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Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan. And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.
The Pharisees came and asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" testing Him. And He answered and said to them, "What did Moses command you?" They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her." And Jesus answered and said to them, "Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept." But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.' 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."
In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter. So He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."
Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch the; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.
- Mark 10:1-16
In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued His teaching from the reading of Saturday. He said, "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.' And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.' And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.' For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."
Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan. And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again. My study bible tells us: "Having completed His Galilean ministry, Jesus begins His Judean ministry, the focus of which is Jerusalem. Jesus taught regularly. Teaching is not all people need, but it is indispensable for effective Christian living."
The Pharisees came and asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" testing Him. And He answered and said to them, "What did Moses command you?" They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her." A note in my study bible says, "The scribes and Pharisees often debated the legal basis of divorce in Judaism (Deut. 24:1-4). Here, the Pharisees seek to test Jesus. Divorce was very simple for a man during the time of Jesus: a mere certificate written by a dissatisfied husband was all that was needed." We note that it was for the convenience of the husband that divorce was a simple matter.
And Jesus answered and said to them, "Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept." My study bible says, "Moses' legislation on divorce is a concession to a human weakness, hardness of heart, which is at the root of divorce on the part of one partner or both." But what Jesus says is addressed to the men, on behalf of whom divorce was simple. One must keep in mind the position of women at this time, and their lack of ability to earn, as well as their dependency for social standing. A divorce could be a cruel thing.
But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.' 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." My study bible indicates, "Jesus goes back to the original will of God for permanent, monogamous marriage, indicated by the creation of man and woman as well as by God's explicit command in Genesis 2:24. Then they are no longer two, but one flesh is the heart of the biblical teaching on marriage: Husband and wife are one flesh, joined together in oneness by God. This is not symbolic or merely moral but real -- a man and a woman are actually joined, creating a total unity which is unbreakable. Therefore, marriage is a sacrament by the grace of God. The issue in this passage is not whether divorce is permissible, but whether the union between husband and wife can be broken -- even when a divorce occurs. Consequently verse 9 is a strong counsel against divorce."
In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter. So He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery." A note here in my study bible says, "According to Jesus, remarriage after divorce is equivalent to adultery. If a woman divorces her husband is a case applicable only to Gentiles, for a Jewish woman could not legally divorce her husband. Mark does not report Matthew's exception for divorce, 'except for sexual immorality' (Matt. 19:9). St. Paul also knew of Christ's command repudiating divorce (1 Cor. 7:10)." The early Church would, in fact, allow divorce under specific circumstances of abuse of the marriage.
Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch the; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them. My study bible says, "Jesus rebukes the disciples not only because He has compassion for children, but because children are models of those who receive the kingdom in their openness and simple trust."
Marriage is an important subject and one very much in the news. Whatever else we may wish to say about it or think about it, Jesus makes something very clear here, and that is the essence of the matter: it is the importance of relationship. It's no accident, to my way of thinking, that these teachings on divorce and marriage come so soon after His teachings to the disciples about what was truly expected of those who would be great among them. We have spent the past two readings on the importance of the care of the littlest ones, on the essence of humility as an expression of mercy, love and compassion in His Church, especially on the part of those who would be great, who would lead. He emphasized the self-sacrifice necessary for position. So it is with marriage here. Speaking to Pharisees, men of Judea and Jerusalem, He is encountering a tradition that He says was given by Moses for their hardness of heart. Hardness of heart is the opposite of what He seeks in His Church and especially among those who would lead in any way. Hardness of heart indicates a callousness, a lack of care, and an inability to perceive the things of the Spirit. Therefore His teachings on marriage tie in with leadership that values and cares for relationship, for community, and in the process of doing so is willing to make the self-sacrifice that may be necessary to care for such relationships. The disciples were arguing amongst themselves as to who would be greatest when Jesus began to give His teachings on self-sacrifice and humility and care for the littlest, in whom they were to see not only Christ Himself, but the Father who sent Him. Here, their hardness of heart is toward a woman who is in some way unpleasing, for any reason at all. His emphasis is not just on care for community, but specifically on the true state of the heart that leads to depth of relationship: to two people becoming one flesh. While we may debate the role of gender today, it wasn't an issue in Jesus' time, and the creation of "male and female" being bound into one flesh tells us something important. That is about inclusiveness. Opposites come together. There is no superior and inferior here. This is not a world made for one gender over another, no matter who is in leadership roles. This is not a world made only for the dominant and powerful, but also for the littlest ones; and one in which both great and small (in the sense of social and other power) come together as one in this sacramental relationship. And so it is, further in the reading, with the extension, once again, to the children. In all ways, we are to see care and relationship and especially inclusion as the powerful factors in Jesus' sense of love and community and care, and also in the need for those who would be in leadership positions, even as, say, a head of a family, to practice self-sacrifice (see yesterday's reading). The practice of self-sacrifice and self-correction goes hand in hand with Jesus' praise of children here, because this practice really is a way to follow Christ devotedly, like a child is willing and able to learn new things, to receive as Jesus puts it. We may debate divorce and marriage on all kinds of grounds today, but it is essential that we don't lose sight of Jesus' teachings on this matter. The essence of the heart is to love, and to practice self-discipline in care of that love, and under the context of the Kingdom itself, Jesus' vision for His Church and the relationships that form and shape it. The heart of the matter is union, and this will always involve sacrifice, a willingness to give. It is also a picture of radical inclusion. Let us note that "two becoming one flesh" does not imply one who leads and another who follows, but the ultimate union of dialogue, true communication. Can we make such commitments? And can we frame love and care in the ways that Jesus does, through commitment to the kind of sacrifice that assures us of our humility and care for others, and avoids a hardness of heart? These should be the matters that are of essence here when we speak of marriage as a sacrament, and the inclusion of "the least of these."
