Marriage May 20,2014 | Page 8

In Matthew 19:1- 6, Jesus talked about the sacrament of marriage as a union of a man and woman. He said that marriage should revolve around the aspect of union, not around laws, contracts, or ceremonies. Contracts can be cancelled with the stroke of a pen, but marriage is more than that; it is a vow “to love and to serve until death.” Adam and Eve’s marriage is the first marriage as a sacrament. Eve was made from Adam’s rib; therefore, Adam declared that Eve was “now bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh.” Jesus referred to this event when he spoke of marriage to the crowd. He said, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Marriage, as a sacrament, is a life- long union, through which, Jesus is present in the love of the two individuals; God’s love is central in the marriage. His presence in the relationship does not mean that the relationship will be without mistakes, troubles, or strains; instead, it means that Jesus will be present in the love to encourage and support. Marriage is the will to love and to remain loyal to one another until death; the two individuals must give themselves, wholly, to each other. This union displays the acceptance and trust of two individuals as they will live life together, through their joys and difficulties.

Marriage in the bible