Divorce - Mark 10
Divorce
10 Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them.
2 Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
3 “What did Moses command you?” he replied.
4 They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”
5 “It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. 6 “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’[a] 7 ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,[b] 8 and the two will become one flesh.’[c] So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
10 When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. 11 He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. 12 And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”
Reflection:
Today Jesus continues to teach on the practical aspects of God's kingdom coming here on earth as it is in heaven. Today he teaches on divorce, a subject very relevant for today. The Pharisees are trying to trap Jesus with a question about divorce. If he says it is lawful, they will say he is disregarding the Ten Commandments. If he says it is wrong, they will, as they do in the passage, ask about the provision made in the Mosiac law. The Pharisees, as they often do, are trying to twist the law to their own ends rather than obeying the plain meaning of it.
So what does Jesus do? He reiterates God's plan for marriage. Marriage is a holy covenant established by God, where a man and a woman become one flesh. Not in a literal sense, but more spiritually speaking. But the bottom line is that God causes the two to become, which is why in the Catholic Church it is a sacrament. Luther defined a sacrament as promising the forgiveness of sins (holy baptism, holy communion) through God's promise as fulfilled in Jesus which we trust in faith and is signified through an earthly promise (water, bread, and wine). But that does not mean marriage it is not a holy estate. It is holy because God makes it holy, and our promises we make in our wedding ceremonie are in response to the promises God makes for you.
This is a huge challenge for us in a society where there is around a 50% divorce rate, and re-marriage is common as well. In Matthew, the only grounds for divorce is when one partner is unfaithful to the marriage vows through adultery. Since Mark's gospel is shorter this, it is added in Matthew's gospel. This can be a little confusing but the clear teaching here is God is not in favor of divorce. While grace should be shown to those who have had to endure divorce for whatever reason, the Church needs to help strengthen marriages and get couples the help they need during stormy times. The key thing for every married couple is that your vows are grounded in God's joining the two of you together. Though marriage can be a burden for some, God sustains us in our weariness and gives us the strength and patience to fulfill the vows we have made to each other. Let us pray for each other and singles who desire to get married for the holy estate of marriage that it might continue to be holy in our culture today. What God has made holy, let us keep as holy.
Heavenly Father, I pray for marriages that have been consecrated in your name, the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God give married couples they grace they need to love each other, to forgive each other, and to pray for each other, that they might strengthened in the love you have for us as demonstrated when Jesus gave himself up for and died for us on the cross. This is the same type of love you command us to have for each other. Amen.
10 Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them.
2 Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
3 “What did Moses command you?” he replied.
4 They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”
5 “It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. 6 “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’[a] 7 ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,[b] 8 and the two will become one flesh.’[c] So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
10 When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. 11 He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. 12 And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”
Reflection:
Today Jesus continues to teach on the practical aspects of God's kingdom coming here on earth as it is in heaven. Today he teaches on divorce, a subject very relevant for today. The Pharisees are trying to trap Jesus with a question about divorce. If he says it is lawful, they will say he is disregarding the Ten Commandments. If he says it is wrong, they will, as they do in the passage, ask about the provision made in the Mosiac law. The Pharisees, as they often do, are trying to twist the law to their own ends rather than obeying the plain meaning of it.
So what does Jesus do? He reiterates God's plan for marriage. Marriage is a holy covenant established by God, where a man and a woman become one flesh. Not in a literal sense, but more spiritually speaking. But the bottom line is that God causes the two to become, which is why in the Catholic Church it is a sacrament. Luther defined a sacrament as promising the forgiveness of sins (holy baptism, holy communion) through God's promise as fulfilled in Jesus which we trust in faith and is signified through an earthly promise (water, bread, and wine). But that does not mean marriage it is not a holy estate. It is holy because God makes it holy, and our promises we make in our wedding ceremonie are in response to the promises God makes for you.
This is a huge challenge for us in a society where there is around a 50% divorce rate, and re-marriage is common as well. In Matthew, the only grounds for divorce is when one partner is unfaithful to the marriage vows through adultery. Since Mark's gospel is shorter this, it is added in Matthew's gospel. This can be a little confusing but the clear teaching here is God is not in favor of divorce. While grace should be shown to those who have had to endure divorce for whatever reason, the Church needs to help strengthen marriages and get couples the help they need during stormy times. The key thing for every married couple is that your vows are grounded in God's joining the two of you together. Though marriage can be a burden for some, God sustains us in our weariness and gives us the strength and patience to fulfill the vows we have made to each other. Let us pray for each other and singles who desire to get married for the holy estate of marriage that it might continue to be holy in our culture today. What God has made holy, let us keep as holy.
Heavenly Father, I pray for marriages that have been consecrated in your name, the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God give married couples they grace they need to love each other, to forgive each other, and to pray for each other, that they might strengthened in the love you have for us as demonstrated when Jesus gave himself up for and died for us on the cross. This is the same type of love you command us to have for each other. Amen.
Comments
Post a Comment