In how many stories does the resolution, the end, involve a wedding? In Shakespeare, weddings are prominent at the end of his comedies (they tend to happen much earlier in his tragedies). For those of you who are Disney fans, this story ending element should be obvious: Cinderella, Snow White, and The Beauty and the Beast, just to name a few.
The wedding is the ultimate sign of peace. Two individuals join in a covenant of peace and love. Two families are aligned with one another. Each of these families receives an outsider, who through the peace-making practice of hospitality, is brought into belonging within that family. The focus of this joyous event is the beloved bride:
Isaiah 62:1-5
For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest,
until her vindication shines out like the dawn,
and her salvation like a burning torch.
The nations shall see your vindication,
and all the kings your glory;
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the LORD will give.
You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
and your land shall no more be termed Desolate;
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
and your land Married;
for the LORD delights in you,
and your land shall be married.
For as a young man marries a young woman,
so shall your builder marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you.
Of all of the metaphors that God could have picked to describe his coming together with the people of God, this is the one. The marriage depicts the high importance of the event. The wedding exemplifies the deepness of love that brings about the event. The vision of the lovely bride gives us a picture of the beauty and joy of the event in the very eyes of God.
Perhaps it is so obvious that we sometimes forget a central fact about this beautiful bride: she is not an individual person, but the community of people who passionately love God. I can’t pretend that I know how to visualize this reality, but it is nonetheless true. God makes peace with a people.
There is one other truth about this wedding that I carry with me. I don’t know how many sermons I have heard that have portrayed the day that Jesus will return as a day of terror; a day of fear, of terror, of screaming, and of weeping. For some, the ultimate discovery that there really is a God is bound to be that world-shattering.
But for people of faith, the last day is the day that the bridegroom comes. His love, promise-keeping, and glory will be revealed, and surely the bride will be found to have been made worthy to stand alongside him. While any wedding day has its stresses, it will be a glorious day for the people of God. Of course, after the wedding, there is the celebration, the wedding feast, where the work of the bride and groom and their families in pulling off this great day is appreciated.
You’ve been invited, as have I, to be a part of this great day. We have made our choices. Now it is up to us to help others understand that this is a day that none of us will want to miss.
How are we preparing to enjoy that day today?
Blessings,
Ron
