Made One: The Wedding of Jacob Hankel and Jacy Bopp

Made One

The Wedding of Jacob Hankel and Jacy Bopp – 9/26/2026

Matthew 19:4-6

Rev. Dr. Christopher W. Brademeyer

That portion of God’s holy Word for consideration this afternoon is our reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew in the nineteenth chapter which was reads as follows:

“[Jesus] answered, ‘Have you not read that he who created them from the

beginning made them male and female, and said, “Therefore a man shall leave his

father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh”? So

they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not

man separate.’”[1]

Thus far the Scriptures.

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Jacob and Jacy, today you are doing something both very ordinary and very extraordinary. Ordinary, because for thousands of years men and women have stood before their families, their friends, and their God and promised themselves to one another in marriage. Extraordinary, because today God Himself joins the two of you together as husband and wife. This universal, God-given reality is where our Lord Jesus directs our attention with His words here. He did not begin with your feelings. He did not begin with your plans for the future. He did not begin with your inner selves. He began with God.

As the Lord quoted from Genesis, “He who created them from the beginning made them male and female.” Marriage is not something that human beings invented. It is God's institution. God made man and woman, and God established marriage as the lifelong union of one man and one woman. He created it, He defines it. This is why our Lord says, “The two shall become one flesh.” Marriage is therefore more than a legal arrangement defined by the government, more than companionship, and more than a romantic relationship. It is a real union that transcends social or political custom. A husband and wife belong to one another in body and soul.

God gives marriage for several purposes. He gives it for companionship. In Genesis,

God says, “It is not good that the man should be alone.” He gives marriage as a remedy against sexual temptation, as St. Paul says, so that husband and wife might have one another and live chastely and faithfully. And God gives marriage for the procreation and rearing of children. But underlying all of these things is God's good purpose: that husband and wife should live together in love and faithfulness, receiving one another as God's gifts.

But the Lord gives you something better. He does not say, “The two shall become one flesh until you stop feeling like it.” He says, “The two shall become one flesh.” And then He gives the command: “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” Marriage is therefore a lifelong vocation. There will be days when being married feels easy and joyful. There will also be days when it requires patience, humility, and sacrifice.

There will be times when Jacob gets on Jacy's nerves. He will leave his muddy boots in the wrong spot or not get that broken faucet fixed as fast as you want, Jacy. And there will undoubtedly be times when Jacy gets on Jacob's nerves. Even though she’s pretty low maintenance, there will be products and brushes and things in the bathroom that make no sense and take up too much room. Pointing this out is not to give a prophecy of doom. It is simply the reality that two sinners are being joined together. Marriage requires faithfulness and sacrifice.

Jacob, you are called to love and cherish Jacy, not only when she is easy to love, but every day. You are called to give yourself for her good, even if it costs you your life. And Jacy, you are called to love and cherish Jacob, not merely when he meets your expectations, but every day. You are called to give yourself for his good and to follow his headship even when you’d rather not. You see, marriage as God designed it is not ultimately about asking, “What am I getting out of this?” It is about asking, “How can I serve the person God has given me?”

That means you will need forgiveness. You will hurt each other. Sometimes intentionally, sometimes unintentionally. You will say things you wish you had not said. You will misunderstand one another. You will have disagreements. When that happens, do not keep score. Confess your sins. Forgive one another. Speak honestly. Listen carefully. Do not let small resentments become large walls between you. And above all, remember that forgiveness is not merely a nice idea. You are Christians. You know what forgiveness is because you have received it from Christ.

   You have both been baptized into Christ. You both live under His Word. You both need His forgiveness. And therefore, you are able to forgive one another. The strength of your marriage will not ultimately come from how compatible you are, how well you communicate, or how much you love each other. Those things matter. But your marriage rests upon something deeper. It rests upon the faithfulness of God.

Christ has loved you with a love that did not remain merely in words. He gave Himself for you on the cross. He bore your sins. He died for you. He rose again. And He continues to serve you through His Word and Sacraments. That is the love that you are called to imitate in your marriage.

So, when marriage is difficult, look to Christ. When you have sinned against one another, look to Christ. When you need forgiveness, receive it from Christ and extend it to one another. And when marriage is joyful, and I hope you have many, many joyful years together, give thanks to Christ, because every good gift comes from Him.

Jacob and Jacy, today you are making promises to one another. Those promises matter. But remember that marriage is not merely a promise you make to each other. It is a vocation into which God is placing you. You are no longer two independent lives moving in the same direction. Jesus says that you are becoming one flesh. So hold fast to one another. Be patient with one another. Speak the truth to one another. Forgive one another. Pray together. Come to church together. Receive Christ's gifts together. And when the world tells you that marriage is merely about getting what you want, remember the words of Jesus: “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

God grant you many years together. May He bless your home with peace and, in His good time and according to His will, with children. May He preserve you in faithfulness to one another. And when your own love fails, and it will at times, may His perfect love in Christ sustain you. The God who joins you together today is also the God who promises never to leave you.

In the holy Name of + Jesus. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

[1] Matthew 19:4-6 English Standard Version. All further quotations from the Holy Scriptures are from the ESV.