The Ill-Matched Couple

"The Ill-Matched Couple."
Lucas Cranach the Elder. c. 1520-22.
(Hungarian National Museum, Budapest)

Copyright © Edward Riojas

Among the stranger things the Northern Renaissance produced are paintings on the theme of the ill-matched couple. They show up in different areas of Europe, and several are in the portfolio of Lucas Cranach the Elder.

They were slightly-humorous, morality lessons on marriage. They must have been a bit uncomfortable to look at back in the day. They still are. They typically show an old, ugly man with a young, handsome woman, but the roles are sometimes reversed, as in our example. Usually, there is also a money bag hidden somewhere in plain sight. The image was a Renaissance reminder to beware of gold-diggers, and to be careful of that love-is-blind thing. The prospect was – and still is – ugly on many levels.

For the moment, let us ignore all that and use the ill-matched couple for a completely different purpose. We are now in Gesimatide, and it’s a good time to give ourselves a reality check.

I have for various reasons avoided tackling the artistic concept of the Bride of Christ. There seems to be too many facets and too much grandeur to even ponder the subject. It’s sort of like painting heaven – pardon the irony, but where in the world does one begin? The words with which the Lord describes the beauty of the Church defy illustrating. There are not canvasses large enough. Or white enough. Or pure enough.

Those words of Holy Scripture, however, are written through the eyes of God; they show Divine Love, and they show what is seen through the lens of Christ’s cross and resurrection. There is plenty of artwork out there that attempts to depict this for human eyes. The bride is always a blushing beauty seemingly pulled out of a Miss America pageant. Her train is long. The smiles are big. There are wispy clouds and perfection. And there is something totally schmaltzy and uncomfortable about all those images.

Modern depiction of the Bride of Christ.

Let’s be real. Gesimatide and Lent have little to do with comfort. While we, as saints, should feel giddy about the prospect of collectively being Christ’s Bride, we should also admit that we aren’t exactly the greatest catch. “What does He see in HER?,” might ring in our ears. The name “Gomer” fits. The Ill-Matched Couple-thing fits. This facet of the Bride is often ignored, but there simply isn’t enough lipstick in the world for us Goyim swine to cover our sin and change our ugly snouts. We couldn’t, by ourselves, don righteousness. We sat naked in an antechamber, holding a bouquet of rotting vegetation, helplessly crying, “Lord have mercy!”

But that is not where this Divine Hallmark story ends.

Thanks be to God, Christ paid for a complete makeover with His death and resurrection. In Holy Baptism, Christ Himself clothed us with His perfect righteousness. He sees the Church as His Radiant Bride. The anticipation of that heavenly wedding banquet, the Divine Love that is already ours, and the prospect of being the Trophy Bride of God Himself is enough to sustain us as we slowly, sometimes agonizingly, half-step the long wedding march this side of Heaven.