Of such is the kingdom of God

 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 them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.  But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little 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

Yesterday we read that Jesus taught (following upon His earlier teaching here), "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.  The Pharisees came and asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" testing Him.  Jesus has come nearer to Jerusalem, and here across the Jordan the Pharisees come to Him to test Him.  The question of divorce was an important one in Jesus' time, and it was highly contested among the different influential parties of the Council.

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."  Jesus immediately asks, "What did Moses command you?" and quotes from the Scriptures to frame His answer with a particular understanding (Genesis 1:27, 5:2; 2:24).   In Christ's time the Sadducees were in favor of easy divorce, but the Pharisees actually were closer to Jesus' position, and there were also complications regarding divorce and money.  It wasn't a simple matter.  But my study bible notes that in contrast to the easy access to divorce under the Mosaic Law, and because of the misuse of divorce in His time, Christ repeatedly condemns divorce (see also Matthew 5:31-32, 19:8-9, Luke 16:17-18).  Instead, Jesus' emphasis is on the eternal nature of marriage.  In private, His emphasis to the disciples becomes even more starkly clear on the matter.  In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus includes the possibility of divorce on ground of sexual immorality, which my study bible notes means that the true nature of marriage can be destroyed by sin.  The early Church would expand grounds for divorce to include threats to a child's or spouse's life, and desertion.

Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.  But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little 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 cites Theophan, who comments that the disciples rebuked those who brought little children to Christ as they were "unruly" and also because they presumed that children "diminished His dignity as Teacher and Master."  But Christ plainly shows that His thinking is completely different on the subject, and instead sets little children as an example of those who will inherit the kingdom of God.  Therefore, in the Orthodox church as well as other denominations, children are invited (even as example to adults) to participate in the Kingdom through prayer, worship, baptism, chrismation, and Communion. 

 It is plainly of note that immediately after a teaching on the eternal spiritual nature of marriage, there is a teaching about children.   For the Orthodox, children are not seen as the purpose of marriage -- rather it is this depth of union that is emphasized, and understood as the layperson's way of sanctity or theosis.  Children, on the other hand, are blessings.  As the disciples are taught that it is their sacrifice and service that makes them truly great (see the past two readings here and here), so the same is true for those who are married in the Church.  It is important to understand that this is in the context of a spiritual nature of marriage emphasized by Christ, and that we are not alone in struggling to make marriage good.  Marriage in the church comes in the context of everything else in the Church, and we should not see it as a separate "secular" struggle, but as relationship and communion that always needs and has spiritual help in the context of love of God and the presence of Christ and the Holy Spirit.  As we struggle in marriage, so we are to understand the need for spiritual discernment and help.  In this context, we must also view that which destroys marriage, and understand that the true nature of marriage can be abused and destroyed.  Violence of any kind comes into play here, as does abuse or exploitation.  Moreover, Christ frames His answer to the disciples on particular grounds, quoting from Genesis.  Let us note there is no partiality in this answer toward who does the "work" of making a good marriage; we are formed male and female according to the quotes Jesus gives us from Scripture.  Moreover, as Jesus is apparently addressing men (and certainly that would include the Pharisees), He tells them, "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."   Let us note, this is a clear command for loyalty not to a man's own understanding from his home and family, but rather to the woman to whom he is joined -- and that this union is as one flesh.  The emphasis is on union and loyalty; in this image, whatever may harm one party also harms the other, and to treat the other with care for their "good" is to receive good as both are one flesh.  Moreover, how would the concept of "one flesh" be possible except within a spiritual understanding and dynamic to marriage?   This metaphor of one flesh cuts to the heart of the understanding that each must be acutely conscious of what is good or bad for the other, and to live accordingly.   Abuse comes in the form of what harms this union based on such an understanding of what one flesh entails, and thus destruction through sin.  Let us consider the depth of help present to us on spiritual terms for marriage, and how marriage is "communal" in nature and based in the broader communion of saints of the Church.  Without this understanding -- that we are not merely two individuals thrown together who must learn how best to live with one another, but rather were made for mutual love and the respect that goes with that -- then we fail to grasp the true spiritual concept of marriage and also the help in prayer and faith present to us.  Moreover, if divorce becomes necessary, then that also must be in the context of the spiritual welfare of the parties involved.  It makes it clear that abuse is not a spiritual value.  Indeed, for Christ, all of the law and the prophets are summed up in two commandments:  to love the Lord our God with all one's heart and spiritual and soul and strength, and to love neighbor as oneself (Mark 12:30).  Marriage is meant to be the intimate proving and testing ground for love and communal respect, a place of shelter and nurture for the little children of whom Jesus says "of such is the kingdom of God."  Of course, children as blessings are the product of what is meant to be a spiritual union.   Let us consider our roles as those who participate in and share the love of God through worship with one another -- and let us consider what constitutes abuse of that communion and of the depth possible through marriage.  Elsewhere Christ offers us a choice between love of God and love of mammon; He also calls mammon "unrighteous" (see Luke 16:9-13).  What is unrighteous is a picture of life as merely material and pure competition.   So should it be with our understanding of marriage and its significance:  we're offered a rather stark choice between the love characteristic of God, shared with us and among us, and a picture of injustice (unrighteousness).  Everything depends on our priorities, what we choose to put first.  Let us consider our unions with one another and what they truly mean in terms of their significance on spiritual terms.