Is Jesus The Best Marriage Counselor?

But I would submit that Jesus was saying an awful lot about marriage at this wedding. Just the fact that He was present there says that He approved of the institution of marriage.

But even more enlightening was the fact that He performed a great miracle there, and this shows that He was putting His seal of approval on marriage ... He was giving this and all marriages His divine blessing.

On this basis, then, we say unequivocally that Jesus is the best marriage counselor. He is the best because, first of all, His counsel comes from God Himself, the original designer of marriage.

Second, we say that He is the best marriage counselor because He knows better than anyone the human condition and He knows exactly what it takes to have a healthy and happy marriage.

He reveals these details about marriage in His Word, the Holy Bible, and that book not only gives many details about marriage but it also tells us of the one who has saved us from our sins—Jesus Christ. Having been redeemed, we are now set free to become the best spouses we can possibly be.

A few weeks ago, a couple that attended a wedding heard the pastor say in his sermon: “Marriage isn’t hard work.” The couple sort of got this uncomfortable feeling. “What crazy thing was the minister going to say next?”, they wondered. But then he explained. He said, “When Christ is the head of your marriage, it’s easy.”

Well, what did he mean? What he meant was this: If both spouses are willing to let what Christ says be the ultimate authority in their marriage, then it is going to be a marriage where both husband and wife feel loved and respected. Let me give some examples:

One night after the kids go to bed a husband and wife respectfully talk to each other about the best ways to provide a Christian education for their children. When that sort of conversation takes place, my guess is that generally speaking they have a good marriage.

Here’s another example: The husband has many late nights at work. He comes home tired and hungry. But instead of turning on the TV, he thoughtfully engages his wife in conversation and by that he shows her that he loves her. He does his best to love his wife as Christ loved the church. That, I would assume, is going to be a marriage that’s “easy.”

Or, a husband chooses not to follow Christ’s advice regarding marriage and he instead chooses to look at pornography. He knows Jesus’ evaluation: “Whoever looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28), but he chooses not to heed that counsel. In his case the marriage isn’t going to go so smoothly.

That’s what the pastor meant when he said, “When Christ is the head of your marriage, it’s easy.”

But the tough part about marriage is keeping Jesus Christ as the head of it. Everything else would be easy if only we could do that. Really all the troubles in marriage can easily be summed up in one word: selfishness. It’s because we are so selfish that our marriages aren’t easy as they should be.

We’re selfish when it comes to how the money is spent. We’re selfish when it comes to our time. Selfishness is also why there’s such a lack of respect for marriage in our day. We don’t want to commit to someone because when it comes down to it, I want to do what I want to do when I want to do it. We don’t want there to be any boundaries.

But on the other hand, if you are willing to let all that God says about love and respect and submission penetrate your marriage, then it can’t help but be a happy, healthy one.

I pray for all couples facing one storm or the other in their marriage that the Lord will bring peace into their homes and as many that are due for marriage the Lord will cause a divine connection between you and your spouse in Jesus name. Amen