March 11, 2026

Today's Reading: Mark 10:1-12

Daily Lectionary: Genesis 37:1-36; Mark 10:1-12

“‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Mark 10:7-9)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

What is your favorite thing to see at a wedding? Is it seeing the Bride in her dress? Seeing friends and family coming together to support a bride and groom? Is it the dancing or the meal after the ceremony? Is it looking at the decorations or everyone all dressed up nice?

Those are all nice, but they aren’t my favorite. What I like to see at the wedding is the groom’s face when the bride first comes into view. Gone from the face are the forced smiles of greeting, the nervous stress, and everything else. Instead? It’s simple, pure joy. Everyone else thinks the bride is beautiful, but the groom sees her differently than everyone else. Yes, he thinks she is beautiful, but his gaze is not just one of admiration; it’s one of pure love and happiness. He sees no imperfection. He sees his bride. He sees the one that God is uniting him with “in heart, mind, and body.”

Why is that my favorite? Because it reminds me of the way that Jesus views us; it’s the way He sees His Bride, the Church. He sees us as perfect, beautiful, and holy. 

There is a difference between a regular groom and Jesus, though. In a regular wedding, it is the Bride who prepares herself for the big day. She gets her hair done, does her makeup, and gets dressed to walk down the aisle as perfectly as possible. But in our marriage to Jesus? He’s the one who makes us perfect.

Yes, we are full of imperfections. We have sins, and shame, and grief that weigh us down. But Jesus sees us with the eyes of a Bridegroom. “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:25-27)

The next time you are at a wedding, while you watch the bride walk down the aisle, make sure to steal a glance at the groom and see his joy. Let it remind you of the way Jesus sees you with perfect love and joy in His face. 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Father, You created Adam, Crafted Eve, and made them one; Jesus, from their sin You saved us, As God’s true incarnate Son; Holy Spirit, You forgive us; From our sins we are released. Bring us, Lord, at last to heaven, To the endless wedding feast. (LSB 860:5)

Rev. Daniel Burhop, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Reese, MI.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.

We wander through life looking for freedom, only to realize we have listened to the devil's call to serve our selves, our pleasures, and our lusts. Instead of freedom we find ourselves enslaved to sin. We wonder if we have sinned too often, too deep to ever be welcomed back to the Father's home, back into His loving embrace. Have we lost our inheritance as children of God?

In this short book, author Bryan Wolfmueller digs into the popular parable of the Prodigal Son to bring hope and aid to our hurting conscience. Wolfmueller proclaims the freedom-giving Gospel that through Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection, our place in the Father's house is secure, and forgiveness and welcome are ours in His outstretched arms. 

Fully Free, now available from CPH.