By Joel A. Hess –
Millions of people watched from afar on cable, internet, and the streets. They stood in awe at beautiful ceremony though they did not know the groom or bride. They weren’t really invited to attend. It was especially interesting as the royal groom took on a foreign bride, a crazy American from a crazy American family. Yes, that probably describes many of us.
Yet even this wedding gave us images of a greater wedding that’s coming, one that you will attend! For the groom will be none other than the Son of God Himself. And you, yes you, with your filthy rags and your far from royal background, will be the bride!
For this groom not only picks His spouse from the oi polloi, He picks her from the outcasts, the broke, the breakers, the divorced seven times, the strugglers with sins, addictions, and disease. He is the one who turned water into wine in Cana. He is the one who met the ashamed woman at well from Samaria like Isaac and Rebecca. He is the one who stopped the funeral procession and gave back to the widow her dead now alive son.
He is the one who paid off all our debts, not with silver and gold, but His body and blood, His life. Nothing would stop His wooing of his adulterous bride—not the mockery of the wealthy, the wounds of the whips, nor the finality of the grave! He stopped and nothing and stops at nothing to find us, even leaving the party to meet our jealous selves outside.
He has given you His ring in Baptism, His vows written in blood in Holy Communion, His Spirit with His own sweet breath speaking words through His Church in Holy Absolution.
The groom is coming to claim whom He loves and exchange our dirty attire with His divine and pure white robes.
He is calling His bride from all walks of life, across the globe, all nations and tongues.
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus
