Ephesians 5:31-32 31“For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Paul quotes Genesis 2:24 to emphasize the bond of love a husband and wife should have. In the creation account, Adam and Eve came from one flesh and were joined together as one flesh. The physical bond in sexual union was symbolic of the deeper bond of their hearts, souls, and minds. The only way this type of bond can be established is through self-giving love. Many non-believers have experienced this love, since love is a gift God gives to all humans. But often, things of this world, selfishness, and even sin can get in the way of this love. If both the husband and wife pursue the love of God in Christ, as Paul prays for in 3:14-21, the bond of unity will grow stronger. Shame and guilt ruined the bond that Adam and Eve had and brought a degree of separation (Genesis 3:7). The harm of sin has continued to plague marriages since then to today, with marriages often ending up broken or divorced.
According to this verse in Genesis, the marriage relationship requires two key actions: leaving and cleaving. These two ideas can be applied to many areas. At the heart of the issue is that we must leave our old life of selfishness, pride, and control by fleshly desires, and embrace the new life empowered by the love of Christ. When husbands and wives do this, they will find their marriages growing stronger and more united. They will become one flesh because they have the same purpose and power for their existence. Nothing in this world can break apart a marriage like this. There will be peace, joy, and hope in such a relationship.
Verse 32 connects again the bond of a husband and wife to Christ and the church. Paul calls this a great mystery. It cannot be easily explained to those who have not experienced it. The bond of Christ and the church comes from the depths of divine love and grace which are beyond human comprehension. We can experience this love and grace in countless ways in our lives. The fathomless love of God in Christ sets the pattern for how a husband loves his wife. Verse 33 provides the final exhortation that summarizes Paul’s directions to husbands and repeats the ideas of verse 28. If a husband loves his wife unconditionally and with care, tenderness, and compassion, the wife will be more apt to honor her husband. Although there are some cultural nuances in these verses, many marital problems can be resolved by following these simple directions.
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