I grew up watching the 1996 A&E version of Emma with
Kate Beckinsale. She always
bothered me because she doesn’t deserve Knightly’s love. After reading the book for the first
time and watching the BBC mini series, I realize now how and why my feelings have
changed.
All
of Austen’s female characters are flawed which makes them very interesting as
we watch them learn from one another and grow into better people. However, for most of the entire book,
Emma is unapologetically flawed. It’s
one thing to own your faults, it’s another to be completely ok with them. Yet, despite all of her failings and
faults the most perfect specimen of a man is madly in love with her.
To the point now, I
always thought of myself as Harriet and Harriet to be the true heroin because
she never messed up. This time
round, I was frustrated by Emma’s failings but I was glad of her triumph. I think a few years of being saturated
in the Father’s heart has changed my perspective a bit. Before I was so quick to be the one to
earn love through my own merit. I
was living in self-righteousness.
I was the prodigal son’s brother.
Yet the one who is forgiven much is loved much.
I
think one could argue that Jane Austen thinks love is blind. Yet let us remember that Knightly
spends the entire story lecturing Emma and trying to help her mend her
ways. He is fully aware of her
faults. But he loves her still.
Instead,
I think Austen makes an important point about true love: true love is unconditional. I think though, it is telling when
Knightly begins address her as “Dearest Emma.” She is no longer just “Emma” to him.
Furthermore,
Austen talks a lot about being perfectly matched. We all know what that means I believe but I think it’s
really important to take a look at.
For most certainly is Knightly matched to Emma in both class and
mind. Yet she, who is given
everything, chooses to act foolishly.
She squanders all because of vanity.
How
much more so does God love us! I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 13 that says love
keeps no record of wrongs. If we
were truly in love with someone, what they do or say should be easily
forgivable because of who they are (in God’s case, it’s because of who he is). He looks at us and says, “I love you no matter what.”
Let
us act as Emma finally does. We
find out of her affections for Knightly through her increasing care of his
opinion of her. How anxious she
becomes when she realizes how she is wounding him with her actions! In the same way, let us run to the good
and not the evil.
Oh! The more I read about men and women and
how we are meant to compliment each other the more I fall in love with my savior. How much does the Bride of Christ react
like I do to the men around me? I
try to control and manipulate rather than trust and wait. What a kind, gentleman Christ is that
he sees our meddling hands and then shows us a better way. Our repentance completely captivates
him and he is undone! He calls us
“dearest” and proposes to us in earnest devotion. He gave up his home in Heaven to be with us forever!
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