~ The Love of a Great Spouse

Marriage is as some say, an institution made in Heaven, but I suggest that there is much more to this relationship between a man and a woman. When the chips are down and one partner needs the undivided care of the other something seems to surface that may not be there normally.
A good marriage, a healthy one that has not been spoilt by self interest, can be extremely close to the relationship that Paul wrote to the Philippians that they should “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Phil 2:4.
Essentially this “allegory” shows out the love relationship that Jesus called us to in the Gospels and even John the Baptist at the Jordan. It is the expression of Agape love, which is the love that comes from God.
Even more, it is the love that propelled Jesus to His death on Gethsemane. This is the best example that there is for us to follow. Jesus did not have to die, physically, most of the people up on the hill that day would have had some knowledge of His ability to work miracles and many taunted Him to “save himself”. He could have done it; He could have simply detached Himself from that cross and saved himself. But in the process He would have frustrated the plan whereby we were to be reconciled to God.
This love is not intended to be restricted to partners, it is not even to be restricted to our “brothers and sisters in Christ”, it is made manifest in order that we may be enabled to shed abroad the love of God to all that we encounter in our daily walk. We are the envoys of God’s love and saving grace to a lost and corrupt society.
We are to do this without fear or favour, giving the sort of love that we would extend to our spouse, to the hurt and disadvantaged as well as the rich and powerful. Jesus spent His ministry years with illiterate fisherman, prostitutes, tax collectors as well as the religious leaders of that time. You could say He knew the sacred and the scum in the same breath.
We are the followers of Jesus what He did should not we also do?