A Sunday school teacher was teaching her 5-year-old kinder students the creation story, how God created everything including humans. She explained to her class that God created Eve out of Adam’s rib. Little Niles was very intently listening to the creation story. Later, during the day, his mother saw Niles lying down, on his side holding his ribs. His mother asked Niles if he was feeling alright. Little Niles responded, “I am in pain, I think I am going to have a wife”.

Marriage is a mystery. Have you ever wondered, how can a man and a woman possibly be joined together as one? As we see an increase in divorce rates, we know that humanly it is impossible for two humans to become one, as it just does not last for long. Some may remain married, but they are not one in agreement in soul, body or mind. Yet, we know that with God all things are possible. Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” (Mt 19:26 NewRSV).

Marriage is a mystery because it is not just a union of a man and a woman that joins the two as one. It takes three to become one. Let me explain the mystery. I am calling it a mystery because I know that even after I explain it to you, some of you will still not understand.

The first marriage happened in Genesis. God created Adam and God created Eve, out of Adam. He brought them together and joined them as one.

Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called Woman,[a]
    for out of Man[b] this one was taken.”

Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh (Gen 2: 23-24).

Marriage takes three people to become one. The first person, in every marriage, is God. It is Jesus Christ who takes the centre stage in the relationship. It is a covenant relationship between God, man and woman. Marriage is a sacred union of three becoming one. That is why the Church calls it a sacrament of matrimony. A sacrament is not a sacrament without God. Every sacrament is a mystery, you cannot possibly explain a mystery in a human language.

Every sacrament is a sacred union between God and man. In the human realm, you may not see anything different, but in the spiritual realm, a sacrament transforms you from earthly to the heavenly, from mortality to immortality. It takes you from death to life, from damnation to eternal life.

A sacrament of marriage is a spiritual union between God, man and woman. This spiritual union, then leads into a union of mind, body and soul. When people ask this question “Why did God allow their marriage to end?”, the only correct answer is “because God was never present in your marriage.” Most of life’s misery begins not because God is not with us but, because we are not with God. Some people are miserable when they are single. When they get married, they are still miserable. The only difference is that when they were single, they were miserable all by themselves. After they are married, they are miserable with someone else. The solution to being miserable is not that you find another miserable person, but it is in receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. If you intend to get married, I suggest you begin by finding Jesus Christ first, and He will help you find the right person.

A sacrament comes with a blessing and that blessing is to be fruitful and multiply. God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth” (Gen 1:28). Marriage brings a blessing of companionship. He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord (Prov 18: 22). Marriage strengthens you and lifts you up and keeps you going. 9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help. 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken (Ecc 4: 9-12).

A sacrament comes with a responsibility. 1 Wives, in the same way, accept the authority of your husbands, so that, even if some of them do not obey the word, they may be won over without a word by their wives’ conduct, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3 Do not adorn yourselves outwardly by braiding your hair, and by wearing gold ornaments or fine clothing; 4 rather, let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God’s sight. 5 It was in this way long ago that the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves by accepting the authority of their husbands. 6 Thus Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him lord. You have become her daughters as long as you do what is good and never let fears alarm you.

7 Husbands, in the same way, show consideration for your wives in your life together, paying honor to the woman as the weaker sex,[a] since they too are also heirs of the gracious gift of life—so that nothing may hinder your prayers ( 1 Pet 3:1-7).

21 Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 Wives, be subject to your husbands as you are to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the head of the church, the body of which he is the Savior. 24 Just as the church is subject to Christ, so also wives ought to be, in everything, to their husbands. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word, 27 so as to present the church to himself in splendor, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind—yes, so that she may be holy and without blemish. 28 In the same way, husbands should love their wives as they do their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hates his own body, but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, 30 because we are members of his body.[b] 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, and I am applying it to Christ and the church. 33 Each of you, however, should love his wife as himself, and a wife should respect her husband. (Eph 5: 21-33)

Marriage is a mystery, it is a sacrament, it is a covenant, it is a blessing and it is a responsibility. Jesus sent His disciples, two by two, to proclaim the Kingdom of God. Married couples are sent by God, two by two, to do the same. Proclaiming the Kingdom of God is not the responsibility of the few, but of everyone who have received God’s sacrament. The sacrament of matrimony is sacred, it is a call from God for couples to live a life of holiness, to go out and proclaim the Gospel, by the way you live your life.

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