Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way…
If you want to see what that looks like it is modeled in Revelation 2-3. Every letter from Jesus to these individual churches display’s his understanding. All seven letters have the phrase, “I know”.
Jesus knows His Bride. He knows her struggles. He knows her circumstances. He knows her good. Her motivations. Her reputation. Her love. Her faith. Her service. Her pain. Her needs. Her wounds. Her sin.
When he speaks tenderly to her he does so out of knowledge. When he exhorts her to more faithfulness it is from a storehouse of understanding. Jesus knows His Bride. Husbands, do you know yours?
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Of course this analogy breaks down at one point. Husbands are not called to make sure that our wives find their ultimate joy in us. We are never in a position to “remove a lampstand”. But we are encouraged to pursue our joy in their joy in Jesus. May such a pursuit be done with knowledge.
