For 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 teaching in this reading), "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 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.  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."  The basis for the Pharisees' question is Deuteronomy 24:1-4.  My study Bible comments that, in contrast to the easy access to divorce under the Mosaic Law, and because of the misuse of divorce in His day, Jesus repeatedly condemns divorce (in St. Matthew's Gospel, He does so both in the Sermon on the Mount, and later in a setting similar to this one; see Matthew 5:31-32; Matthew 19:1-12).  He emphasizes the eternal nature of marriage.  Jesus quotes from Genesis 1:27; 2:24.  My study Bible comments also that God's condescension, or allowance for human weakness, does not override the original principle of monogamous marriage as revealed in Genesis 1 and 2.  With authority, He adds His own clear prohibition against divorce.  See also Malachi 2:15-16.

 

 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 Theophylact, who comments that the disciples rebuked the mothers for bringing little children to Christ both because their manner was "unruly" and because they thought children "diminished His dignity as Teacher and Master."  But Christ rejects this thinking, and even sets little children as an example of those who inherit the kingdom of God.  Therefore, in the tradition of the Orthodox, children are invited (even as an example to adults) to participate in the Kingdom through prayer, worship, baptism, chrismation, and Communion.  In Christ's context here, little children are the standard of faith by which adults receive the kingdom of God, and not the other way around.  Theophylact writes, "A little child is not arrogant, he does not despise anyone, he is innocent and guileless.  He does not inflate himself in the presence of important people, nor withdraw from those in sorrows.  Instead, he lives in complete simplicity."

 

 If we think about the sacrament of marriage as a holy institution (Holy Matrimony), then we begin to understand the perspective here.  What is holy is eternal, and that touches upon not simply our material lives, but our souls -- the deepest part of who we are as creatures of God.  It seems clear that we must see things from Christ's perspective and knowledge of the things that are eternal in order to understand what this union making "one flesh" really means, and what His teaching implies to us.  This eternal nature of marriage also extends to His illuminating statement in response to a question by the Sadducees regarding the life of resurrection, which we'll read later on in Mark's Gospel (Mark 12:18-27).  They test Jesus, posing a scenario of a woman married successively to seven brothers, and asking whose wife she is in the resurrection.  There Christ responds to describe this eternal life of the resurrection as one in which "they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven."  From this illuminating glimpse of eternal life, it seems that we might infer that marriage itself extends to life even in this entirely different context and reality, and it gives a perspective on who we are in terms of the possibilities that God extends to us beyond our lives in this world.  Therefore we might consider the eternal quality conferred by holy sacrament as that which changes and transforms even the nature of human beings, making the seemingly impossible possible -- such as two becoming one flesh.  There is further commentary on divorce in my study Bible regarding it as a concession to our imperfect worldly life.  In St. Matthew's Gospel, Jesus cites the possibility of divorce based on sexual immorality (Matthew 19:9).  My study Bible adds that the permissible reasons for divorce were expanded in the ancient Church to include threat to a spouse's or child's life and desertion, in all cases acknowledging the spiritual tragedy of such a situation.  Importantly, it shows us that like so many other things, marriage can be destroyed by sin.  The quality of the little children praised by Christ in today's reading adds a poignant note to our consideration of issues of divorce, especially its impact on children and their importance and precious value in God's sight.  It may be surprising to learn that the Pharisees actually viewed divorce more closely to Jesus' perspective than their counterparts did, due to the abuses of divorce for financial gain in their time.  But any way that we look at today's reading, this eternal sense of the preciousness of life and the soul, and our own possibilities for resurrection and salvation, add to a deep sense of the transcendent nature of relationships and the depth of love brought to us by Jesus Christ.  For He is the true icon of marriage in His role as Bridegroom wedded to His Church, and this is particularly true in the sacrifices He will undergo for union with all of us.  What He considered to be worthy of every sacrifice we should take as microcosm for how love and marriage work, how relationship in its deepest sense is worthy of the mutual sacrifices we are prepared to make for what is precious -- and perhaps even priceless. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it

 

 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 

 

In Monday's reading, we were told that Jesus and the disciples departed from the area of the Mount of Transfiguration and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.  Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."   Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward. 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.  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."   My study Bible comments that, in contrast to the easy access to divorce under the Mosaic Law, and also because of the misuse of divorce in His time, Jesus repeatedly condemns divorce (see also Matthew 5:31-32; 19:8-9), and here emphasizes the eternal nature of marriage.  In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus makes an exception for divorce on the grounds of sexual immorality, which my study Bible says shows us that marriage can be destroyed by sin.  In the tradition of the Orthodox Church, divorce is recognized as a serious sin (in the sense of "missing the mark" of perfection), but allows divorce and a second marriage as a concession to human weakness and corrective measure of compassion when a marriage has been broken.  Under specific circumstances, tradition holds that a third marriage is permissible.  But we should note Christ's strong words here, and that God's condescension or allowance for human weakness does not override the original principle of permanent monogamous marriage as revealed in Genesis 1; 2.  Regarding Jesus' quotations see Genesis 1:27; 2:24; 5:2.  Let us note also how the disciples ask Jesus in private about the same matter.  It is not the first time nor the last that private explanations, even personal admonition, is given to the disciples. To be a follower of Christ it is not necessary to first have all the answers right, but to desire to follow in faith.

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.  According to Theophylact, the disciples rebuked the mothers for bringing little children to Christ both because their manner was "unruly" and because they thought children "diminished His dignity as Teacher and Master."  But Christ rejects their thinking, and sets little children as an example of those who inherit the kingdom of heaven.   Children are therefore invited -- even as an example to adults -- to participate in the Kingdom through prayer, worship, baptism, chrismation, and Communion.  Elsewhere, in a commentary on Luke 18:15-17, my study Bible quotes Theophylact as saying, "A little child is not arrogant, he does not despise anyone, he is innocent and guileless.  He does not inflate himself in the presence of important people, nor withdraw from those in sorrows.  Instead, he lives in complete simplicity." 

It's interesting to note the details in today's reading.  As written above, this isn't the first time that Jesus has taught privately to His disciples, on basically the same or very similar issue, after speaking in public.  But in the first case, His public teaching is a scathing kind of criticism.  In private to the disciples, they may have similar objections or at least doubts regarding the subject -- and yet they are worthy of His private teaching as well as their status as disciples and apostles.  We'll see something similar in tomorrow's reading, regarding wealth and salvation.  In today's reading, the disciples ask in private about divorce, while in public Jesus says something harsh to the Pharisees, who come only to test Him ("Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept").  In fact, in Matthew's reporting of this, the disciples are so stunned by His teaching in private that they say, "If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry" (see Matthew 19:8-10).  We read a similar pattern in the recent case wherein Jesus returned from the Mount of Transfiguration to meet a crowd which included scribes who were disputing with the disciples.  This was because they could not cast out an unclean spirit.  In public, Jesus chastised the suffering boy's father for his lack of faith.  But in private, He told His disciples, teaching them about building their own faith, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."  (See Saturday's reading.)  In each of these cases, we may observe that although the disciples themselves are not completely clear on the concept that Jesus is teaching, or perhaps also have their doubts, Christ has taken them out of the crowds for discipleship and a future with the Church, while the Pharisees, scribes, and others remain in this sense outsiders.  We have to ask ourselves why, when there is such a great emphasis on faith, He has chosen one set for instruction and teaching, nurturing in discipleship, and the others remain outside, a part of the public, even criticized harshly by Jesus.  This is important, not only because it seems to occur repeatedly in the Gospels, but also because we must pause to ask what Christ means by having faith.  Does faith mean we ascribe to a set of beliefs or teachings?  A moral code?  Or is it something more than that?  If even the disciples lack faith, if even they have doubts or uncertainties about what Jesus is actually teaching -- such as on divorce -- what are we to make of our own understanding of what faith is?  We need to recall that the word for faith in the Greek of the Gospels means "trust" at its heart and root.  Our faith in Christ is the same thing that happens in a deep relationship between two people when they trust one another.  Sometimes we will have an automatic reaction to a person, we just feel in our hearts we can trust them.    Such experiences can truly be "few and far between," as the saying goes.  But if we have ever experienced that, a kind of meeting of hearts, we know how rare and precious it is, and what it means, then, to have faith in this sense.  Faith does not mean we automatically know everything, or think everything correctly, or have all the answers at our disposal.  If the disciples are anything to go by, it must be something else.  And we might imagine that this trust goes two ways:  Jesus has chosen them for a reason, because He recognized something in them.  That is, not something on the surface, not some proof about something, not a test, but rather a reading of the heart.  Yet even Jesus will say (speaking of Judas who would betray Him), "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?" (John 6:70).  Faith does not mean we have all the moral answers and it cannot be boiled down to a set of ethics and abstractions.  This is not what the Gospels teach us.  The disciples make plenty of mistakes, they argue among themselves, they are full of human flaws.  In Monday's reading, they disputed among themselves who would be greatest, when Jesus had just given them a warning about His Passion to come -- and that was the occasion for these strict teachings about the littlest and most humble who would be in their care, and about the image of a little child which they should seek to emulate if they wish to be a part of the kingdom of God.  Faith is all about the kind of connection in us that is teachable, and a willingness to love and be loved (as Theophan comments on Monday's passage); it is all about trust.  Jesus wants those who can follow Him, for He takes us on a road somewhere, and we don't have to already be perfect to be on that journey.  The whole purpose of the journey is to, in effect, perfect us, to take us somewhere, a long road of learning -- for that is what discipleship means.  He wants those who have salt within themselves, who can stay the long haul, with a loyalty that comes from that rare thing, trust.   He wants those of us who know we have something to learn from Him.  If we think about it, we can relate trust to all relationships, and especially and in particular to marriage.  Let us consider, then, the importance that Jesus gives to marriage, and why marriage is important.  It is, in the historic mind of the Church, another road to holiness -- in which we learn to sacrifice for one another, and the difficult and rewarding road of trust for the long haul.  Let us ponder His words and teachings, as well as His love for the little children.

 

 

 

 

 

For 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, continuing His teachings given in Monday's reading:   "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 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.  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."   This test comes from the Pharisees at a time when divorce was a widely debated issue among the circles of the religious authorities, a point of dispute between the Pharisees and other members of the ruling body of the temple, with the Pharisees taking the stricter view.  My study bible comments that in contrast to the easy access to divorce under the Mosaic Law, and also because of the misuse of divorce in Christ's time, Jesus repeatedly condemns divorce and emphasizes the eternal nature of marriage.  In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus' teaching includes the possibility of divorce on the grounds of sexual immorality (Matthew 5:31-32, 19:8-9).  My study bible says that this shows that marriage can be destroyed by sin, even as it destroys other relationships as well.  In the ancient Church, permissible reasons for divorce were expanded to include threat to a spouse's or child's life and desertion, in all cases, however, clearly acknowledging such a situation as a spiritual tragedy.  The Mosaic Law is found at Deuteronomy 24:1-4.  Jesus cites the original principle of permanent monogamous marriage revealed in Genesis 1; 2.

 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 says that the disciples rebuked the mothers for bringing little children to Christ both because their manner was "unruly" and because they thought, according to Theophan, that children "diminished His dignity as Teacher and Master."  But Jesus rejects this thinking, and once again sets little children as an example of those who inherit the kingdom of God.  Therefore, my study bible notes, children are invited (even as an example to adults) to participate in the Kingdom through prayer, worship baptism, christmation, and Communion.

It's interesting that so soon after Christ's teaching regarding receiving the "little ones" in His name (Monday's reading), we once again find Jesus emphasizing treatment of the "little ones."  We recall that in yesterday's reading, His warnings were dire regarding the consequences of abuse of power and authority upon such little ones.  My study bible gave us an understanding of "little ones" to include all those who are humble in the Church, and we must consider that Jesus was responding to the disciples disputing among themselves regarding who would have the greatest places in the kingdom they believe in coming.  Today's reading extends our understanding of gracious conduct with regard to those less powerful, and expands the teaching regarding conduct within the Church to conduct within the society, by speaking about the abuse of divorce and also illuminating the preciousness of children.  With the incidence of divorce, we have to remember that the original Mosaic Laws stemmed out of a culture in which wives were widely regarded as property.  In that sense, the Law sought to regulate, in some sense, treatment of wives.  But we must think about social structures and dependency, and the abuse of this law.  In the context of Jesus' teachings from our readings of Monday and Tuesday, we must consider the social status of "little ones" as extending to women and children within the society, where the family unit and family ties were the one sure social structure upon which these less powerful could rely for protection and welfare.  Even today, despite progressive advances in our modern laws and protections, recognition of the rights of all people, including children (and even animals), it is the family structure that largely remains the preferable haven of protection and care, despite social structure that seeks to ensure the welfare of all.  We know of abuses that continue to happen within the child welfare system, and the difficulties of single mothers.  Jesus' words -- directed toward the men of the community, both the Pharisees who test Him and also to His disciples in private -- emphatically prohibit abuses due to the hardness of heart expressed in the abuse of divorce in His time.  He challenges the more powerful members of the society to consider the less powerful, those who are dependent upon them.  He invites all to refrain from thinking of those with less status as objects, and emphasizes God's perspective on each:  it is this consideration which is contained in the purpose of monogamous marriage which is absolute union of two as one flesh, and which is contained in the perspective on little children that "of such is the kingdom of God."   If there is one thing that we take from Jesus today, it is the teaching of absolute equality of value among all who are beloved of God.  Moreover, Jesus upholds children as examples of His Kingdom.  In short, we must consider God's love in all of our relationships, for marriage is sacred through God's love and blessing.  It is indeed a sacrament filled with mystery if we are to understand it correctly, for how do "two become one flesh" except with divine help and grace?  The Gospels do not minimize the difficulties of monogamous marriage.  In fact, in Matthew's Gospel, the disciples reply, "If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry" (Matthew 19:10).  But in all things, we are meant to rely upon God's grace for the things which build up our society, for that which creates right-relatedness among us. Jesus sets firmly into place the notion of God's love as regulatory mechanism for our own understanding of relationships.  In contrast to the love of God, sin destroys relationships through abuse, exploitation, selfishness.  So, in today's teachings, we must come to the profound conclusion that Jesus is teaching us about the vision of God for our world and for us as creatures.  He offers us the Kingdom, in which the love of God grows in us and we grow in it, and thereby set a pattern meant for the entire well-being of persons as individuals and within communities.  We must consider, then, all of our relationships in this light, and understand where Jesus leads us.  First He teaches the disciples against love of power for its own sake, warning them strictly about the consequences of abuse to the little ones.  In today's reading, He is tested on divorce -- referring to the hardness of heart which Moses sought to address -- and also rebukes those who would keep the little children from coming to Him.  We must take the fullness of His teachings to understand that He goes beyond the Law to create community -- the Kingdom -- out of God's profound love in which we might share and grow.  He teaches us not only to love but to cherish, and to recognize the good we not only have, but which we can build through His gospel.  Let us call upon the grace of God for the gifts of the Spirit which create and build the community He desires:  love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).  Let the powerful consider the consequences of the sins of abuse.  That applies to us all, for each has others within the realm of contact who are less powerful than we are, and could be subject to harm.  At this time of sheltering in place for many in the world, some social service agencies are warning us about abuse in the home, which may take place more easily under such circumstances.  Let us today consider Christ's word, and think about the practices of Lent in this context.  We are meant to be taking time to better shore up our spiritual practices of faith, taking time to pray, to read Scripture, to consider what God wants of us.  In this light, it may be most important to make time and space for solitude in prayer, to study the things that uplift, to participate in God's grace and taste God's love and peace as we may.  Consider how these practices may help maintain peace and harmony in a household, how they may contribute to our personal equilibrium in response to stress and pressures, and how we may talk to one another about our needs for such time for prayer (both collective and in solitude).  Such practices build up strength and equanimity in faith -- a sure resource for all of us who might be losing patience.

You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times

 Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven.  He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.'  Hypocrites!  You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.  A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah."  And He left them and departed.

Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.  Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have taken no bread."  But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread?  Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up?  Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up?  How is is you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?  -- but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."  Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

- Matthew 16:1-12

 Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there.  Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus' feet, and He healed them.  So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.  Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat.  And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way."  Then His disciples said to Him, "Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?"  Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?"  And they said, "Seven, and a few little fish."  So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.  And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude.  So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left.  Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.  And He sent away the multitude, got into the boat, and came to the region of Magdala.

 Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven.  That both Pharisees and Sadducees are here together, demanding a sign from heaven, is important.  It shows the growing influence of Christ's ministry.  The fact that members of both groups are here tells us notice of Him is important enough that they have come to see and to confront.  A sign from heaven would be a spectacular display of power -- supposedly requested so that He prove He's the Messiah, a holy one sent by God.  The time of the Messiah among the Jews was expected to be accompanied by signs, prophesied in Scripture.  But clearly there are an abundance of these signs all around.  In yesterday's reading, we were told of the multitudes marveling, when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.  These are clear signs named by the prophets, so this question is one made in hypocrisy, demanding proofs so they recognize authority in Him.  It's not the first time we've heard this demand.   In chapter 12, Jesus was asked by some Pharisees and scribes, in response to His criticism, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."  (See By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.)  Their deliberate dullness of perception serves as example of hardened hearts.

He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.'  Hypocrites!  You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.  A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah."  And He left them and departed.  How is it they can discern the weather, but they can't "see" what is happening in His ministry, or recognize the works He's already done as signs?   In chapter 12, when He was previously requested to show a sign, He also referred to an evil and adulterous generation that asked for a sign.  Evil is ill-willed, adulterous refers to the relationship to the God of Israel.  They have no loyalty, no fidelity to God.  And again, this is the same response He gave in chapter 12, to refer to the sign of the prophet Jonah.   He has not performed any great work without the presence of faith first, and He won't do it now.  Only His death and Resurrection will be a sign for the whole world.  To test God isn't a motive worthy of His response; their faith would lack anyway.  Love isn't compelled, it's voluntary.

Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.  Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have taken no bread."  But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread?  Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up?  Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up?  How is is you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?  -- but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."  Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.  My study bible tells us that the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees is their doctrine and hypocrisy.  This demand for a sign from heaven is just a way of drawing a line in the sand, setting themselves up as judges of the ways that God "must" be at work in the world.  It doesn't come from the faith in God that allows perception of the heart in the first place.  They're too enamored of their own authority in the first place.  That kind of leaven, testing for a sign, is a way of hardening the heart rather than having it open to spiritual illumination, to God who is always surprising and always revealing things we don't already know or understand.  Leaven has been used by Christ as a positive metaphor in the parable of the leaven "hid in three measures of meal" (see this reading).  But generally speaking is used throughout Scripture as a negative, something mixed into and tainting what would otherwise be good, or pure.  In terms of faith, we have to ask why the disciples don't understand Him.  The answer is that at this point, they're painfully slow as they have little faith, as Jesus tells them.  It teaches us about the importance of the Spirit to our own comprehension and capability for faith.  They won't fully grasp His teachings until Pentecost, the time when the Holy Spirit was given.

Sometimes it seems like our own authority interferes with the authority of God.  It's hard -- maybe impossible on some level -- for human beings to grasp the concept or reality of a being much greater than ourselves.  Try understanding a concept that requires knowledge greater than one already possesses.  It requires a constant change of assumptions, as new information comes to light.  In science, this happens all the time.  Physics, for example, particularly in advanced fields of research like theoretical nuclear physics, must change all the time, in terms of scientific beliefs.  A new particle is discovered, or not, and it changes all of the assumptions upon which the science and its theories have already been based.  In fact, there was recently the "discovery" of what was called the "God-particle."  What was so revolutionary about this news?  It actually confirmed theories already formed, held, and taught.  That was news.  In that light, it's strange that some people claim science precludes the possibility of the existence of God or even signs by Christ; it does no such thing, not even in theory.  Being on a journey with God is something akin to that process of discovery, where what is so much greater than we are leads us into new things, new ways of thinking, a bigger picture than we already have.  Just as the New Testament is revealed through Christ, magnifying the picture already given in the Old, but defying expectations at the same time, so is the individual journey of faith.  Our expectations just can't measure up to the immeasurable God.  So it is with these men who demand a sign.  All they're really asking for is a confirmation of their own authority, the right to judge God, rather than accepting the unfolding and greater revelation of God present in Christ's ministry.  So what does it mean that we harden our hearts?  It means that we refuse to engage with that part of ourselves that is capable of discernment, and that we lack the humility for any form of repentance or "change of mind" as the word literally means in Greek (metanoia).   There's a reason why Jesus gives us the example of the faith of a child.  Humility means we're willing to learn and to change, to cast off the things we might call "sacred," so to speak, in order to find deeper meaning, and broader understanding.  And that's the journey of prayer, the journey with Christ.  Oftentimes our own discoveries are of things we hold onto that we need to let go, opening up a space of "unknown" in order to be led by God.  If you think about it, spiritual practices that ask for sacrifice, like fasting, or giving alms by donating what we have -- such as time, money, possessions, or skills, for example -- "open up" and make room for places to be filled by God.  These men can't give up their own authority and find a greater one; their own places are too precious for them.  Let us remember what it is to have a hardened heart, and the one thing needed to really invest in and open up to in our faith.  Everything else comes second.  Sometimes the signs may be all around us, but we need to wake up to our own ability to discern them.

Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?

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

On Saturday, we read that Peter came to Jesus and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?  Up to seven times?"  This was after Jesus had taught about forgiveness in the Church.  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 with 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.   Jesus leaves His "home country" of Galilee, where He's spent most of His ministry, and come closer to Jerusalem, into Judea.  No doubt His popularity there, with "great multitudes" who follow Him, attracts the attention of the leadership in Jerusalem.

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?"   The Pharisees come to Jesus with a test; in this case, the test is on the legality of divorce.  Pharisees were experts in the Mosaic Law, and this question requires interpretation of Deut. 24:1-4.  But Jesus will give His own answer, and His own perspective.

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."   My study bible says, "The yearning of a husband and wife for one another was planted in human nature by God before the Fall.  The harmony of Adam and Eve with God and with each other was a great virtue.  Adam considered Eve a part of himself (Gen. 2:23).  When he cut himself off from the love of God, that harmony was broken.  Jesus restores the marriage relationship to its original state, giving it a spiritual dimension."  The essence of Jesus' answer is about love, about the bonding that occurs between two people that goes so deep they become one new entity.  In His clear interpretation, this bond is the work of God.

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 says that "divorce is permitted only for sexual immorality, which destroys a marriage -- a teaching held also by the stricter school of the Pharisees.  The reasons for divorce were eventually increased in the ancient Church to include threat to one partner's life, desertion, and forced prostitution."  It notes that while the Church may grant divorce, it regards it as a spiritual tragedy requiring great pastoral care.  Let's note also that in this question and answer between the Pharisees and Jesus, the perspective is regarding a man divorcing a woman.

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." At Jesus' time, of course, eunuchs were commonly men who were castrated in order to serve in some royal capacity, such as guard of the bedchambers (chamberlain).  Under various forms of autocratic rule, it was possible for eunuchs to hold high authoritative or administrative positions, or to wield influence with nobility.  But Jesus uses this word as analogy, referring to elective celibacy.  My study bible says that "eunuchs are lifelong celibates.  Jesus praises those who have made themselves eunuchs, that is, 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."

Jesus begins His answer to today's question by the Pharisees with an emphasis on love, on the bonds between people.  We have to remember that it wasn't possible for women to initiate divorce; Jesus is speaking strictly to the case of a man divorcing a woman.  So immediately we must understand the social hierarchy at play.  Women were dependent upon men socially and economically.  A divorce wasn't merely a separation of persons but meant something much greater.  In spiritual terms, however, Jesus focuses on the bond that God creates between people, marriage as a sacrament, and this is also essential for us to keep in mind.  Over and over again, in the recent readings in Matthew's Gospel, Jesus has focused on community:  the importance of the little ones and the strays, the importance of forgiveness and mutual correction.   Here the bond in marriage becomes a core piece of community as Jesus envisions it.  It is important to understand the focus on male and female because it gives us a sense of social hierarchies, and once again the emphasis on the use of power in this community.  Jesus speaks of the ease with which a man could get a certificate of divorce as attributed to the "hardness of your hearts."  It is once again a case of the socially dependent being cast off by the more powerful in the community that He condemns as hardness of heart.  But Jesus' antidote to this is the emphasis on the bond of love that is more powerful than even the family ties the man may have to his own parents, another important indication about wealth and power, as family ties (particularly father and mother) are easily the source of both.  Sexuality, then, serves God's purposes -- in Jesus' perspective -- of love, the bonds created by God.  When He speaks of eunuchs, it's also the case of a voluntary celibacy meant to serve community, "for the kingdom of heaven's sake."  We may have all kinds of questions regarding this teaching and modern life, wherever we may live.  But Jesus' emphasis on the bonds of love and the sacramental nature of marriage still holds its strong message of spiritual purpose to human lives.  It also contains messages here about what we sacrifice for that higher purpose, the calling of a purpose of a real community defined by God who is love.  The Teacher goes back to the purpose and function of creation, the higher capacities of human beings for love, as well as giving us teaching here on what destroys that purpose and love.  How do you define community?  What has God placed in your life in the bond of love?  What is the worth of a sacrament and how do we care for that?  These remain essential questions, even 2,000 years later.

Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept

 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."

All things come in parables

 And again He began to teach by the sea.  And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.  Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:  "Listen!  Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.  Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up it was scorched; and because it had no root it withered away.  And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.  But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."  And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.  And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that

'Seeing they may see and not perceive,
And hearing they may hear and not understand;
Lest they should turn,
And their sins be forgiven them.'"

And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?  How then will you understand all the parables?  The sower sows the word.  And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown.  When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.  These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time.  Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.  Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.   But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."

- Mark 4:1-20

In Friday's reading, we read that Jesus appointed the Twelve.  On Saturday, we read they all went into a house.  Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.  But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind."  And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebub," and "By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons."  So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables:  "How can Satan cast out Satan?  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.  And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.  No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man.  And then he will plunder his house.  "Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter, but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation" -- because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."  Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him.  And a multitude was sitting around Him, and they said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You."  But He answered them, saying, "Who is My mother, or My brothers?"  And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother." 

And again He began to teach by the sea.  And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.  The first thing we note in today's reading is the great multitude that gathers to listen to Jesus.  Mark's Gospel has told us several times now of the great crowds that cause chaos around Him.  Here, once again, He's got to use a boat in the sea because of the crowds.

Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:  "Listen!  Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.  Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up it was scorched; and because it had no root it withered away.  And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.  But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."  And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  With the great growth of this ministry came first the appointing of the Twelve, who will be "sent out" as apostles.  But a kind of "landmark" in the Gospels is Jesus' preaching to the crowds in parables.  My study bible says, "Parables are stories in word-pictures, revealing spiritual truth.  The Hebrew and Aramaic words for parable also mean 'allegory,' 'riddle,' or 'proverb.'  The Scriptures, especially the Gospels, are filled with parables -- images drawn from daily life in the world to represent and communicate the deep things of God.  Parables give us glimpses of Him whose thoughts are not our thoughts and whose ways are not our ways (Is. 55:8,9)."   This is Jesus' beginning parable; in the Synoptic Gospels, it's our introduction to parables.

But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.  And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that 'seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them.'"  My study bible explains:  "The mystery is the reality of the presence of the Kingdom itself, revealed in Jesus and perceived by faith."  The quotation is from Isaiah 6:9-10.  My study bible says that Jesus' quotation refers to hardness of heart as the cause of lack of understanding.  (In Thursday's reading, Mark's Gospel told of us Jesus' grief and anger at the hardness of heart of the leadership in the synagogue).  Jesus' words prefacing the quotation from Isaiah, so that, tell us that His style of teaching is in the fulfillment of this prophecy.

And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?  How then will you understand all the parables?"  My study bible says, "Discipleship requires both that we have a personal relationship with Christ and that we understand what He teaches."

 The sower sows the word.  And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown.  When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.  These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time.  Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.  Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.   But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."  Of the parable as a whole, my study bible says, "The gospel of God's Kingdom is powerful, but our heart response determines its fruitfulness in our lives."

Jesus' explanation here really tells us about the parable; there's not much need to further "explain" if we read the Gospel reading carefully today.  But there are two elements here that are important and central of our understanding of what He's teaching us.  Those elements are mystery and faith.  As far as the parable is concerned, these two things go hand in hand.  In other words, the connection to our faith is also our connection to understanding.  His very technique of teaching here is clear; He explains it Himself.  Some will understand and some will not.  Hardness of heart, as we said earlier, has come up earlier in the Gospel.  It was used to refer to those in the synagogue who would not countenance Jesus' healing of the man with the withered hand on the sabbath.  There, Jesus' grief and anger at their hardness of heart taught that those whose hearts were "callused" (the meaning of this phrase in the Greek)  could not sense what was truly just in that situation; they did not share Jesus' compassion for the man who needed healing and wholeness.  Here, hardness of heart is linked with the inability to perceive, as in the quotation from Isaiah:  "Seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand."   It's also linked to Jesus' statement to the crowd at the end of the parable (also echoing Isaiah):  "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"   The heart, then, in Scripture is a center of perceiving, sensing, understanding; the center of a person and what it means to be a person.  It is with the heart that we perceive spiritually; it's also in the heart that we harbor all kinds of things we should not.  Healing of the heart, in its deepest sense of connection to faith and understanding, is referred to in the quotation from Isaiah, and it's correlated with forgiveness:  "Lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them."  All of this is to say that our perception of the mysteries of His teaching, His word, and Scripture, is connected to the depth of the rootedness of faith.  In this parable, Jesus puts together the things of the heart and connects them to spiritual understanding, and to our own rootedness in faith and its connection in us to the things of God.  Faith itself is a great mystery and a gift, and it is more than an assent to a set of values, principles and rules.  Faith is something that touches the depths of who we are.  It's rooted in the heart and its persistence in us and in our lives covers all things.  It opens up doors of perception and understanding, giving us insight, and at its best opens up in us a perception of real justice.  This is our goal in faith, a kind of righteousness that is more than following the rules, but sees when "rules" get in the way of God's love and mercy.  In some sense, it really doesn't matter what those "rules" are -- they could be social conventions or things we learned growing up that no longer serve what God asks of us as we go the extra mile in asking for God's love and understanding in our lives.  In complex situations, nothing is easy;  but faith, Jesus tells us here, is linked to our understanding of how to go through them, as well as our persistence in connection to God through difficult times.  The heart, in a scriptural sense, is at the center of who we are.  Let us remember that deep center is the place where we must persist in our faith, and open up the great gift of understanding that keeps us in His way, whatever life may give to us.

I see men like trees, walking

Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him. But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation."

And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side. Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat. Then He charged them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have no bread." But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?" They said to him, "Twelve." "Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?" And they said, "Seven." So He said to them, "How is it you do not understand?"

Then He came to Bethsaida, and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees, walking." Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly. Then He sent him away to his house, saying, "Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town."

- Mark 8:11-26

In yesterday's reading, we read of Jesus' compassion on the multitude, being great and having nothing to eat. They were with Him for three days, and He expressed His concern to the disciples. It was too far for their hunger to send them back to their own houses for food. Then His disciples answered Him, "How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?" He asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" And they said, "Seven." He made all the multitude sit, gave thanks for the bread, broke it and had it distributed by His disciples to all the people. There were a few small fish, and He blessed them and did the same. There were seven large baskets of leftover fragments, four thousand people having been fed.

Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him. But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation." Seeking a sign would be one way of tempting or testing God; there's a special exemption to this in the Old Testament, in which King Ahaz was told by God to seek a sign. But Ahaz refused to do so. In Isaiah, we are told the prophet's reply to the king: "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Later on in the gospels, Jesus will add another sign that will be given to all, the sign of the Resurrection. My study bible, however, has a very helpful note here: "A sign from heaven is an indisputable, spectacular act, the kind Jesus rejected in His temptations. Jesus has given countless signs by this time: causing the blind to see, the lame to walk, the deaf to hear, the dumb to speak, and the dead to rise. But these are not good enough for the Pharisees. Jesus sighed deeply, for they seek a sign out of hardness of heart, daring Jesus to force them to faith."

And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side. Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat. Then He charged them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." My study bible again has a helpful note: "Leaven is frequently (but not always) a negative image in Scripture, symbolizing evil. Here it represents the erroneous understanding and evil intent of the Pharisees and Herod Antipas. Though they completely misunderstand the revelation of God in Christ, the Pharisees influence the people. Their teaching is like leaven; it permeates the whole. Their blatant legalism and hypocritical actions damage those who listen to them." We can think of leaven itself as a neutral term: it all depends on whose leaven we're talking about, and to what purpose it's being used. Either way, the influence that permeates may be for good or evil. In this case, their cynicism, or hardness of heart, which requires or tempts a test of absolute "proof," leads away from the discernment of the heart, from faith, love and trust. It is a way of thinking that dares and tempts, because the mind is already made up against whatever is being offered by Christ, for reasons having all to do with power, position and authority. It is a decision based on fear of what they have to lose.

And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have no bread." But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear?" This Gospel of Mark, the earliest Gospel written, is quite wonderful for what it shows us about the disciples. They really test Christ's patience in the terms of their own understanding. They also fail to grasp what He is talking about. (And not for the first time, at all!) But it's interesting to observe the differences between the Pharisees, who have their minds made up, and the kind of "hardness of heart" we observe here. The disciples of Christ are those who yet remain open to teaching. In this, we have a great and enlightening example of the gist of repentance, the capacity for reconsideration, and for further understanding, in relationship, no matter where we are right now. Of course, the humor here is unmistakable, and it is also something that I love about the Gospel, a gift to us. They think He's talking about bread and chastising them for having forgotten bread! This, too, gives us a glimpse of the workings of repentance and relationship. Immediately they fear they are being shamed or corrected for a failure to perform a task (bringing bread). Instead, He's trying to open their eyes to His meanings and teachings, a much deeper matter of the heart. In relationship, God continues to practice His love to us, seeking our enlightenment and understanding, what is best for us, no matter where we are in our lives. That is the key of faith, and of repentance in relationship to God. It's not about our shame, it's about going forward in relationship to God, being teachable, opening our hearts to understanding and forward movement to God, turning ourselves to God in repentance, being willing to be changed and grow, to come to new understanding.

"And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?" They said to him, "Twelve." "Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?" And they said, "Seven." So He said to them, "How is it you do not understand?" Here Jesus refers back to the feeding miracles (see here and here), including the one in yesterday's reading. He is asking them to open their eyes to understand Him and what He is all about. He doesn't need them to bring bread! But note, He's making a distinction between the hardness of heart of the Pharisees and His own disciples' lack of understanding: it's all in their capacity for faith and relationship, even at the times they fail to grasp and understand. There is still a future there, a capability, a willingness to be taught and to learn and grow, in faith. Even in rebuke (and His seeming perplexity and even impatience at their failure to understand), we feel His love, leading them forward to learn, to be enlightened. My study bible notes, again helpfully: "Discipleship without an understanding of Christ is unthinkable."

Then He came to Bethsaida, and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees, walking." Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly. Here is the perfect example of what it is to be "enlightened" by Christ, to come to see. The disciples fail to understand despite His signs! Here, the blind man forms a kind of parable for us, by example. Christ again takes this man away from the crowds for a healing, even out of the town, into a private space. Intimately, the touch comes: He spit on His eyes and put His hands on him. At first the man sees somewhat: "I see men like trees, walking." With another touch, and the encouragement to look up, the man is restored and saw everyone clearly. This example also portrays the slow understanding of the disciples, and each of us as we are led to truly "see." It gives us a picture of our relationship to Christ, our growth in faith, His Way. Note that this is also an intimate power; this teaching is for each one of us. It may happen far away from the crowds, and popular understanding, all alone with God in the secret place. And there is more to teach about this, as we read further.

Then He sent him away to his house, saying, "Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town." The great sign we may get for ourselves may be something we can't even say to others, nor tell them about. Perhaps God Himself does not want this. However faith comes to us, in whatever way we are given faith and hope and light, a new movement forward, a Way, it is for us -- between us and God. Sometimes it might be proper to be used as a testimony, but sometimes not. It is a gift, and the intent for the gift is in the hands of the Giver, who knows what is best. It is something we treasure in our hearts, worth all of the world. Even if it is "just for us." Of course, at a later date, this story was told in the Gospel, in the Book of the Church, as testimony to Christ, for the believers. What is important is God's word to us today, for where we are right now, at each moment of our lives. The rest is in God's hands, with the One in whom we trust to teach us what is best for us, for all.