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LOVING THE BODY (SONG OF SONGS 7:1-9)

REFLECTION

“Loving the body” is the theme of our reflection. Loving the body means to have great interest and pleasure in the physical appearance of one’s spouse. We shall reflect on the fact that loving the body of one’s spouse makes him or her feel special and important in the marriage relationship.

Dear friend in the Lord, a husband or a wife must cultivate the habit of loving the body of his or her spouse or showing great interest and pleasure in the physical appearance of his or her spouse. We find Solomon set an example of loving the body of his wife and making her feel special or important. “How beautiful you are and how pleasing, my love, with your delights! 7 Your stature is like that of the palm, and your breasts like clusters of fruit. 8 I said, “I will climb the palm tree; I will take hold of its fruit.” May your breasts be like clusters of grapes on the vine, the fragrance of your breath like apples, 9 and your mouth like the best wine.” (Song of Songs 7:6-9) In other words, the husband expressed the joy and pleasure he derived from the body of his wife. Beloved in the Lord, do you love the body of your spouse, how often do you express affection for your spouse by communicating to him or her how you feel about his or her physical attributes? Solomon’s advise to husbands also applies to wives when he said, “May your fountain be blessed,and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. ¹⁹ A loving doe, a graceful deer — may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love.” (Proverbs 5:18-19)

It is important to note that it is improper and immoral for a married person to love or show interest in the body of a person who is not his or her spouse. For instance, some married men hardly praise their wives’ beauty or physical features yet they spend their energy and time appreciating the beauty of other women. This is true for some married women as well. Jesus admonished us when He said “I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman or man lustfully has already committed adultery with him or her in his or her heart. (Matthew 5:28). It goes to reason that looking at one’s spouse lustfully or flirting with one’s spouse is not a sin. We are greatly encouraged to love the bodies of our spouses through positive and encouraging remarks about, hugs, kisses, sensual touch and sexual intimacy. We may not have perfect bodies but we present a perfect and priceless gift to our spouses. Married couples must love each other’s bodies and must never feel shy or ashamed of bodily defects. We are told in Genesis 2:25 that “Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame” (Genesis 2:25). Let us be content and proud of that special person we have as a spouse. Let us love the bodies of our spouses and paise them while they are alive, it is worthless, when we wait until they die and are laid in state, then we come to stand before the crowd to read a lengthy tribute of very words we should have told them when they were alive.

In summary, we have discovered that loving the body of one’s spouse makes him or her feel special and important in the marriage relationship. May we be encouraged by today’s reflection to love and appreciate our spouses. Shalom.

PRAYER

Almighty God, grant us the strength and enablement to focus on our spouses. May we cherish and love them for who they are even as they also appreciate us for who we are. Amen