The Goofy Gophers

I grew up with Warner Brothers cartoon characters like Bugs Bunny and the Road Runner. All good stuff. My favorites, however, were somewhat obscure. They did perhaps 6 episodes with these characters. They were called the "goofy gophers." Their primary characteristic was their extreme politeness to each other. "You first." "Oh, no, I insist, you first." Always cheerful; always kind to each other. I think that these two are the caricature of marriage.

Think about it. The command to wives is clear and unequivocal. "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord" (Eph 5:22). Dance around that all you want, but if you're going to be true to the text and the context, it is some serious submission. I mean, "as to the Lord"? That's serious. On the other hand, husbands have their own particular instruction. "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her" (Eph 5:25). "Love your wives." Oh, that's not too bad. Hang on. "As Christ loved." Well, okay, that raises the bar. "As Christ loved the church." And how did He do that? He "gave Himself up for her." Gave self up. Picture that. He didn't ask, "What are my preferences?" He didn't wonder, "Hey, what about Me?" He didn't demand that she submit or that He get what He wanted. He gave self up. For her.

In Philippians Pauls writes,

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Php 2:5-8)

Let's see. What did He start with? "In the form of God." Now that's the top, isn't it? Did He hang on to "What would I enjoy?" No. He "emptied Himself" and He took on "the form of a servant" and humbled Himself to death. By choice. That is not possibly "What about Me?" That is "gave Himself up for her" to the extreme. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her. Even to death. Even against all the things you think you'd like better than that.

And we end up here at the "goofy gophers." She is saying, "I delight in submitting to my Lord, so I will submit to my husband as to the Lord. I'll do whatever it is he commands because I am trusting God." And he is saying, "I find my joy in obeying my God, so I will surrender my own personal wishes and desires in order to give her anything and everything I am and have for her very best." Finding great joy in seeking eagerly to give to the other the very best at all times. "After you!" "Oh, no, I insist. You go first." As a way of life. I like it. I don't see it much because we believers are rarely eager to obey to that extent, but, hey, I can dream, can't I?