The content displayed below is for educational and archival purposes only.Unless stated otherwise, content is © Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
You may be able to find the original on wol.jw.org
Video above © Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
00:00:01 Today’s text reminds us 00:00:03 of our loving God, Jehovah, 00:00:06 and what he’s done for you and for me 00:00:08 and for all humans. 00:00:09 He is the Originator of marriage. 00:00:12 Yes, he is the Marriage-Bond Maker. 00:00:15 So his purpose from the very beginning, from Adam and Eve to our day, 00:00:19 was that they would stick together 00:00:21 —that they would be “one flesh,” bonded together— 00:00:24 and it would be a permanent and lasting and happy relationship. 00:00:28 But here’s the problem. 00:00:30 On the other hand, we have Satan, who is the original bond breaker. 00:00:35 He wants to break marriages and families. 00:00:38 He wants to get in between your marriage and my marriage 00:00:42 and cause a wedge. 00:00:44 So, what will make or break our marriage? 00:00:48 Well, the key is to the extent 00:00:50 to which we show and prove our love to Jehovah 00:00:54 and are loyal to his commandments —including the marriage arrangement— 00:00:58 and our love and our loyalty to our mate. 00:01:02 We must also prove our hatred 00:01:04 for what Satan has done and is doing today 00:01:07 by breaking up families and marriages 00:01:10 and making sure that nothing will interfere 00:01:13 with the tight bond, or secure bond, 00:01:15 that we have within our marriage. 00:01:18 When the marriage-bond breakers, the Pharisees, 00:01:21 were trying to test Jesus in his day, do you remember what Jesus did? 00:01:26 Well, the first thing he did was to go back and quote 00:01:28 what Jehovah said about Adam and Eve. 00:01:31 So if you go in your Bible, let’s go 00:01:33 to Matthew 19:5, 6. 00:01:37 And Jesus told these Pharisees: 00:01:41 ‘Didn’t you read about this already?’ 00:01:43 In verse 5, he goes on to say: “For this reason 00:01:46 “a man will leave his father and his mother 00:01:48 “and [he] will stick to his wife, 00:01:51 and the two will [become] one flesh.” 00:01:54 So he quoted exactly what Jehovah said. 00:01:57 But then he went a little bit further in verse 6. 00:01:59 He says: “So that they are no longer two, but one flesh. 00:02:04 “Therefore, what God has yoked together, 00:02:07 let no man put apart.” 00:02:10 It’s interesting that our study notes help us 00:02:13 to appreciate what “stick to” means. 00:02:15 Literally, it means “to glue; 00:02:18 to join (bind) closely together; to cling to.” 00:02:22 So when it comes to a union of a husband and wife, 00:02:25 they need to be glued together. 00:02:27 What about the term “one flesh”? 00:02:30 That could also mean “one body” or “one person.” 00:02:34 It describes the closest bond between a husband and wife 00:02:38 —inseparable companions. 00:02:40 It says in the study note that “such a union cannot be broken up 00:02:44 without damage to the partners bound by it.” 00:02:47 So something that’s supposed to be permanently glued, 00:02:49 when you try to tear it apart, there will be problems. 00:02:53 People often say that when a newly married couple gets married, 00:02:57 they “tied the knot.” 00:02:58 I think we’ve all heard that. 00:03:00 But unfortunately, some couples or many couples 00:03:04 go from being stuck on their partner 00:03:07 —being attracted to them because of maybe looks or because of things in common— 00:03:11 to actually being stuck with them. 00:03:15 Big difference. 00:03:16 They quickly want to untie the knot 00:03:18 —separate the bond and become unglued. 00:03:22 That’s how many in the world are. 00:03:24 But that’s not you, and that’s not Jehovah’s people in general. 00:03:28 Millions are enjoying a happy, successful marriage. 00:03:32 Well, what are these marriages missing? 00:03:35 Why are they becoming unglued? 00:03:37 Well, they don’t have the right kind of glue. 00:03:40 Well, what is the glue 00:03:42 that will bond your marriage and all marriages around the world? 00:03:47 What do we need? 00:03:48 Notice what Paul tells us at Colossians 3:14 00:03:53 is the secret to success, the glue, that bonds us together. 00:03:57 At Colossians 3:14, 00:04:01 he says: “Love [love] . . . is 00:04:04 a perfect bond of union.” 00:04:08 That’s the glue that is missing in most marriages. 00:04:12 It’s not a romantic type of love but the attachment that will not let go 00:04:16 —that will continue to be bonded not only to the couple 00:04:19 but to Jehovah. 00:04:21 As we know, if we’re trying to glue something together 00:04:24 with wood glue or plastics or some kind of adhesive, 00:04:27 there are many different types of components, or ingredients, within glue 00:04:32 that give it maximum holding power, or strength. 00:04:36 What are the bonding ingredients, or materials, found in love? 00:04:40 If you’re still in Colossians chapter 3, 00:04:43 Paul lists many bond makers 00:04:46 as well as bond breakers. 00:04:48 Let’s go through the list of bond breakers so that we know what to avoid. 00:04:53 There in Colossians chapter 3, notice verse 5. 00:04:56 The bond breakers are “sexual immorality, uncleanness, 00:05:01 uncontrolled sexual passion, hurtful desire, and greediness.” 00:05:06 Total selfishness. 00:05:07 We see this in most marriages today. 00:05:09 Verse 8 goes on to say “wrath, anger, badness, 00:05:12 abusive speech, and obscene talk.” 00:05:15 In verse 9, it’s “[lying].” 00:05:18 Well, these are things that will tear our marriage apart. 00:05:21 It will not keep it together. 00:05:23 So we know this. 00:05:25 But we need to ask ourselves, ‘If I know this, 00:05:27 ‘why would I want to bring into my marriage anything that would tear it apart 00:05:31 ‘—inappropriate material, 00:05:34 ‘entertainment, pornography? 00:05:37 ‘Why would I form an attachment, an emotional attachment, 00:05:41 with someone who is not my mate or flirt with them?’ 00:05:44 It would break the marriage bond. 00:05:47 ‘Why would I speak in such a harsh, sarcastic, critical way 00:05:50 to my best friend, to my marriage mate?’ 00:05:54 Before using glue and trying to put something together, 00:05:59 both surfaces need to be clean 00:06:02 —that is, in a physical way but also with the marriage itself. 00:06:06 We need to make sure that everything is removed 00:06:08 that would prevent permanent bonding. 00:06:12 So we need to have a clean conscience 00:06:14 and be clean with what we think and what we see and what we do. 00:06:18 So, what are the bond makers that will help us, 00:06:21 that will help love to be part of our marriage? 00:06:23 What are the ingredients? 00:06:25 Notice Colossians 3:12; 00:06:28 it says what we are to put on after we strip off the old things: 00:06:32 “Clothe [ourselves] with the tender affections of compassion, 00:06:35 kindness, humility, mildness, and patience.” 00:06:39 These are keys to our success. 00:06:42 And in verse 13, we should “continue putting up with one another 00:06:46 and forgiving one another freely.” 00:06:49 So these will lead to a happy family life. 00:06:52 We all want to be happier than we are now. 00:06:56 It’s been said that the first to apologize is the bravest, 00:07:00 the first to forgive is the strongest, 00:07:02 and the first to forget is the happiest. 00:07:05 So that’s the key to success as well. 00:07:08 And there are many fine examples in the Bible 00:07:11 and modern-day examples that we can try to imitate. 00:07:14 One of the couples that comes to my mind from the Bible 00:07:17 is Aquila and Priscilla. 00:07:19 And what do we know about them? 00:07:21 Amazingly, they were always together. 00:07:23 One was never mentioned without the other. 00:07:26 In theocratic activities and their social life, they were together. 00:07:30 And they were running the race for life together. 00:07:33 And we appreciate how they were bonded together. 00:07:35 It made them a success. 00:07:37 We want to imitate that and all the modern-day examples 00:07:40 that help us to appreciate that we want to continue to stick together. 00:07:45 We’re all running in the race for life; that’s true. 00:07:48 But if we’re married, we’re not running alone. 00:07:51 We have our partner, and we need to run with them. 00:07:55 It’s sort of like running in a three-legged race. 00:07:59 What is a three-legged race? 00:08:01 Well, it’s when two people are joined together at the ankle, 00:08:03 and they run to the finish line. 00:08:05 Here we have Caleb and Sophia’s parents 00:08:08 helping to demonstrate this for us. 00:08:10 They’re tied together. 00:08:11 But how do we know that their marriage will be successful? 00:08:14 Well, first, the partners must remain tied. 00:08:17 They must be bound together—permanent. 00:08:20 They need to cling tightly to their partner 00:08:23 —support them and stabilize them if they were to stumble or fall. 00:08:27 They need close communication to start off on the right foot 00:08:31 and to continue to run in the same direction toward the same goal. 00:08:36 And it’s vital that they run together, 00:08:39 move as one body —“one flesh,” not two— 00:08:42 in harmony with synchronized steps, 00:08:45 and run at the same pace, at the same speed. 00:08:48 And they will be successful. 00:08:51 Likewise, when it comes to your marriage and my marriage, 00:08:54 we need partners who are strong, who will support us, who will stabilize us. 00:08:59 Work together to achieve goals 00:09:02 that will make Jehovah happy and in turn make us happy. 00:09:06 Communication is the key to our success. 00:09:10 We can reach the finish line together 00:09:13 with this bonding and with Jehovah in the marriage. 00:09:17 But what if our partner were to fall 00:09:19 or feel down? 00:09:22 Ecclesiastes 4:10 says: 00:09:24 “For if one of them falls, the other can help his partner up.” 00:09:28 So if our partner is stressed out, 00:09:30 anxious, emotionally spent, feeling down, 00:09:34 we could pick them up by giving them our full attention. 00:09:38 Yes, we’re busier than ever with our work assignments, 00:09:41 we’re trying to exercise, and we’re trying to be with all of our friends, 00:09:44 but that cannot overshadow 00:09:46 the communication that is needed with our best friend 00:09:50 —our running mate— our wife or our husband. 00:09:53 So we need to put the work away, put down our device, 00:09:56 and give undivided attention to our partner. 00:10:00 And each day, we want to communicate through prayer. 00:10:05 Talk to Jehovah, the three of you, 00:10:07 and make Jehovah part of that marriage. 00:10:10 And that’s what Ecclesiastes 4:12 says: 00:10:12 “A threefold cord cannot quickly be torn apart.” 00:10:15 So, just love between a man and a woman is not enough. 00:10:18 We need Jehovah to make it the strongest and happiest possible. 00:10:23 So as you keep Jehovah as a central strand in your marriage, 00:10:26 you will be married at heart. 00:10:28 You will stick together with the right kind of glue. 00:10:31 Yes, love is the “perfect bond of union” that will never fail.
00:00:01 Today’s text reminds us 00:00:03 of our loving God, Jehovah, 00:00:06 and what he’s done for you and for me 00:00:08 and for all humans. 00:00:09 He is the Originator of marriage. 00:00:12 Yes, he is the Marriage-Bond Maker. 00:00:15 So his purpose from the very beginning, from Adam and Eve to our day, 00:00:19 was that they would stick together 00:00:21 —that they would be “one flesh,” bonded together— 00:00:24 and it would be a permanent and lasting and happy relationship. 00:00:28 But here’s the problem. 00:00:30 On the other hand, we have Satan, who is the original bond breaker. 00:00:35 He wants to break marriages and families. 00:00:38 He wants to get in between your marriage and my marriage 00:00:42 and cause a wedge. 00:00:44 So, what will make or break our marriage? 00:00:48 Well, the key is to the extent 00:00:50 to which we show and prove our love to Jehovah 00:00:54 and are loyal to his commandments —including the marriage arrangement— 00:00:58 and our love and our loyalty to our mate. 00:01:02 We must also prove our hatred 00:01:04 for what Satan has done and is doing today 00:01:07 by breaking up families and marriages 00:01:10 and making sure that nothing will interfere 00:01:13 with the tight bond, or secure bond, 00:01:15 that we have within our marriage. 00:01:18 When the marriage-bond breakers, the Pharisees, 00:01:21 were trying to test Jesus in his day, do you remember what Jesus did? 00:01:26 Well, the first thing he did was to go back and quote 00:01:28 what Jehovah said about Adam and Eve. 00:01:31 So if you go in your Bible, let’s go 00:01:33 to Matthew 19:5, 6. 00:01:37 And Jesus told these Pharisees: 00:01:41 ‘Didn’t you read about this already?’ 00:01:43 In verse 5, he goes on to say: “For this reason 00:01:46 “a man will leave his father and his mother 00:01:48 “and [he] will stick to his wife, 00:01:51 and the two will [become] one flesh.” 00:01:54 So he quoted exactly what Jehovah said. 00:01:57 But then he went a little bit further in verse 6. 00:01:59 He says: “So that they are no longer two, but one flesh. 00:02:04 “Therefore, what God has yoked together, 00:02:07 let no man put apart.” 00:02:10 It’s interesting that our study notes help us 00:02:13 to appreciate what “stick to” means. 00:02:15 Literally, it means “to glue; 00:02:18 to join (bind) closely together; to cling to.” 00:02:22 So when it comes to a union of a husband and wife, 00:02:25 they need to be glued together. 00:02:27 What about the term “one flesh”? 00:02:30 That could also mean “one body” or “one person.” 00:02:34 It describes the closest bond between a husband and wife 00:02:38 —inseparable companions. 00:02:40 It says in the study note that “such a union cannot be broken up 00:02:44 without damage to the partners bound by it.” 00:02:47 So something that’s supposed to be permanently glued, 00:02:49 when you try to tear it apart, there will be problems. 00:02:53 People often say that when a newly married couple gets married, 00:02:57 they “tied the knot.” 00:02:58 I think we’ve all heard that. 00:03:00 But unfortunately, some couples or many couples 00:03:04 go from being stuck on their partner 00:03:07 —being attracted to them because of maybe looks or because of things in common— 00:03:11 to actually being stuck with them. 00:03:15 Big difference. 00:03:16 They quickly want to untie the knot 00:03:18 —separate the bond and become unglued. 00:03:22 That’s how many in the world are. 00:03:24 But that’s not you, and that’s not Jehovah’s people in general. 00:03:28 Millions are enjoying a happy, successful marriage. 00:03:32 Well, what are these marriages missing? 00:03:35 Why are they becoming unglued? 00:03:37 Well, they don’t have the right kind of glue. 00:03:40 Well, what is the glue 00:03:42 that will bond your marriage and all marriages around the world? 00:03:47 What do we need? 00:03:48 Notice what Paul tells us at Colossians 3:14 00:03:53 is the secret to success, the glue, that bonds us together. 00:03:57 At Colossians 3:14, 00:04:01 he says: “Love [love] . . . is 00:04:04 a perfect bond of union.” 00:04:08 That’s the glue that is missing in most marriages. 00:04:12 It’s not a romantic type of love but the attachment that will not let go 00:04:16 —that will continue to be bonded not only to the couple 00:04:19 but to Jehovah. 00:04:21 As we know, if we’re trying to glue something together 00:04:24 with wood glue or plastics or some kind of adhesive, 00:04:27 there are many different types of components, or ingredients, within glue 00:04:32 that give it maximum holding power, or strength. 00:04:36 What are the bonding ingredients, or materials, found in love? 00:04:40 If you’re still in Colossians chapter 3, 00:04:43 Paul lists many bond makers 00:04:46 as well as bond breakers. 00:04:48 Let’s go through the list of bond breakers so that we know what to avoid. 00:04:53 There in Colossians chapter 3, notice verse 5. 00:04:56 The bond breakers are “sexual immorality, uncleanness, 00:05:01 uncontrolled sexual passion, hurtful desire, and greediness.” 00:05:06 Total selfishness. 00:05:07 We see this in most marriages today. 00:05:09 Verse 8 goes on to say “wrath, anger, badness, 00:05:12 abusive speech, and obscene talk.” 00:05:15 In verse 9, it’s “[lying].” 00:05:18 Well, these are things that will tear our marriage apart. 00:05:21 It will not keep it together. 00:05:23 So we know this. 00:05:25 But we need to ask ourselves, ‘If I know this, 00:05:27 ‘why would I want to bring into my marriage anything that would tear it apart 00:05:31 ‘—inappropriate material, 00:05:34 ‘entertainment, pornography? 00:05:37 ‘Why would I form an attachment, an emotional attachment, 00:05:41 with someone who is not my mate or flirt with them?’ 00:05:44 It would break the marriage bond. 00:05:47 ‘Why would I speak in such a harsh, sarcastic, critical way 00:05:50 to my best friend, to my marriage mate?’ 00:05:54 Before using glue and trying to put something together, 00:05:59 both surfaces need to be clean 00:06:02 —that is, in a physical way but also with the marriage itself. 00:06:06 We need to make sure that everything is removed 00:06:08 that would prevent permanent bonding. 00:06:12 So we need to have a clean conscience 00:06:14 and be clean with what we think and what we see and what we do. 00:06:18 So, what are the bond makers that will help us, 00:06:21 that will help love to be part of our marriage? 00:06:23 What are the ingredients? 00:06:25 Notice Colossians 3:12; 00:06:28 it says what we are to put on after we strip off the old things: 00:06:32 “Clothe [ourselves] with the tender affections of compassion, 00:06:35 kindness, humility, mildness, and patience.” 00:06:39 These are keys to our success. 00:06:42 And in verse 13, we should “continue putting up with one another 00:06:46 and forgiving one another freely.” 00:06:49 So these will lead to a happy family life. 00:06:52 We all want to be happier than we are now. 00:06:56 It’s been said that the first to apologize is the bravest, 00:07:00 the first to forgive is the strongest, 00:07:02 and the first to forget is the happiest. 00:07:05 So that’s the key to success as well. 00:07:08 And there are many fine examples in the Bible 00:07:11 and modern-day examples that we can try to imitate. 00:07:14 One of the couples that comes to my mind from the Bible 00:07:17 is Aquila and Priscilla. 00:07:19 And what do we know about them? 00:07:21 Amazingly, they were always together. 00:07:23 One was never mentioned without the other. 00:07:26 In theocratic activities and their social life, they were together. 00:07:30 And they were running the race for life together. 00:07:33 And we appreciate how they were bonded together. 00:07:35 It made them a success. 00:07:37 We want to imitate that and all the modern-day examples 00:07:40 that help us to appreciate that we want to continue to stick together. 00:07:45 We’re all running in the race for life; that’s true. 00:07:48 But if we’re married, we’re not running alone. 00:07:51 We have our partner, and we need to run with them. 00:07:55 It’s sort of like running in a three-legged race. 00:07:59 What is a three-legged race? 00:08:01 Well, it’s when two people are joined together at the ankle, 00:08:03 and they run to the finish line. 00:08:05 Here we have Caleb and Sophia’s parents 00:08:08 helping to demonstrate this for us. 00:08:10 They’re tied together. 00:08:11 But how do we know that their marriage will be successful? 00:08:14 Well, first, the partners must remain tied. 00:08:17 They must be bound together—permanent. 00:08:20 They need to cling tightly to their partner 00:08:23 —support them and stabilize them if they were to stumble or fall. 00:08:27 They need close communication to start off on the right foot 00:08:31 and to continue to run in the same direction toward the same goal. 00:08:36 And it’s vital that they run together, 00:08:39 move as one body —“one flesh,” not two— 00:08:42 in harmony with synchronized steps, 00:08:45 and run at the same pace, at the same speed. 00:08:48 And they will be successful. 00:08:51 Likewise, when it comes to your marriage and my marriage, 00:08:54 we need partners who are strong, who will support us, who will stabilize us. 00:08:59 Work together to achieve goals 00:09:02 that will make Jehovah happy and in turn make us happy. 00:09:06 Communication is the key to our success. 00:09:10 We can reach the finish line together 00:09:13 with this bonding and with Jehovah in the marriage. 00:09:17 But what if our partner were to fall 00:09:19 or feel down? 00:09:22 Ecclesiastes 4:10 says: 00:09:24 “For if one of them falls, the other can help his partner up.” 00:09:28 So if our partner is stressed out, 00:09:30 anxious, emotionally spent, feeling down, 00:09:34 we could pick them up by giving them our full attention. 00:09:38 Yes, we’re busier than ever with our work assignments, 00:09:41 we’re trying to exercise, and we’re trying to be with all of our friends, 00:09:44 but that cannot overshadow 00:09:46 the communication that is needed with our best friend 00:09:50 —our running mate— our wife or our husband. 00:09:53 So we need to put the work away, put down our device, 00:09:56 and give undivided attention to our partner. 00:10:00 And each day, we want to communicate through prayer. 00:10:05 Talk to Jehovah, the three of you, 00:10:07 and make Jehovah part of that marriage. 00:10:10 And that’s what Ecclesiastes 4:12 says: 00:10:12 “A threefold cord cannot quickly be torn apart.” 00:10:15 So, just love between a man and a woman is not enough. 00:10:18 We need Jehovah to make it the strongest and happiest possible. 00:10:23 So as you keep Jehovah as a central strand in your marriage, 00:10:26 you will be married at heart. 00:10:28 You will stick together with the right kind of glue. 00:10:31 Yes, love is the “perfect bond of union” that will never fail.
