A friend's wife mentioned that they had attended a marriage conference and that she wanted to love her husband as "Christ loved the church." This really offended me. I shared with my wife, and she thought I was crazy--she thought it was a beautiful sentiment. I'm sure that it was meant to be a beautiful sentiment. I have ruminated over it, and I finally realized why it struck me so badly. It implies that Christ loved the church, and not others. It implies that, if we attend church, Christ will love us. The problem with this idea is that it marginalizes the love of Christ; it homogenizes Jesus; it discounts the radicality of Christ's love.
I grew up in a Southern Baptist church and fully embraced the Southern Baptist world of "righteous living." When we had Youth Sunday, I was the Pastor for the day. I sometimes taught in adult Sunday School classes. I had learned that Jesus loved those who were good. While the Bible made much of faith, it was good people that had faith. I was a good person. I had a relationship with God. I could teach others about Jesus. Only an idiot would not respond to Jesus' call to become a follower of His. I believed that God loved the church.
Then, I came to realize that I didn't understood who God was at all. I realized that I had made God in my image--loving good church people. I learned that God's love was much more radical, that God's love for man was incomprehensible. I found out that I wasn't a good person--I was a self-righteous church person, and Jesus spoke harshly to the church people of his day.
So, does Jesus love the church? Jesus addressed the "church people" as a "brood of vipers." He told them that they didn't care for the widows and orphans. He told them that God had come to the pagans, and not the Israelites. In response, they tried to throw him off a cliff and kill him. So, did Jesus love the church?
Who did Jesus express love towards? Prostitutes, tax collectors, pagans, Roman soldiers, his own murderers. From the Cross, Jesus asked His father to "forgive them for they know not what they do." Jesus asked His father to forgive the people that were killing His son!!! Jesus told us to love our enemies and to forgive 70 times 7. Jesus' love was radical and incomprehensible to us. So, did Jesus love the church?
If Jesus asked his Father to forgive those who killed Him, would God not do so? If God forgave those who murdered His son, who else would He forgive? Hitler, Osama Bin Laden, serial killers? Maybe even the church people that Jesus rebuked. Maybe even the church people that told Pilate to hang Jesus on the Cross. Maybe even you and me.
Interesting observation from your wife - and interesting post - it touches on all kinds of issues. Near the top would be, How does God define His church? Other questions that arise are - what did Paul mean when He said He (Jesus) purchased (obtained) the church with his blood (Acts 20:28)? What did Jesus mean when He said He would build His church? (Matthew 16:18). And why would Paul use the attitude of Jesus as a model for how husbands should love their wives? (Ephesians 5:25). If Paul was right - Jesus loved the church so much that He gave his life for her. If Paul was right - Jesus absolutely loves the church in a way that He loves none other.
ReplyDeleteIf Paul was right - you're wife's sentiment is spot on. That's not de-radicalizing the love of Christ; it is embracing the radical way that he loves the Church, His Bride To Be - like none other.
Wives generally expect that kind of love.