Chivalry Isn't Dead
“Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.” (1 Peter 3:7)
A few weeks ago, I touched on the topic of chivalry in my sermon on marriage in 1 Peter 3:1-7.
Chivalry is a topic that’s deeply misunderstood in our day. Most of us hear the term and think about men holding open doors for women. While that’s certainly a good thing to do, chivalry means so much more!
In the sermon, I quoted Seth Troutt who said: (You can read more from Seth Troutt on this topic here)
Chivalry is strength that honors. It’s being fierce in the right directions and meek in the right directions. It's the ability to cherish and nourish and the ability to stomp on the head of The Serpent. It’s strength that is honoring to women and threatening to evil doers. It's courageous and it’s caring. Chivalry is strength that honors, elevates, and lifts up.
While that’s certainly not less than holding open doors, it’s so much more!
The virtue of chivalry is about men using their God-given authority to build up, and not tear down. To use their masculine strength to nurture and protect. To have both a soft heart and steel spine.
Troutt is riffing off of C.S. Lewis, who said: (You can read Lewis’ full essay here)
The important thing about this ideal is, of course, the double demand it makes on human nature. The knight is a man of blood and iron, a man familiar with the sight of smashed faces and the ragged stumps of lopped-off limbs; he is also a demure, almost a maidenlike, guest in hall, a gentle, modest, unobtrusive man. He is not a compromise or happy mean between ferocity and meekness; he is fierce to the nth and meek to the nth.
Even though you won’t find the word “Chivalry” in the pages of scripture, you’ll see the virtue from cover to cover!
Chivalry is found in Genesis 2:15, when Adam is commanded to work and keep the garden. His Creator charged him to gently cultivate the garden, and to violently defend it.
Chivalry is found in King David, who was a Giant-Hunter, a Warrior-King, and the Sweet Psalmist of Israel (2 Samuel 23).
Chivalry is found in our Incarnate Lord, who both wept over Jerusalem and overturned the tables of the corrupt (Luke 19:41-48).
Chivalry is found in our Coming King, who is simultaneously the Slaughtered Lamb and the Conquering Lion (Revelation 5:1-6).
(Below is an image Kevin Fowler made to put on the wall of his boy’s bedrooms. I’m going to do the same, if you want to join me!)
Men, let’s make sure that true chivalry stays very much alive!
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” (Genesis 2:15)
Here are the lyrics to a British hymn that I learned in school. I think it relates to chivalry. I used to sing it to my daughters as a lullaby:
When a knight won his spurs in the stories of old,
He was gentle and brave; he was gallant and bold;
With a shield on his arm and a lance in his hand,
For God and for valor, he rode through the land.
No charger have I, and no sword by my side;
Yet still to adventure and battle I ride;
Though back into storyland giants have fled,
And the knights are no more, and the dragons are dead.
Let faith be my shield, and let joy be my steed
‘Gainst the dragons of anger, the ogres of greed;
And let me set free, with the sword of my youth
From the castle of darkness, the power of the truth.