See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.-Zachariah 9:9b, NIV
With the kick-off of Holy Week, I was pondering how this season parallels life for faithful spouses and marriages ended via adultery.
The wedding day is like Palm Sunday:
-Full of pageantry. Maybe not palm branches and donkey riding, but close.
-Full of high expectations of what the marriage will do for both spouses.
-Full of promise prior to dealing with the nitty-gritty of life together.
Like the Jewish people welcoming Jesus, they expected a conquering king who would rid them of the odious Roman rule. But that was not the real coming of Christ as King.
Disillusionment soon set in.
This disillusionment led to wicked betrayal and a death with the same people who welcomed him as a king mocking Jesus as he died on the cross.
I see a parallel here. Cheaters dealing with their disappointment and disillusionment by choosing and acting in sin.
Maybe they expected marital sex lives to always be exciting and effortless?
Maybe they expected having marital sex would mean no longer having temptation to go outside the marriage for sexual gratification?
Maybe their plans for family life did not work out as expected? Children did not come as easily as wished. Jobs did not materialize immediately following graduation.
Maybe they expected their spouse to “save” them by filling their need to be loved and made “whole?”
I do not know what was the specific unmet expectation was for the cheater. But that is not an excuse for choosing and acting in sin!
Certainly, our reasonable expectation–namely, that the cheater would abide by their marital vows–was not met either.
The cheater chose to respond to their disillusionment by sinning. They chose the path of death. The death of the marriage. And–absent repentance–death of their souls (see I John 3:6).
But good news exists for faithful spouses. For those who chose to walk and not reject God, we have hope for the Resurrection.
Sure, this Resurrection happens via the death of our plans and expectations, but I assure you that God’s plans and His Resurrection for you is better than you could ever imagine. I am living proof of this!
Hosanna! Blessed is the One who comes in the Name of our Lord!
Thank you for posting this DM. I needed to hear this message today. I am still waiting for my Sunday.