This Momentary Marriage: A Parable of Permanence

Reflecting on forty years of matrimony, John Piper exalts thebiblical meaning of marriage over its emotion, exhorting couples tokeep their covenant for all the best reasons.Even in the days when people commonly stayed married "'til deathdo us part," there has never been a generation whose view ofmarriage was high enough, says Pastor John Piper. That is all themore true in our casual times.Though personal selfishness and cultural bondage obstruct thewonder of God's purpose, it is found in God's Word, where hisdesign can awaken a glorious vision capable of freeing every personfrom small, Christ-ignoring, romance-intoxicated views. As Piperexplains in reflecting on forty years of matrimony: "Mostfoundationally, marriage is the doing of God. Andultimately, marriage is the display of God. It displaysthe covenant-keeping love between Christ and his people to theworld in a way that no other event or institution does. Marriage,therefore, is not mainly about being in love. It's mainly abouttelling the truth with our lives. And staying married is not aboutstaying in love. It is about keeping covenant and putting the gloryof Christ's covenant-keeping love on display."This Momentary Marriage unpacks the biblical vision,its unexpected contours, and its weighty implications for married,single, divorced, and remarried alike.