"SUBMISSION"

AGAPE40

DAY 7

Passage

"Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. 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. As the church is subordinate to Christ, so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything.

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."

Ephesians 5:21-27

Today's Meditation

Back to the Beginning

Before Adam and Eve sinned, they were able to live marriage as God intended it to be. How did they sin? The serpent, who knew the best way to disrupt a marriage, lured the woman to make a major decision by herself without the consent of her husband, therefore overpassing her husband’s headship given by God. This is why St. Paul commands wives to be subject to their husbands. This directive is not meant to hurt the woman’s dignity but rather elevate it to what was intended from the beginning—to be the heart.

AGAPE LOVE

To better understand the submission of the wife, it is necessary to understand the commandment that St. Paul gives to the husbands: “Husbands, love your wives.” The Greek translation of this passage calls love “Agapao” or Agape. Agape is the highest form of love, which is the same love that God has for us. As for the husband, he must serve and will the good of his wife for the sake of God. So when St. Paul orders the wife to be subject to her husband, who is to be subject to his Agape love,.

The Church is Submissive to Christ’s AGAPE LOVE

Jesus loves his bride, the church, with AGAPE love, and his church is subject to her groom. Through his sacrifice on the cross, Christ, the groom, gives his bride, the Church, the fullness of truth, love, and grace. In the same way, the husband, through his marriage, gives his wife, who is subject to him, the fullness of true and life-giving love.

The Ultimate Submission

Both wife and husband are called to be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. This reverence can be better understood as a fear of failing Christ. Ultimately, both spouses must be submissive to God and his will. In the Gospel of Matthew 26:39, we read that Jesus at the Garden “advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will.” At this very moment, Jesus is in uniformity with God’s will, even though it required him to die. In the same way, as husbands and wives, we are called to be submissive to God’s will, which doesn’t mean to be conformed but to be uniformed. To be uniform with God’s will is to want what God wants. Christ died for us to bring us life, and we are called in our marriages to die to ourselves to bring life. And even more mind-blowing reality! God wanted Jesus Christ to save his church through his death and resurrection. The husband is also called by God to die to himself in order to help his wife be a saint, not by his merit but by God’s. Also, in the measure that the husband helps his wife get to heaven, he will also be able to reach heaven.

grayscale of man kissing woman's forehead

Today's Questions

Husband, are you fulfilling the command by St Paul to love with AGAPE love your wife? If not, how can you improve?
Wife, are you fulfilling the command by St Paul to be subject to your husband, to allow yourself to be loved? If not, how can you improve?