Regi Addictissimus
Completely sold out to the King
If wives are to be loved in the way that Christ loved the church, it is clear that if necessary, men must sacrifice their lives so that they may be sanctified. Paul sets out the husband’s most important duty; their other responsibilities, such as feeding their wives, giving them control of the household and so on, he passes over, both because the husband is ready enough to do those things and because everything else depends on the basic principle. If that is present the rest will follow automatically, but if it is not, the husband will not be doing his duty even if he performs those other tasks.
Therefore you will sanctify your wife if you get her used to seeing in every created thing an invitation to contemplate, admire and praise its maker, if you get her used to attending sacred meetings, to rooting her woman’s world not in gold, silver, and precious stones but in virtue, in keeping God’s commandments, in confessing her sins and in doing works of mercy. Gold, silver and pearls are good creations, made for good use, but caution is required here. There are many different social classes. Kings, princes and the rulers of states are of a higher rank and so wear clothes that indicate this. The clothing they wear lends them considerable authority among the people. Women love jewelry, but they are better off pleasing and increasing their beauty by the way they think than by wearing jewels. Those who attend the court wear jewelry because they know that it will please the king. Women should realize that they are in the court of Christ the high king and that they live in front of him. Their husbands should remind them of that and teach them accordingly. A wife is entrusted to her husband as a flock to its shepherd. If the flock perishes, who, I ask you, is to blame? Is it not the shepherd? So if the wife perishes, it is the husband who is at fault.
George, T. F. (2011). General Introduction. In G. L. Bray & S. M. Manetsch (Eds.), Galatians, Ephesians: New Testament (Vol. 10, pp. 388–389). Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic.
