In society today, the celebration of marriage has taken on an extravagant, party-like tone. The idea seems to be the bigger and more elaborate the wedding, the better. The simple, sacred celebration of the union of one man to one woman is often left by the wayside. Our culture has taken holy matrimony and morphed it into the "wedding industry," a term that itself speaks volumes about the intense marketing efforts and profitable business it has become. From costly wedding venues to overpriced reception halls, couples are spending thousands, sometimes millions, on extravagant weddings, designed to compete with royal affairs and leave attendees in awe. Yet, in this pursuit of spectacle, the sacred meaning and holiness of marriage are tragically forgotten and left at the altar.
Think about the recent buzz around Jeff Bezos's reported multi-million-dollar wedding in Italy. While the world marvels at such opulence, renting entire islands, fleets of gondolas, and private jets for A-list guests, it highlights a stark contrast to God's vision for marriage. His design is not about worldly showmanship or material excess, but about a profound spiritual covenant.
Costly Weddings Cause Cold Feet
Tragically, for many couples wanting to take the true cold-water plunge of marriage, the sheer cost of a wedding and reception has become an enormous obstacle and even an excuse to indefinitely postpone holy matrimony. Rather than focus on the sacrament of marriage itself, couples spend years engaged, putting marriage aside, with some forgoing it altogether, considering it too costly and an unattainable goal. Sadly, the exorbitant costs involved, and the high finances required to pull off a wedding nowadays create tremendous stress between couples and families. This often begins the marriage journey burdened by financial anxiety rather than spiritual anticipation.
Why Marriage Is to Be Celebrated
Many individuals today reduce marriage to a grand party or a mere contract, making pre-nuptial agreements a requirement for many fiancées to even say “I do” at the altar. This starts the marriage focused on finances and community property more than commitment and love.
However, marriage is infinitely more than a legally binding agreement; it’s a sacred covenant between a man, a woman, and God.
Hebrews 13:4 NIV] Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.
This underscores the sanctity and purity God intends for this union.
God designed marriage where He is the center, holding couples together with His divine glue, created to be unbreakable.
Genesis 2:24 NIV That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.
This "one flesh" union signifies a deep, spiritual bond, not just a physical one.
Here is a beautiful description of having God in your marriage.
Ecclesiastes 4:12 NIV Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
The two strands represent the husband and wife, and the third, essential strand, is God Himself. When God is woven into the fabric of a marriage, it gains an enduring strength against life's difficulties. It is a union holy and pure, created, ordained, and sanctified by God. It is designed to hold up under the most brutal attacks and difficulties. It is tied together so tightly that He sees one person rather than a separate man and woman.
This is why Jesus Himself said:
Mark 10:6-9 NIV [6] “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ [7] ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, [8] and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. [9] Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” (emphasis mine)
The True Celebration of Marriage
Holy matrimony is created to be more than a name change or an updated relationship status. It’s the uniting of two people into one, both physically and spiritually. It’s a profound picture of a selfless Christ and His beautiful, pure bride, the Church, illustrating the sacrifice a man makes when he marries a wife.
Ephesians 5:25-31 NIV [25] Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her [26] to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, [27] and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. [28] In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. [29] After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— [30] for we are members of his body. [31] “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”
This self-sacrificial love is the true essence of a God-centered marriage.
While society may marvel at the multi-million-dollar weddings, with their rented islands and star-studded guest lists, the union God desires in marriage is far richer and infinitely more valuable. It's not about the price tag or the spectacle, but about a covenant made before God, built on love, commitment, and His unwavering presence. This is the true celebration of marriage – one that prioritizes the sacred over the superficial and reflects the divine love that binds two hearts as one.
Think about the recent buzz around Jeff Bezos's reported multi-million-dollar wedding in Italy. While the world marvels at such opulence, renting entire islands, fleets of gondolas, and private jets for A-list guests, it highlights a stark contrast to God's vision for marriage. His design is not about worldly showmanship or material excess, but about a profound spiritual covenant.
Costly Weddings Cause Cold Feet
Tragically, for many couples wanting to take the true cold-water plunge of marriage, the sheer cost of a wedding and reception has become an enormous obstacle and even an excuse to indefinitely postpone holy matrimony. Rather than focus on the sacrament of marriage itself, couples spend years engaged, putting marriage aside, with some forgoing it altogether, considering it too costly and an unattainable goal. Sadly, the exorbitant costs involved, and the high finances required to pull off a wedding nowadays create tremendous stress between couples and families. This often begins the marriage journey burdened by financial anxiety rather than spiritual anticipation.
Why Marriage Is to Be Celebrated
Many individuals today reduce marriage to a grand party or a mere contract, making pre-nuptial agreements a requirement for many fiancées to even say “I do” at the altar. This starts the marriage focused on finances and community property more than commitment and love.
However, marriage is infinitely more than a legally binding agreement; it’s a sacred covenant between a man, a woman, and God.
Hebrews 13:4 NIV] Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.
This underscores the sanctity and purity God intends for this union.
God designed marriage where He is the center, holding couples together with His divine glue, created to be unbreakable.
Genesis 2:24 NIV That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.
This "one flesh" union signifies a deep, spiritual bond, not just a physical one.
Here is a beautiful description of having God in your marriage.
Ecclesiastes 4:12 NIV Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
The two strands represent the husband and wife, and the third, essential strand, is God Himself. When God is woven into the fabric of a marriage, it gains an enduring strength against life's difficulties. It is a union holy and pure, created, ordained, and sanctified by God. It is designed to hold up under the most brutal attacks and difficulties. It is tied together so tightly that He sees one person rather than a separate man and woman.
This is why Jesus Himself said:
Mark 10:6-9 NIV [6] “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ [7] ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, [8] and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. [9] Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” (emphasis mine)
The True Celebration of Marriage
Holy matrimony is created to be more than a name change or an updated relationship status. It’s the uniting of two people into one, both physically and spiritually. It’s a profound picture of a selfless Christ and His beautiful, pure bride, the Church, illustrating the sacrifice a man makes when he marries a wife.
Ephesians 5:25-31 NIV [25] Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her [26] to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, [27] and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. [28] In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. [29] After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— [30] for we are members of his body. [31] “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”
This self-sacrificial love is the true essence of a God-centered marriage.
While society may marvel at the multi-million-dollar weddings, with their rented islands and star-studded guest lists, the union God desires in marriage is far richer and infinitely more valuable. It's not about the price tag or the spectacle, but about a covenant made before God, built on love, commitment, and His unwavering presence. This is the true celebration of marriage – one that prioritizes the sacred over the superficial and reflects the divine love that binds two hearts as one.
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