They were naked and they were not ashamed

Many years ago now, I had it in mind to write a book with the title “Thy kingdom come on earth, you’ve got to be joking!” My thinking was that we have been praying this prayer (Matthew 6:10) for almost 2000 years, and nothing has happened. So we need to get on with making it happen. Secondly I was thinking that in order to understand what the Kingdom on earth would look like, we need to look back to the pre-fall situation described in Genesis 1 and 2. I came to see that my thinking was problematic in two areas. Firstly, I was still thinking it was all up to to us to make the Kingdom come. And while we certainly have a part to play, the lion’s share of the work has to come from Him. Secondly, since you cannot unscramble scrambled eggs, it is naïve to think that on earth we could return to the pre-fall innocence. Nevertheless there are still things to say.

The discussion of morning’s quote from Genesis 2:25, follows the discussion on leaving, holding fast and becoming one flesh (see URL of archived posts below). Nakedness here is a picture of innocence, openness and vulnerability, no hidden agendas, no manipulation, no power struggles no selfishness etc., etc. Post - fall, there is much work to be done to keep these things out of our relationships. And we may not even know we have them. Our hearts are deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9), and we are likely to hide these things even from ourselves. Someone I know and love told me not that long ago “I did not realize how selfish I was until I got married.” There is much hope for a marriage like that, especially when both parties come to such a realization and want to deal with it!

I said earlier that for Christians, marriage is God’s primary tool to make is more like Christ. And we will never enter into the promised fullness of life (John 10:10b) if we do not cooperate with Him in dealing with the issues. We will also need to learn to negotiate, to establish good and healthy boundaries, and in humility learn to think more highly of the other than we do of ourselves (Philippians 2:3). None of us can do that without Him, not one of us! But I am fully convinced that in mutual respect and submission, we can with His help, move closer and closer, even in the here and now, to that pre- fall state of innocence, peace and joy. It’s hard work, incredibly hard work, and it will not happen overnight.

Father, though it is unfortunately quite rare, I have seen what I described above in relationships in others. And I am provoked by such examples to seek these things in all my relationships (Hebrews 10:24). I am fully convinced, that it is worth all the tears and hard work! Help me Father, to do my part as I pray Kingdom of God come, will of God be done in my life and in my relationships, on earth as it is in heaven in Jesus Name Amen

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