The “instruction before marriage” in the old liturgy contained this line: “Sacrifice is usually difficult and irksome. Only love can make it easy and perfect love can make it a joy.” While we ordinarily think of marriage as getting something — getting a partner for life — it also demands giving something up — “the voluntary and complete surrender of your individual lives in the interest of that deeper and wider life which you are to have in common.” The Hebrew children apparently did not understand that the move toward freedom required sacrifice. “Would that we had died at the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt, as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread!” What are we called to give up for freedom?
JULY212021
By Church Staff
