Go, Call Thy Husband

We don’t have a lot of teachings about marriage from the Savior in the four Gospels, but there is enough for us to grasp the importance and seriousness of it.  For example, in the Sermon on the Mount we learn of the importance of faithfulness between spouses.  He spoke of the importance of honoring marital vows this way: “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matt. 5:27-28).  There was no question about the seriousness of adultery.  Later in the Sermon on the Mount He also spoke about the seriousness of divorce: “Whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery” (Matt. 5:32).  Clearly the loose attitudes about marriage and morality of today’s society go against the importance that Jesus placed on staying married and staying faithful to one’s spouse.     

                In addition to these teachings, I think that the encounter with the woman at the well gives us a glimpse of the eternal importance of marriage.  After a brief discussion with the woman, Christ testified, “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”  After hearing of such an incredible source of water, and obviously thinking on a much lower level than what the Savior was talking about, she responded, “Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not.”  The Savior’s response I believe was a profound one: “Go, call thy husband, and come hither” (John 4:14-16).  The Savior was offering her the way to have everlasting life, and when she expressed a desire to have it, He taught an important principle about how we obtain this well of living water: we come together with our husband or wife.  Even though she was not married at the time, Jesus was in essence telling her to repent of her immorality, get married, and come to Him together as a couple.   As Paul would teach, “Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 11:11).  The Savior seemed to be telling her and us that an integral part of coming unto Him to partake of eternal life involves coming with our husband or wife.  I imagine in our interview with the Savior at some future date that when we arrive He will say to us exactly what He said to this woman: “Go, call thy husband” or “Go, call thy wife.”  Our responsibility is to enter into “the new and everlasting covenant of marriage” when we are given that opportunity from the Lord, and then do everything in our power to not arrive at our final interview alone.