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Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there.
The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?" And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, '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." They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?" He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery."
His disciples said to Him, "If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry." But He said to them, "All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it."
- Matthew 19:1-12
Yesterday, we read that after Jesus taught about discipline in the Church, Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts for his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 'Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!' So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses."
Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there. The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?" And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, '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." They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?" He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery." My study bible tells us at this juncture that the basis of the test of the Pharisees (Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?) is Deuteronomy 24:1-4. A note reads, "God's condescension, or allowance for human weakness, does not override the original principle of permanent monogamous marriage as revealed in Genesis 1; 2. With authority, Christ adds His own clear prohibition against divorce in verses 6 and 9." My study bible interprets this as saying that marriage, while sacred, can be abused and destroyed, or "broken," by our sinful behavior. It notes also that permissible reasons for divorce were expanded in the ancient Church to include threat to a spouse's or child's life, desertion, and forced prostitution, "in all cases acknowledging the spiritual tragedy of such a situation." In addition, it says that remarriage is permitted in the Orthodox Church, "as a concession to human weakness and as a corrective measure of compassion when a marriage has been broken."
His disciples said to Him, "If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry." But He said to them, "All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it." Clearly while we no longer have social functions filled by eunuchs as in history, Jesus here refers to those who are lifelong celibates. In this sense, these people He is speaking of who serve the Church (for the kingdom of heaven's sake) are in some way "set apart." My study bible says this refers to those who are celibate by free choice and according to God's will for them. "Jesus does not endorse mutilation but the putting away of wicked thoughts. The first Ecumenical Council (A.D. 325) rejected willful mutilation."
In the context of the Church discipline set out by Jesus in Thursday's reading, today's reading focuses on aspects of community that help to strengthen relationships, the very stuff of what true community is all about. Ultimately, as with everything else that Jesus teaches, these guidelines are inspired by love and the need for love in all forms as the basis for any sort of "regulation" or spiritual instruction regarding how we relate to and live with one another. In the institution of marriage, as taught here by Christ, is a basic understanding of what love is and means. Divorce was a very harsh practice for those who are powerless in the relationship. In Jewish society, women could not initiate divorce. Divorce left a woman without social standing and perhaps destitute. By instituting and reiterating again the command from Genesis regarding the creation of man and woman, Jesus is emphasizing the need for care of one another, a deep command for bonding, so that two become one. This is the ultimate capacity for compassion, for "feeling with" one another, for two seeming opposites in all manner of ways to "become one flesh." Particularly in terms of power (social power), we see the emphasis of Jesus on love as the overriding force in the sacrament of marriage; two come together in this case not as social equals, and yet become "one flesh." There is an absolute essence of love in this command, love that overrides all easy or facile choices of convenience or self-centeredness, and in particular the treatment of another as a mere material object. In the view of the early Church, the allowances for divorce also assume that the bond of love has been broken and abused in ways that manifest a purely "flesh-based" or material perspective, with complete disrespect for the spiritual reality of what human beings are and the sacred things or sacraments God gives in order to recognize and grow in this truth. In this teaching, we are led to understand a deeper fullness of what human beings are capable of living: the practice of love which is "God-like." It is a basic principle of organization of true community, the depth to which we are called to love. Those who are set apart in some way as "eunuchs" are also doing so with an eye to this community, for service, answering a call from God. And I believe this can come in many forms. As always, Jesus' teachings are not absolute in a material sense, but rather those given through love and by love and for love, and encourage us in endless mercy and the practice of forgiveness as well as repentance; that is, personal change and growth. For in this bosom of love, His yoke is easy and His burden is light (11:30).
