It’s Friday. There is sadness and
confusion. An unnatural darkness covers everything. The betrayer’s
guilt has caused him to take rash, horrible action. The denier stays at a distance still weeping
over his cowardice. Those who know each
other best, who should be the closest, are lost, uncertain, broken, and
defeated. And Jesus…well Jesus hangs in agony, condemned to die with
criminals, as his mother and one last disciple helplessly look on as the very
scent of death lingers in the air.
Have you ever thought about what went through Jesus’ disciples’ minds on the
Friday of the crucifixion? They’d been with Jesus through years of good
times. They’d seen him teach, perform miracles, heal the sick, and care
for the poor, the oppressed, and the rejected. At one time, they were
even willing to die for him. But then things went bad. And just as
quickly as they once so convincingly stood by him, they now doubted him, fled
from him, denied him, and even watched him die. But God was still
there. And Easter Sunday was coming.
Every couple walks through their own “Fridays,” when it seems things couldn't
get any worse, that any hope of...well...hope, seems unlikely. The joy
you once experienced seems distant and an unnatural darkness has crept into
your relationship. I don’t know what your Friday is. It might be a
new couple’s first major disagreement. “Where is the man I married?” It
might be deception. “Did she really believe I would never find out
about her secret credit cards?” It might be the loss of a job. “He
feels so worthless, and I don’t know how to help him.” It might be of
a physical nature. “The disease is progressive and she won’t get
better.” Whether it is a spouse’s really bad choices, mismanaged
stress, financial difficulty, family problems, or whatever else, all couples
encounter fearful Fridays.
But God is there. He is always there. And there is a “Sunday”
coming that brings the hope of new life, reconciliation, and renewal.
Jesus’ disciples couldn’t see it on Friday, and more often than not a couple in
the middle of a crisis can’t see it either. But trust God and know that
Sunday is coming.
In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Paul says:
For what I received I
passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins
according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the
third day according to the Scriptures.
The
most important part of our faith is knowing; knowing that resurrection Sunday
is coming. And in knowing we have “Christ in us, the hope of glory”
(Colossians 1:27). The most important part of our marriage is knowing;
knowing that Fridays come, but if we hold on to Him who gives us our hope, if
we live in love, forgiveness, grace, and reconciliation, then our Sundays are
coming too.
I don’t know what Fridays you’ve already lived through, what Friday you
might be experiencing now, or what Fridays lie ahead, but please don’t give up
on your mate. Please don’t forget God is always with us. Please
don’t lose hope. Hold on to Christ, and hold on to your mate, because
Easter Sunday is coming.
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For the rest of this week's posts on Easter Week and Marriage, click to links below:
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