The Rev. Paul J Cain, Jr.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Unambiguous Love
Saturday of Christmas I, 04 January 2014
Wedding of Cadence
A. Luckie and Douglas W. Hillius
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming
In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
9 Two are
better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall,
one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has
not another to lift him up! 11 Again,
if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though a man
might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord
is not quickly broken.
In the context of a wedding, the “two” of Ecclesiastes chapter
four are a Christian husband and wife. Yet, the sermon text that Doug and
Cadence have chosen for their wedding day is intentionally ambiguous. “Two”
could refer to buddies looking out for one another as soldiers at war on a
battlefield or in the trenches. The “two” can be coworkers supporting one
another through a hard day at a medical clinic. The “two” might even be friends
encouraging one another with a phone call, a text, a Facebook post, or most
importantly, in person. You can’t really send an electronic hug.
In the same way, the beautiful song you just heard by Matthew West,
“Hold You Up,” is also intentionally ambiguous. There is more than one person
who will “hold you up.” It could easily be a song sung by a groom to his bride
or sung by a bride to her groom. “Love is a blessing. Love is a
vow.” The song is quite clear that love is not merely an emotion. Emotions
fade. Feelings change. Love is actually an action and a promise of loving
commitment no matter what an uncertain future holds. Amid the trials and tests,
the singer’s words are honest: “As hard as I'm trying for you, I'm human at
best / But baby don't worry, should you start to fall / Just cling to the one
Love [capital L] that's bigger than us all / He will hold you, He [capital H] will
hold you up…” The intentional ambiguity of “Hold You Up” is beautifully resolved.
Jesus will hold you up.
The sermon text that Cadence and Doug have chosen for their
wedding day is ambiguous. Yet, in the context of a wedding, the “two” of
Ecclesiastes chapter four are a Christian husband and wife. And the “He” of the
song is the “three” of the “threefold cord,” Jesus Christ our Lord!
9 Two are
better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall,
one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has
not another to lift him up! 11 Again,
if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though a man
might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord
is not quickly broken.
Jesus’ love for both of you and for all of your guests is not
ambiguous. Jesus is quite clear as He teaches in the verses before and after
John 3:16.
11 Truly,
truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have
seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not
believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended
into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted
up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever
believes in him may have eternal life.
16 “For God
so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him
should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For
God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that
the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever
believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned
already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the
judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness
rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the
light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does
what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works
have been carried out in God.”
There will be dark days when life is not kind, the worst
kind of days when two are not enough. Jesus, the third strand of the threefold
cord of your Christian marriage, He who was lifted up on the cross of Calvary,
lifted up from a tomb and death itself, and lifted up to heaven, is the light
of the world, the light no darkness can overcome. Jesus is He who will lift you
up.
A cord of three strands is not easily broken. And a married
relationship intertwined with Christ Jesus is not easily broken either. As you
leave this place and reflect on your wedding day, remember this text from
Ecclesiastes that you selected. Regularly review it and remember Jesus, who
shed His blood to give you life, has joined you this day as husband and wife,
and will lift you up.
Jesus isn’t just a Sunday thing, or only a wedding, baptism, or
funeral thing. The Lord is more than just a lifeboat in times of trouble. Christ
is your support in all of life, day by day. He guides you, by grace, to His
Gifts of Word and Sacrament. He grants you the gift of faith so that you can
trust in that which you do not see. And He died so that you may live and
forgive. Cling to His love, the one love that’s bigger than us all. Amen.
In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
