When Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan, was He cognizant of the fact that He Himself would soon be in the same situation of being exposed before others? As He hung on the cross, Jesus experienced all of the varying “responses to nakedness.” There were accusers (like the serpent); there were those who mocked and sneered (like Ham); there were those who fled and “hid their faces” from another’s disfigurement (like the priest and the Levite); and there were a few who honored and ministered to the wounded one (like Shem, Japheth, and the Good Samaritan).
How do we, as God’s people, respond to revealed brokenness in our spouses? How do we respond to exposed neediness in their spirits and souls? We can reflect God Almighty, the One whose image we bear, when we do the following:
- when we resolve always to move toward our spouses emotionally and spiritually,
- when we graciously offer healing,
- when we pour out from our own lives (although we are also broken and needy),
- and when we resolve to bring honor to our covenant partners.
In hanging on the cross in nakedness and shame, Jesus did what the Good Samaritan could not do: He took the wounds onto Himself, took the nakedness onto Himself, and offered His own clothing and wholeness to the broken man. This is what God offers to do for each one of us: take the shame that we are trying in vain to hide with our flimsy fig leaves, and fully cover it instead with His own skin.
God’s response to our nakedness is to make it His.
2 Comments
tami · April 11, 2012 at 9:58 pm
You are right, Angie! “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:12, NIV). God “gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18). Thank you for your comments, Angie.
Angie · April 11, 2012 at 8:49 pm
This may be the culminating concept of ” the nakedness principles.”
Here, we are looking at Christ, who gave His life for our sins exposing all the fault, shame, guilt, and ugliness that sin exposes in all of us. Looking at Christ in this way is an easier way for us to conceptualize compassion, forgiveness, and submission for an exposed, or naked person. But then, Our Savior and Lord steps in front of us, covering all of that nakedness that the world can see. Then there is only His nakedness in our place. Covering our sin and shame.
So, our spouses, also standing at the cross, was covered too, when Jesus stepped in front of me. Spouses aren’t the enemy. They are broken and naked just like us and the enemy is “Our” enemy. The devil.