Ephesians 5:28-31

In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

Ephesians 5:28-31

Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.  His purpose was to sanctify the church, cleaning it by washing the church with the word.  The cleansing was so that the church would be presented to himself clean and spotless.  This is how Christ loved the church.  So, in light of how Christ loved the church, husbands are to love their wives "in the same way".  Jesus is our model of love.  "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends" John 15:13

When Paul talks about husbands loving their wives here in verse 28, not only does he say that they are to love in the same way (as Christ loved the church), but also that husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies.  Now I wonder, is "in the same way" also referring to "as their own bodies"?  I mean, is the way that Christ loved the church (the way husbands are given an example as to how they are to love their wives) also saying that Christ loved the church as he loved his own body (or how one loves his own body)?  This is likely, but it's also simply that Christ provides an example of love and a similar direction given to husbands is that they are to love their wives as they love their own body.  We are given yet another way to think about or help us in our direction in loving our wives and another dimension of how Christ loved the church.

So, we are to love as Christ loved the church.  One way to describe how Christ loved the church is how one loves his own body.  It simply makes sense that one would love his or her own body.  "For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it".  Now, I can understand that there may be some objections.  I can picture a person who is unhappy with the way that they look (too fat, too skinny, to tan, to pale, etc); however, this is not what Paul is talking about here.  One may not be happy with the way that they look, but that doesn't mean that they won't try to care for their bodies.  This is seen by when Paul says "but nourishes and cherishes it (one's own body)".  Okay, another objection may arise pointing to people who self mutilate.  Perhaps we could go on conjuring up different exceptions, but I don't think it takes away from Paul's point.  In general, we all understand that a person is for himself and naturally cares for himself.  This natural inclination is the kind that a husband should have for his wife.  It is natural.  This idea is brought back to Jesus.  We are reminded that Christ does the same thing to the church.  We are reminded that the "we (the church) are members of his body".  We are members of his body, so it only makes sense that he would care for us as one would care for his or her own body.  Lastly, we are pointed towards Genesis.  Way back then, God had already described marriage as two becoming one flesh.  If they are one flesh they are of the same body, so it's natural that the husband (being of the same body as his wife) would care for his wife in that way.