My wife dislikes today’s first reading from Ephesians (EPH 5:21-33). As a matter of fact this reading was one that I was supposed to read earlier this year as a lector. Our parish priest had me use the alternate shorter version to avoid making anyone in the congregation uncomfortable.
The reason my wife does not like it is for this line. “Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the Church, he himself the savior of the Body.” She does not like to hear that women should be subordinate to anyone.
The writing from Paul comes from another time and he was looking for ways to teach the people about Christ’s relationship to the church. Since they are the church he was looking for a way to make it clear to them that they should be subordinate to Christ.
He goes on to say some really beautiful words about the man’s role in a marriage. “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the Church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that he might present to himself the Church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. So also husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the Church, because we are members of his Body.”
Paul is tell the people they should not be afraid of being subordinate because the one they are subordinate to loves them like that person loves themselves. Giving up control is what we fear. Paul is saying God and Christ love you like they love themselves so we should not fear giving up control.
When it comes to marriage, I understand fearing giving up control. Women are equal to men. However, in relationships often there needs to be a leader. That can be the woman or the man. In any situation if someone is not suggesting ideas for the path forward they do not move forward. This person is the leader.
This is what I think God is suggesting. In marriage sometimes one of the partners should be subordinate to the other. This could be the man or the woman and probably should alternate based on the situation at hand. But when it comes to our lives God is always in control and it is up to us to be subordinate.
In the Gospel from Luke (LK 13:18-21) Jesus is telling what the Kingdom of God is like. He tells about the yeast and mustard seed. He says they start small but grow exponentially big. I think this is what our relationship is like in marriage and with God. They start small you invest trust and it grows larger all the time.
GVW4U 