Shopping for Rings

Today was errand day, and I had a long list. In one of the stores, I passed the jewelry counter and noticed a young couple looking at rings. As I watched, the young man pointed to a ring, which the smiling sales clerk quickly brought out. When she reached out to place it on the bride-to-be's ring finger, the girl's eyes were as big as saucers. She looked up at the soon-to-be groom, who was smiling like crazy, and started shaking her head no. "It's too much," I saw her say. Her beaming young man laughed and gave her a little hug. He was smiling and shaking his head, "No, it's not too much. It's just right," he said. It was a beautifully intimate moment, and I quickly moved past.  

There was something unutterably sweet about that young man lavishing his love on his bride, and I've thought about it all afternoon. When I saw him say, "No, it's not too much," I thought, "That's exactly what Jesus said!" He looked at His struggling bride-to-be, the disciples that would become the church, that night in the garden, and though it was a hard fought battle, He emerged ready to do what must be done. He lavished His love on His bride and poured out His own blood to redeem her. 

More than two thousand years later, I'm afraid we've forgotten what our redemption cost Him. We should be the ones shaking our heads, saying, "No! It's too much!" We should be weeping in sorrow at the price He paid, overwhelmed with love for the gift He gave. But are we? 

This evening, spend some time considering the imponderable, inconceivable grace our bridegroom has bestowed upon us, and live, and love Him, accordingly. 

It was too much, but He did anyway, because He loved His bride.