The Three String Cord

UV 2906/10000 The Three String Cord
And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes 4 v 12

Marriage is not just an union at the lips and the hips but a spiritual union of two by the third person of the Trinity- the Holy Spirit. When we look at married persons, we see only two but we need to sense and be sensitive to the third person. Marriage is a sacred covenant and sacrament of two with no space for a third human but enough space and more for the Lord. He is the invisible One who binds the wounds when either partner is hurt and bonds them with peace and love. Just as the presence of Jesus at the marriage at Canna prevented a catering disaster- of shortage of wine, the presence of Jesus in a marital union ensures they do not run out of love, grace, peace. His grace is sufficient for both partners in all of life’s situations. Jesus is also the guarantor of all the promises of bountiful blessings that the Lord gives the faithful according to Deuteronomy chapter 28. He is the One who makes the barren woman to bear children, more than the one who has children. This implies that in all the challenges of married life, the Lord is with us as a problem-solver, a hope-giver, a promise-fulfiller. He is not just the Messiah of souls but Messiah of marriages and He saves us from the messes our marriages sometimes land us in.
Jesus as a Wonderful Counsellor gives us courage and wisdom to face and resolve our marital issues. He uses the strengths of one partner to complement the weakness of the other, the gifts and abilities of one to complement those of the other. There might be differences of opinion on a variety of issues but the Lord gives the husband and the wife the grace to overcome these conflicts as long as both are in a personal and intimate relationship not just with each other but with the Prince of Peace, the Eternal Bridegroom. When the two pray over whatever troubles them, a sense of peace that passes human comprehension will envelop them and keep them together as one united strand.
The enemy of the human soul is also the enemy of marriage. He brought trouble into the first marriage of Adam and Eve and turned the marital relationship into a blame game and a power struggle. He is intent on destroying marriage as a relationship, as a sacrament and as an institution. But if a couple takes a stand in faith, they will be able to withstand the temptations and pressures he brings their way. In contrast, Jesus perfects the relationship, builds and strengthens it. He is the invisible cord that makes it unbreakable, inviolable and makes it better even as He made the second wine served at the marriage of Canna better. He enables both to remain faithful to each other. He is the protective shield against the slings and arrows of misfortune, calamity, disease and sorrow. The spiritual head of the family is not the husband or the wife but the Lord Himself and the idea of an ego clash or a power struggle ceasea as both submit to His will as revealed by the Spirit or in plain terms in His word of the Covenant.
Prateep V Philip