Happy Ever After

A favourite film of mine, which I have on DVD, is called “The Black Shield of Falworth”. It is a swashbuckling tale, set in the time of Henry VI, and stars – amongst others – Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. And as is the case in most favourite films, it has good overcoming evil, and ends with the hero marrying his sweetheart.

It suddenly occurred to me, that many happy endings to such stories as these also includes a marriage. After all that which was wrong has been put right, the two who are in love, and have previously been prevented from this happy union, come together, in great splendour.

We read this in fairy tales – Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, etc. – in fact, whether for children or adults, almost all our best loved stories end this way.

And what of the greatest story of all, the Holy Bible. The story of Israel and her Saviour Jesus Christ. Does not this end with a marriage? And are not all these other stories reflections of that one great story, which is still being played out? Good overcoming evil. Something lost is found. Those held captive are released. The spell of evil is broken. Wrong is put right. True love wins – and a wedding takes place.

In these days of divorces, one parent families, same sex families, “rights for gays” and all the rest, let us take comfort from the promise of Our Lord, that one day (and may it be soon), all will be put right. Meanwhile, as we can see all around us, Satan and his fallen angels seek to encourage all that is anti – family (in the true sense of the word). Everything possible is being done to demote the Christian marriage from its supreme status as the perfect family nucleus, so that it is becoming just one way of many, to live as a ‘family’.

Marriages are sacred and should be treasured. They are reflections of that great wedding to come, of Christ and His Bride. Surely this is the wedding Satan fears most, because then his time will have run out! Perhaps all Christian marriages remind him of this, and thus he hates them. Is this why the true family unit is constantly under attack?

But fear not, for Almighty God does not break His promises, and so, as it is written, so shall it be; “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white; for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And He saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And He saith unto me, these are the true sayings of God.” (Rev 19:7-9).