The Most Costly Wedding

It seemed like the news was full of weddings today. I believe all of wedding interest in the news is in preparation for the April 29th wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. However, in my humble opinion, there is a much more exciting wedding coming in June.

One of the articles that I saw this morning discussed just how extravagant, and expensive, weddings are. According to Tom Barlow, the author of the article, the most expensive wedding in recent history cost over 100 million dollars. The second most expensive was the Prince Charles and Diana wedding. Barlow says the Diana’s dress alone was $15,000. But it’s not just royalty weddings and celebrity weddings that are expensive. Barlow claims that the average US wedding costs $24,000.

If you are like me, you may think this isn’t simply extravagant, its exorbitant. But before we are too quick to pass judgment, consider what Christ paid for his wedding day. Paul says in Ephesians 5:25-27,

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

When held next to the death of the Son of God, $100 million dollars becomes an embarrassingly meager expense. He gave His life so that His bride would look stunning on their wedding day. No wedding, and no marriage, will ever be as extravagant and glorious as that of Christ and His church.

And the most amazing part… we are the bride! We are the beneficiaries of this great gift! In response, how in love with Christ ought we to be? How eager to know Him and serve Him? How committed to walk worthy of our groom? How committed ought we be to living as one who is holy, without spot or blemish?