Christy McHugh — In our last week of this series, Christy takes a look at the metaphor of the Jewish wedding. There are two stages of Jewish weddings - with a long waiting period in between. The parallels in this metaphor point to the work and the cost are the responsibility of the bridegroom.

Yet, we know in the paradoxes of the Kingdom of God, this does not mean we have no cost to pay. Nor do we have no work to do. There is a dear cost to pay and there are works to do. The tension becomes what order we live from. Do we live in response to his love or do we work to earn his love? As the bride of Christ, we can not get this order wrong. We have to know we are loved and only operate in response to his love.