As Himself (28-29a, 33): Paul shifts gears[1] and now calls the men to love their own wives as their own bodies. All human beings look after their own physical needs. From the point of birth, they all instinctively seek nourishment and warmth for themselves.[2] The husband’s care for his wife should be as much a knee-jerk reflex as this. Her needs, her cares, her safety, her provision, her comfort, etc. all become his own. In our age of unrestricted and unabashed self-love, Christians are to stand out as those who own the needs of others, love others as themselves[3] and walk in the footsteps of our Supreme Example.
The Church (29b-32): As Paul begins to describe the example of Christ’s love for His church, he once again turns his attention away from human marriage to the pivotal and eternal truth about Christ and the church.[4] Our Lord shows an ongoing care for us, treating us as His own body, nourishing and cherishing us: Christ watches over us, He intercedes for us, He stands before the Father as our High Priest and Advocate, He provides for us, He is building us up, and He is ever with us and will never forsake us.[5] He not only made the ultimate sacrifice to save us, He also continues in His care as our risen and living Lord.[6] In His eyes, we are truly His body (Acts 9:4). Down to every member of His church, He treats us as precious and beloved, as those for whom He died.[7]
[1] 5:28 begins a new section where Paul focuses on marital love as care for oneself.
[2] The two verbs “nourish” and “cherish” (lit. “warm”) speak of this physical care for one’s own body.
[3] This command resounds as a general one throughout the NT (Mark 12:31; Gal. 5:14; Jam. 2:8).
[4] Marriage is only for this age (Matt. 22:30), but not our union with Christ (2:5-7; Rev. 19:7; 20:4).
[5] The Lord knows us (Rev. 2:1-2, 18-19ff.), intercedes for us (Rom. 8:34), mediates for us (Heb. 10:21-22; 1 John 2:1), provides for us (Eph. 4:7-8, 11-12), builds us up (Matt. 16:18) and is present with us (Heb. 13:5-6).
[6] Christ bodily rose from the dead and He is alive presently (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25; Rev. 1:18).
[7] This is how He sees every member (Rom. 14:15; 1 Cor. 8:11), down to a child who believes (Matt. 18:6-14).