Ephesians 5:25. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it,
5:26. that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
–NKJ
Feminist groups often get bent out of shape by that one little verse that preceeds this passage about wives submitting to husbands. Check this out though. After that little verse about the duties of a wife, we get verses 23 through28 concerning all the responsibilities and expectations of husbands.
Wives are simply told to submit. Men are told that we need to look to Jesus as our model as the head of the body. We have to be reminded in this passage that as a head, we should love our body, that means our wife. What does that mean exactly? Verse 26 has an interesting word picture.
By the word, Jesus sanctified, cleansed, and washed his body.
Can you imagine spending the afternoon playing hard at your favorite sports event, getting all hot and sweaty, and just skipping the part about hitting the showers? Our body served us well. We had a great work out. We had fun in our competition and in honing our skills. Now it’s time to show some love to our bodies. Please, hit the shower.
Sanctify your body. With your wife as your body, take time to set apart to give her attention. Mark out some time devoted to uninterrupted care.
Cleanse. Remove the sweat and dirt that life splashes on your marriage. Get back to basics and renew the things that inspired you to choose to be married to each other. Do this daily, not just every once in a while, or for an anniversary, or the even rarer event of a ceremony to renew marriage vows.
Washing in water. Litterally bathe in water. Don’t just stand at the sink and splash on a little water and deodorant on the parts that are particularly stinky. Just as you would in taking a bath, make elaborate plans to wash, renew, your relationship with your wife. Soak in the tub. Splurge on the Mr. Bubble, toss in the scented bath beads. Forget about time and enjoy the hot water and let it relax all those tensions. Live a little. Make your wife, your body, forget that part about having to submit. It’s time to minister to her and make it worth her while.
By the word. The word here is one where we get our word ‘rhetoric’. Not logos, which might mean to give a deliberate speech or saying. Rhetoric is idle chatter in general. Say those sweet nothings. Cleanse and wash by talking about things in general, about nothing in particular, about whatever may come up to give each other those much needed strokes.
Wives may need to be reminded to submit, but guys need specific instructions. Arm yourself with the ideas in these verses and get busy out there husbands.