Marriage of Kelly Wrightson and Jason Gaumond
Jeremiah 31:31-34; 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13; John 15:9-14
“I am doing something new here,” says the Lord through the prophet Jeremiah. I don’t normally think to choose Jeremiah for a wedding. Weddings are, of course, happy occasions, and Jeremiah is an angry guy. He spends most of his book shouting at everyone he can think of – the king, the people, the nations nearby. His message is simple. “You’ve been horrible,” he says, “and so horrible things are coming for you.” He acts out his prophecies, smashing pottery and wearing moldy clothing to get his point across. He’s hated for it, and I can’t say I blame his audience.
But then, out of nowhere, we get this little paragraph in chapter 31, which I think is one of the most beautiful things in the entire Bible. It’s a speech by God that, in no uncertain terms, declares his undying love for his people. It’s an image of a marriage gone sour – “I was your husband,” God says, “and you broke your promises to me, our covenant together.”
Kelly and Jason, you are making promises to each other today. I’m sure you won’t break them. But there will be days when your relationship is tested and strained. When your communication breaks down or anger flares or little annoyances suddenly become large. Listen to how God handles the challenges in his marriage to Israel.
“I am doing something new here,” he says. “I am going to fall in love with you all over again. And I’ll take that love and place it deep within your heart. We will be for each other.” You are made for each other, Jason, Kelly. And you’ll discover that again and again throughout your lives together.
“I am doing something old here,” God says, as he describes the love that is present binding Jesus together with God the Father. He calls it “abiding in love,” living in love, dwelling there and setting up shop. You get a sense that this love, this living love, is somehow outside time. It’s a love that’s been forever, and will be forever.
And Jesus’ invitation here is to give us a share in that forever-love. “Just as,” he says. “Just as I dwell in God’s love, so you will live in mine.” Jesus reaches out to us and shapes that love in us, and we get to know God’s eternal love, too.
Kelly and Jason, there will be plenty of good days in your marriage, days when things work well and you’ll know your love for each other clearly. This love is beautiful and profound, the love I can see shared between you, and I hope you still have a sense of that when it becomes old and you’ve forgotten the exciting newness your marriage has today. Because the beauty you are feeling isn’t something new at all. It’s as old as God himself, a piece of the Holy Spirit for the creation. The love you share for each other is so big it can only be described in terms of God making the universe and everything in it.
You know, you are both wonderful people. Whole people, individually, alone. You don’t need each other. You have careers that show love and care for the world – a nurse and a police officer – what could be more noble? You’ve raised children, and you’ve told me how wonderful they are, how proud you are of them and the ways they are shaping their lives. Your own lives are sufficient on your own. Why get married? It will just complicate your lives.
Because God is doing something wonderfully old here through you, and something very, very new. God is showing you, in each other, how much he loves you. How much he’s always loved you. He’s teaching you what that love looks like. It’s a love that bears all things, just as you will for each other. That believes all things, that has hope and endures through whatever will come. And you will have to endure joy and sorrow and sickness and health as you have done before so well. But now you will get to do it together.
And as you do, God will be showing everyone else his love, too. You become today a sign of God’s love for everyone who sees you. To the whole world, God is doing something very new today, to show us his very old, beautiful love, a love that exists through all eternity.
May your love always be powerful enough to show us the greatest of God’s gifts to us: His love. Amen.