This past Mother’s Day weekend, my kids and I took my wife out to lunch at El Nopal and as we were seated at our table, a single rose was brought out to my wife. Her face lit up and I was struck by the kindness from the restaurant. They were giving roses to all of the mothers who came through the restaurant that day. Near the end of our meal they also brought out a special dessert for my wife topped with a whipped cream smiley face. I couldn’t stop smiling at the treatment my wife was getting, and I knew I would be giving our waiter a generous tip. As I was filled with happiness and pride for my wife and gratitude toward our waiter and the restaurant for how they were treating my wife, it struck me how Jesus must feel when love and kindness is shown toward the church.

“The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. (…)  So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:12-13, 24b-27)
“‘Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.’” (John 13:35)

Rather than a building, the church is the body of Christ, made up of the believers in Christ. When Jesus explained to His followers how the world will know that they are indeed disciples of Christ, He said it would be by their love for one another. It is how believers love one another that shows others that we are disciples of Christ. Put another way, it’s how Christians love Christians that show we are truly Christians.

“For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.” (Ephesians 5:25-27)
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” (Revelation 21:1-2)

As the church, we as believers are the bride of Christ and He will come back to rescue His bride. As much as I felt love, joy, kindness, and pride at how my wife was being treated during her Mother’s Day lunch, Jesus must feel infinitely more when believers prove they are His followers by showing love for another. How do you want your bride to be treated? Remember that you and all the believers are Christ’s bride—treat each other accordingly.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.