But This Is Jesus

"more and more beautiful"

A Jew (unknown to me by name) told a story about a man who, after ten years of marriage, combed his beard before seeing his wife. Younger men asked him why, implying she knew him by now. Why bother? He replied it was not just for his wife but because of Shechinah in her. I’ve been thinking on this, and it gets more and more beautiful. Because of the Light of God in her, he honors his wife.

I see a picture of Ephesians 5:22-33, far beyond our modern human thinking. Some write songs of Jesus in this manner, as a husband and them a wife. Both male and female voices. Why escapes us, and I can’t speak to them personally; but the purpose of the passage on Christ as husband and the church as bride is not to give grounds for marriage talk. Not at all. It is so we approach him on that level, as a woman in love with, adoring, her husband. It is so we see His care for us is that great.

We don’t see it, or we wriggle beneath it, make a joke, and fall to marriage talk. In our thinking, God is supposed to be distant. Our husband or wife near to us. We know their moles, so to speak. God, however, is glory.

What Jesus showed His disciples, however, were the wounds in His hands and His feet (John 20:29). What He offered Thomas was to place his hand in the hole in His side (John 20:27). We have modesty. I get that. I am modest. But this is Jesus. I have had to give up secret things. I can’t secret anything. All my efforts are in vain. So I lay them at Jesus’ feet and just keep walking. He keeps me from embarrassment, and in this, there it is again. That man combing his beard before he sees his wife because G_d’s Light is in her and that deserves his efforts.

“Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.” (John 20:27)

Illustration by Annie Spratt on Unsplash


----------
Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com