriage will remain if the church continues to fight for it.

The reason why we must fight for it is found in Ephesians 5:32, the very next verse after the one we have been looking at.  It says, “This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.”  Christ is the man and the church is the woman mentioned in verse 31.  

Christ pursues the church as his one bride.  Christ pursues her in purity.  Christ pursues her for an eternal union.  This perfect metaphor loses its weight if we refuse to fight for marriage.  Christ loved the church so much that he died to make her pure.  Refusing to fight for marriage takes this sacrifice for granted.

I am not so naive to assume everyone here has a perfect marriage.  In fact, I do not assume anyone here has a perfect marriage, free of selfishness.  Christ's pursuit of His bride, though, gives us the grace we so dsperately need; and as we move forward, we fight with this grace in hand.

As we take communion, we remember Christ’s body which was broken and His blood which was spilled out.  He died to redeem the church, and while this act of Communion is done to remember His death in fellowship with our brothers and sisters, our marriages represent his ultimate love to the world around us.