Thursday, September 27, 2012

There Goes the Neighborhood

NW Pastor/Husband Relieved Papyrus
Fragment Proved to be False

Had Professor Karen King of the Harvard Divinity School been correct in her identification of an ancient papyrus fragment that included the phrase, “Jesus said to them, ‘My wife,'" the life of husbands would never have been the same. This so called "find" shot around Christendom like a rocket. As a matter of fact it was reported that, "Within hours, headlines around the world advertised the announcement with headlines like “Ancient Papyrus Could Be Evidence that Jesus Had a Wife” (The Telegraph).

Stop and think about it husbands - what would that have done to the bar of being a husband? Setting the theological implications aside for the moment, don't you think this would have been disastrous? Do you remember the Keith Harling song, "There Goes The Neighborhood?" Let me refresh your memory. He sings,

What is that I see?
they're in the house across the street
a new couple just moving in
they're looking good-I hope they don't want friends

Then he sings a couple more lines and closes the first verse with, "Next to nothing, I was looking good!" Of course the whole idea behind his loquacious lament (that's for you Evret A.) was that this new boyfriend across the street by holding his girlfriend's hands, loving her cat, taking walks in the rain, and even working out would make Keith's girlfriend want him to do the same. Hence, there goes the neighborhood.

Think about it guys, would you want your wife to be able to compare you to Jesus, the husband? I don't mean to be blasphemous here but remember Jesus was via the incarnate one hundred percent man. Can't you hear it how, "Why can't you remember to take the garbage out? I bet Jesus' wife doesn't have to remind him." Well, of course not, he has perfect memory!

I dare say he would never put a Seahawks game ahead of "family time." I wouldn't think that Jesus would ever forget her birthday or their anniversary. I am quite sure that he would get all his dirty clothes into the hamper and never leave them lying around on the floor.

I don't know if I would go so far as Keith did and say that "Next to nothing I was looking good,"  but I assure you that it is intimidating enough as a believer imitating Christ in my daily life. I am certain I would fall short as a husband had I be required to imitate a married Jesus.

So husbands lets just say that with the papyrus fragment being denounced as a fake or a fraud, that we dodged a bullet! It is hard enough to hear my wife say occasionally, "why can't you be more like Jesus" as a believer. I am glad I won't be compared to Jesus the husband.


What do you think?




5 comments:

Scott said...

I hope you are prompting us to respond with "He is the Husband of His bride.":

Thy Maker is Thy Husband.

Plus Eph 5:22-33, esp 32.
2Cor 11:2
Eze 16
Psa 45
The Revelation
Song of Solomon
And Much more.




Scott said...

Exactly, other Scott. We are already to be compared to Christ as a husband. We are to love our wives as Christ loved the church. He is the standard. He is our role model as the perfect husband. Not that we will ever live up to that standard, but marriage was given by God to show us the relationship between Christ and His Church, and so husbands are to live in such a way as to show the world what our Husband looks like.

And yet, I also get the tounge-in-cheek idea of a wife comparing her husband to an earthly-Jesus-husband. In the end, all that matters here is that another fake Gnostic idea was proven to be just that.

Gregg Metcalf said...

To both Scotts:

Yes, I would NEVER EVER demean the fact and relationship that Christ is the husband of His bride the church! I hesitated with this post because of the propensity to misunderstand my "sense of humor." It was and is to be tongue in cheek.

Yes, we are to imitate our glorious husband as we love, shepherd, and sacrificially lay down our lives for our earthly wives. The idea just struck me as funny, for any and all who are offended by my warped sense of humor, I ask you to forgive me and know I meant no dishonor to our heavenly Father, our Lord of Lord's and Heavenly Bridegroom!

kc bob said...

The Scotts got hear before me! :)

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

The Scotts have said about everything that needs to be said.
Sorry I am late in reading this but arms painful today.
Yvonne.