Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?

 

 Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.  But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."  And He laid His hands on them and departed from there. 

 

Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"   So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good  No one is good but One, that is, God.  But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."  He said to Him, "Which ones?"  Jesus said, "'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother,' and 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"  The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth.  What do I still lack?"  Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

 

- Matthew 19:13-22 

 

Yesterday we read that after Jesus taught the disciples about the essential importance of humility, mutual correction in the Church, and forgiveness, He left Galilee and went 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."

 

Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.  But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."  And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.   My study Bible reports that, 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 Jesus rejects this thinking, setting little children as an example of those who inherit the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, in the Orthodox Church, children are invited -- even as an example to adults -- to participate in the Kingdom through prayer, worship, baptism, chrismation, and Communion.  In another commentary (on Luke 18:15-17) Theophylact describes little children as the standard of faith by which adults receive the kingdom of God.  He 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."

 

Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"   So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good  No one is good but One, that is, God.  But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."   My study Bible comments that this man does not come to test Jesus (unlike the Pharisees in yesterday's reading -- see above -- who came to test Him with a question on divorce).  This man, on the other hand, has come to seek advice from one he considers to be no more than a good Teacher.  Jesus' response here doesn't deny that He is God, but rather is designed in order to lead the man to this knowledge.  

 

He said to Him, "Which ones?"  Jesus said, "'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother,' and 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"  The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?"  My study Bible comments here that formal observance of commandments does not make one righteous before God.  Here, this man had an earnest desire for eternal life, but he sensed that he still lacked something.  So he continues to press Christ for an answer. 

 

  Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.  To be perfect, according to my study Bible, one must willingly sacrifice all and follow Christ.  There is nothing gained except that this sacrifice is made freely.  The specifics of how one will do this will be different for every person in following Christ.  In this man's case, wealth had a great grip on his life.  Therefore Jesus teaches him that his hope is to sell and give away all his possessions.  St. John Chrysostom says that giving away possessions is the least of Christ's instructions here.  To follow Him in all things is a far greater and more difficult calling.

 

 Earlier in St. Matthew's Gospel, Jesus has made several references to amputation, or self-mutilation.  These are analogous to the concept of separating from ourselves habits, proclivities, personal choices, forms of passion that get in the way of our salvation, of our union with Christ.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke of the statute against adultery, but took it further in His teachings to speak about the lust that leads to adultery.  In this vein, He taught, "But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart," indicating to us that there is a chain of events in terms of the breaking of a statute or law.  Then He told the crowd of His disciples, "If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell" (Matthew 5:27-30).  As we commented on that, and subsequent passages in which Jesus used the same analogy for decisive personal action to prevent sin, Jesus speaks of an eye that looks with lust or covetousness, or a hand that reaches where it shouldn't go. He used the same type of illustration to speak warnings against abuses of "little ones" in the Church as He taught the disciples about leadership and greatness in chapter 18.  He warned, "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea."  And again, to illustrate the serious point about cutting off personal impulses that lead to violations or offenses, He said, "If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire" (Matthew 18:6; 8-9).  His focus is on our internal state as prevention of sin, so that we deal with our passions which lead to sin before the violation of a commandment of religious law.  In this light, we must examine His teaching for this rich young man who comes to Him in earnest, whom St. Mark tells us Jesus loved in giving him the advice we read today to give up his wealth (see Mark 10:21).  To emphasize the point regarding the internal life in the previous passages we've cited, we note that this rich young ruler has followed the commandments of the Law all of his life.  But Jesus finds something hindering his entrance into the kingdom of heaven, an attachment to his wealth that will prove a stumbling block to following Christ in all things.  We don't know why this wealth is a problem; this is not a moral lesson.  This man is doing nothing immoral with his wealth, and Jesus does not condemn owning wealth as sin.  But his attachment, his passion for what he owns, is a stumbling block to eternal life.  Perhaps, as he's called a ruler, he's one of the powerful families in Jerusalem, and his wealth is connected to family and social status and personal identity so that it's like removing an eye or hand or foot to part with his wealth.  But nonetheless, this is what Jesus calls on him to do.  Regardless of how little or how many possessions we have, we can understand the difficulty in being told to give away all that we have.  However, as St. John Chrysostom says, that is the easier part; the harder part is afterward following Christ in all things, as many monastics have sought to do.  The real aim here is the kingdom of God, and the eternal life Christ preaches, His gospel, and how we find it.  Out of love for him Jesus has taught this young man to give away his wealth to the poor, and follow Him.  It is another kind of illustration of the decisive and difficult action we may be called upon to take to follow Christ's path for us, to separate from ourselves the things we might even cherish but which nonetheless hold us back, keep us from the life He offers to us.  Let us take this sobering example to heart, for the Cross is for all of us; it just comes in different forms for each.  But it is the way of Christ, the way we need out of this worldly life to the one He offers us, the treasure in heaven He promises.

 

 

 

 

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. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So then they are no longer two, but one flesh

 

 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 Jesus' continuation of His discussion with the disciples regarding future leadership in His Church, and the treatment of the "little ones."  This discussion began when the disciples disputed about which of them would be the greatest.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus 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.  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."  In Jesus' time, divorce was a hotly debated topic.  The Pharisees generally agreed with Christ's viewpoint.  There were controversies over how money and dowry could be used which also determined legal guidelines regarding marriage, divorce, and subsequent remarriage.  My study Bible comments here that, in contrast to the easy access to divorce under the Mosaic Law, and because of the misuse of divorce in His time, Jesus repeatedly condemns divorce (He does so twice in St. Mathew's Gospel), and emphasizes the eternal nature of marriage.  The possibility of divorce on the ground of sexual immorality as mentioned in Matthew 5:32 shows that marriage, like other relationships, can be destroyed by sin.  Jesus quotes from Genesis 1:27 and 2:24.

 

 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 explains that, according to Theophylact, the disciples rebuked the mothers for bringing little children to Jesus both because their manner was "unruly" and they also thought that children "diminished His dignity as Teacher and Master."  Jesus rejects this thinking, however, and sets little children as an example of those who inherit the kingdom of God.  So, therefore, in Church children are invited -- even as example -- to participate in the Kingdom through prayer, worship, baptism, chrismation, and Communion.  My study Bible comments that children can be models of the virtues necessary for entrance into the Kingdom:  humility, dependence, lowliness, simplicity, obedience, and a willingness to love and be loved.

 

 The nature of marriage has possibly changed in a certain sense since Christ's time, at least for most in the West. For the great majority of human history, marriage was a matter for family arrangement.  Of course, customs have varied from culture to culture.  For those of us used to a more modern notion of mutual attraction prior to marriage, the history of arranged marriage might seem strange or alien.  But the most common thing that we can understand about marriage is a kind of mutual dependence within a relationship which Jesus describes with a powerful image of communion, quoting from Genesis 1:27 and 2:24.  This emphasis on the nature of marriage as a bond deep enough so that the two "become one flesh" becomes in the perspective of Christ something more than merely contractual.  The "easy divorce" my study Bible comments on under the Mosaic Law is something that Jesus says was given because of the "hardness of their hearts."  We must note that in this answer, He is speaking to men, for men had the power to divorce.  It's important to consider why Jesus would call easy divorce a product of the hardness of men's hearts, if we're going to put into perspective Christ's views on marriage.  As in today's reading this topic is coupled with another passage on "little ones" (this time literally meaning little children), perhaps we need to take a broader view in the context of the things we've been reading over the past several days in Mark's Gospel.  If we recall, recent passages began with a discussion among the disciples as to who would be greatest, and Jesus spoke to them of service, that the greatest among them should be the servant of all.  He strictly warned them in yesterday's reading about the abuse of those with less power in the Church, the "little ones."  Taken together, all of these teachings form foundational precepts about the nature of community and relationships through the eyes of Christ, and marriage is no exception. He emphasizes love and care.  In the case of marriage, if two become "one flesh" then it stands to reason that husbands and wives ought to care for each another as they care for themselves, in a sense that asks for the deepest consideration.  Today's reading is also followed by yet another passage on the "little ones," this time regarding children themselves, and Christ's fond love for them, "for of such is the kingdom of God."  Through all of these teachings we read recently, Christ's emphasis is ultimately on love, relationships which are more than transactional but are rooted in the understanding of God's work and purpose behind all things.  If we (as inheritors of the traditions of the disciples) are meant to receive "little ones" as if we are receiving Christ, then how must we live in accordance with the teaching that "two become one flesh?"   This sense of interdependence, then, becomes one in which our hearts open to the other in the deepest way, an acceptance of love and care as a foundation for marriage, which in turn becomes a part of the fabric of a society.  If easy divorce is permitted because of "hardness of heart," then it stands to reason that Christ's prescription of marriage as eternal in nature is one that emphasizes the opposite, the mutual care and consideration of those with whom we share our lives.  Perhaps the word "share" is most important, as in the tradition of the Church (at least in Orthodox teaching), marriage is seen as the layperson's way to holiness, precisely because of the nature of mutual giving that constitutes marriage.   In mutual sacrifice for one another, we are meant to grow beyond our own self-centeredness.  Of course, Holy Matrimony in the Church is itself a sacrament, and so all becomes couched and mediated in the embrace of God, as well as part of the mysteries of the Church.  Thus we have the help of the Spirit, and the love of Christ, also involved in marriage, and helping to enable the kind of growth that is possible in such relationship.  Let us consider the power of love which is of God, for God is love (1 John 4:8), and how this forms a basis for marriage and the blessings that may come from marriage.  In a modern context of hyper-consumer orientation, it may be difficult to consider, but Christ asks us to see mutual sacrifice as part of this blessing, also something which spreads to community.  Let us consider the nature of love, and the bonds that love creates through mutual giving, especially where the two may become one flesh.  In this our faith can guide us and strengthen us, building us up so that we may in turn give to others.

 

 

 

 

If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me

 

 Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on the and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.  But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."  And He laid His hands on the and departed from there.  

Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"  So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."  He said to Him, "Which ones?"  Jesus said, "'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"  The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth.  What do I still lack?"  Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

 

- Matthew 19:13-22 

 

On Saturday we read that it came to pass, when Jesus had finished His sayings on mutual correction and forgiveness in the Church, 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."

 

  Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on the and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.  But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."  And He laid His hands on the and departed from there.  My study Bible comments that the disciples rebuked the mothers for bringing little children to Christ both because their manner was "unruly" and also because they thought that, according to Theophylact, children "diminished His dignity as Teacher and Master."  Jesus rejects such thinking, and sets little children as an example of those who inherit the kingdom of heaven.  (See also the readings from Wednesday and Thursday of last week regarding "little ones.")  Therefore, my study Bible notes, children are invited -- even as an example to adults -- to participation in the Kingdom through prayer, worship, baptism, chrismation, and Communion.  

Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"  So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."   My study Bible comments that this man does not come to test Jesus, but rather to seek advice from one whom he considers to be no more than a good Teacher.  Christ's response is not to deny that He is God, but designed to lead this rich man to this knowledge.  

Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"  So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."  He said to Him, "Which ones?"  Jesus said, "'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"  The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth.  What do I still lack?"  My study Bible notes here that formal observance of commandments does not make one righteous before God.  This man had an earnest desire for eternal life, but sensed that he still lacked something.  So, therefore, he continues to press Jesus for the answer.

 

 Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.  In order to be perfect, my study Bible notes, one must willingly sacrifice all and follow Christ.  There is nothing gained except this sacrifice is freely given.  The specifics of how one will follow Christ, however, will be different for every person.  In this case, wealth had such a grip on this rich young man that his only hope was to sell and give away all his possessions.  According to St. John Chrysostom, giving away possessions is the least of Christ's instructions here.  To follow Him in all things is a far greater and more difficult calling.  

In tomorrow's reading, we will receive Christ's response and teaching to the disciples regarding this episode of the rich young ruler who seeks eternal life.  In it we will read Jesus' rather astonishing response regarding the pull of wealth, which will astound the disciples.  But for now, let us focus on this young man who comes to Christ with what seems a very earnest seeking for eternal life.  Although the young man does not understand that Christ is divine, he calls Him a good Teacher, which expresses sincerity.  But the great stumbling block here is his possessions, which are great in the description of the Gospel.  Although it is possible to read this passage as if Jesus' pronouncement that the young man must sell all his possessions and give to the poor is something standard and almost flippant, it is really nothing of the kind, as my study Bible and patristic commentary notes.  In Mark's Gospel, we're told that Jesus, "looking at him, loved him," before giving this teaching (see Mark 10:21).  Therefore this teaching to the young man is given by Jesus with love, and what we can understand as the deepest insight for him.  So the emphasis falls here on the type of hold that wealth can have on us, and also that in this case it forms a stumbling block to the young man's salvation, his hope of eternal life for which he asks.  Let us begin by noting that once again Jesus speaks of an exchange here.  He counsels this young man to sell what he has and give to the poor so that he will, instead, have treasure in heaven.  This is an important sense of exchange for each of us in our lives, for it is what taking up our own crosses means.  We make a sacrifice of the things that stand in the way of our own salvation, and in so doing receive the things of the Kingdom, treasure in heaven.  In this case, as my study Bible explains, wealth has such a grip on this person that it will form a stumbling block, and indeed it does, as this young man goes away sorrowful at Christ's teaching, unable to accept it.  We can surmise perhaps that, as we know he is young, his possessions are a hint that he comes from one of the wealthier landowning families, and therefore is connected through family position within the temple and the society.  Therefore his identity is at any rate -- as we can see from his response -- bound up with his wealth.  He considers it too far of a sacrifice for him, even for eternal life.  Possibly Jesus gives him this counsel because in the Church, there will eventually come a time when all of Christ's followers will be persecuted by the religious leadership, and they will necessarily need to make this kind of hard choice to remain in the faith, and part from what they know.  For even the nation, in this sense, will reject Christ at His trial before Pilate.  These are -- or rather they may be for each of us -- the kinds of hard choices that appear for us in following our faith, and therefore taking up our own crosses in order to follow Christ.  These are the sacrifices that come up in a life of faith, where whatever we are asked to sacrifice acts as an attachment and stumbling block to following in faith.  As my study Bible indicates, these things will be different for every person, and can involve just about anything.  But the key, as with this rich young man, is our attachment to them in opposition to the way Christ would ask us to go forward in life toward a deeper communion with Him and the life He offers and asks of us.  In the Bible, we can read of the sacrifices the disciples will undergo themselves as they become apostles and pillars of the Church, having to choose between the deepest ties of earthly life and where they will go as Christ's servants.  Jesus asks of us personal sacrifices in terms of our own habits and proclivities to selfishness as well (see this reading, in which Christ uses the example of amputation necessary to save the whole body).  For these are the ways in which we are transfigured in the image He offers us, to the person He calls us to become more truly as our Lord.  Let us consider how the sacrifices we might be called upon to make draw us more closely to Him and to the life He offers, to treasure in heaven, to more closely following Him.   Note that the young man has already made a great discipline in his life of following the commandments, and this one given by Christ is that which is given if he desires to be perfect.  Perhaps it is an example to us of Christ's teaching, "For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more" (Luke 12:48).  But then again, Christ has asked the disciples, "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"    Today's reading suggests that we must each ask ourselves this same question.

 

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 

 

In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught the disciples, "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.  Jesus has once again left Galilee, and now has come to the region of Judea, but not to Jerusalem.  Rather He is east of the Jordan (see this map).   

The Pharisees came and asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" testing Him. The Pharisees no doubt know Jesus is in this area teaching to multitudes.  They've come from Jerusalem specifically to test Him.  Divorce was a hotly contested issue in Christ's time, with issues that complicated the nature of divorce because of the contractual agreements, and specifically monies involved, such as the bride-price.  Who would gain control of this money, and lose it through divorce, became a part of the problems of marriage, including remarriage to the same person as a way to gain money.  The Pharisees were actually closer to Christ's position than were other parties in the arguments over this issue.

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."  The basis for the Pharisees' test 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 that day, Jesus repeatedly condemns divorce (see, for example, Matthew 5:31-32; 19:8-9).  Instead, Jesus emphasizes marriage as a holy institution with an eternal nature.  In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus gives as a possible reason for divorce sexual immorality, which shows that even holy matrimony can be destroyed by sin.  Jesus quotes from Genesis 1:27; 5:2 and Genesis 2:24.

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 God's condescension, or allowance for human weakness (by allowing divorce), does not override the original principle of permanent monogamous marriage as revealed in Genesis 1; 2.  Here, Jesus speaks with authority to the disciples, adding His own clear prohibition against divorce.  My study Bible also explains that the permissible reason for divorce were expanded in the ancient Church to include threat to a spouse's or child's life and desertion -- but in all cases acknowledging the spiritual tragedy of such a situation.

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 because their manner was "unruly" and moreover because they thought that children "diminished His dignity as Teacher and Master."  But Christ turns this thinking on its head, and sets little children as an example of those who inherit the kingdom of God.  So therefore, my study Bible explains, children are invited (even as an example to adults) to participate in the Kingdom through prayer, worship, baptism, chrismation, and Communion.  Theophylact is further quoted by my study Bible:  "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 completely simplicity."  

With regard to this final comment by Theophylact (as quoted in my study Bible), it's worth taking a look at the important concept of simplicity in Biblical and hence the historical theological terms of the Church.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches, "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light" (Matthew 6:22 KJV).  This verse is often translated to read that one should make one's eye "good" (NKJV), or "sound" (RSV).  But in the Greek of the text, this word translated in various ways is ἁπλοῦς/aplous, which can mean both "simple" and "single."  It literally means "unfolded," and therefore we should think of it as undivided, uncomplicated; or, more to the point, it is the opposite of double.  So, in this sense, to be "simple" and for one's eye to be "single" means without an agenda, straightforward, sincere, without guile; not double-minded.  It speaks to purity of heart.  This concept of the single or simple eye is also linked to that of the evil eye, meaning envy.  (See the reference by Jesus to an evil eye in Mark 7:21-23, as part of this reading).  So, if we're going to take a close look (no pun intended!) at what it means to be "simple" in the Biblical context, we may come to understand something important related both to the little children whom Jesus says are of the kingdom of God, and something important about divorce as well.  Because divorce is so often linked to covetousness, leading to adultery, the concepts here are intertwined.  It is also reflected in the concepts of yesterday's reading (above), in which Jesus taught that "if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out."  To gaze with envy or with covetousness, both of which can play a strong role leading to divorce, is to have an "evil eye" which is not simple but rather double-minded, containing hidden motivations and agendas.  Rather than a single-minded devotion to one's marriage, this kind of narrowing of the gaze, or doubling of one's interior intentions, skews the purposes to which God has instituted holy matrimony and our deepest and strongest relationships.  This is further emphasized by Jesus quoting from the Old Testament that "the two shall become one flesh."  Again, "one flesh" emphasizes the single and the simple nature of the deep bond described as marriage here.   This emphasis on singleness/simplicity is also reflected in Jesus' words to the disciples as He sends them out on their first apostolic mission.  Matthew 10:16 is often translated as teaching the disciples to be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves."  But the word translated as "harmless" is ἀκέραιος/akeraios, meaning "unmixed."  Again the emphasis is on simplicity or singleness meaning "innocent" (it's the same Greek word that St. Paul uses in Romans 16:19).  In all of these related ways, simplicity or singleness becomes an important concept for us to consider when it comes to the teachings of Jesus Christ.  Finally, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8).  Unadulterated, unmixed, simple, single-minded ("eyed"), without guile or deceit:  these are the concepts that define pure in heart, meaning that one is the same from the inside to the outside.  Let us consider how central these concepts are to the doctrine of Jesus Christ and His gospel, and how we seek to live our lives.  

 

 

If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me

 

 Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.  But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."  And He laid His hands on them and departed from there. 

Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"  So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."  He said to Him, "Which ones?"  Jesus said, "'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"  The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth.  What do I still lack?"  Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

 

- Matthew 19:13-22 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus 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,' 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."

 

Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.  But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."  And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.  My study Bible cites the commentary of Theophylact, who writes 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."  Christ rejects this thinking, setting little children as an example of those who inherit the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, my study Bible notes, children are invited -- even as an example to adults, to participate in the Kingdom through prayer, worship, baptism, chrismation, and Communion.  In a commentary on a similar passage found at Luke 18:15-17, Theophylact writes about the characteristics of little children which suit the kingdom of heaven: "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."

 

 Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"  So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."   My study Bible comments that this man does not come to test Jesus, but rather to seek advice from one whom he considers to be simply a good Teacher.  Jesus' response does not deny that He is God, but rather designed to lead the rich young man to this knowledge. 

He said to Him, "Which ones?"  Jesus said, "'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"  The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth.  What do I still lack?"  To observe the commandments formally does not make one righteous before God, my study Bible explains.  This man had an earnest desire to attain eternal life, and sensed that he still lacked something.  So, he continues to press Christ for the answer.

Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.  My study Bible says that to be perfect, one must willingly sacrifice all and follow Christ.  There is nothing gained unless this sacrifice is freely given.  It notes that the specifics of how one follows Christ will be different for each person.  As wealth had such a grip on this rich man, his only hope was to sell and give away all his possessions.  According to St. John Chrysostom, to give away possessions is the least of Jesus' instructions here.  To follow Christ in all things, he says, is a far greater and more difficult calling.  

In tomorrow's reading, Jesus will continue speaking to the disciples about the statements He makes here to the rich young man.  If we note carefully, he's called a rich young ruler in the subtopic notations of our Bibles, and explicitly called a "ruler" in the text of Luke's version of this event (Luke 18:18).  This tells us that he is from one of the ruling parties of the Council, and it possibly makes him one of the landowning classes which formed the Sadducees, traditional aristocrats of the Jerusalem area.  His vast possessions -- at his time and place -- make it likely that his possessions are connected to inheritance, and thus his family name and place within the society.  So the first thing it might be necessary to consider here is that when we think of the importance of his possessions to him, they are deeply tied in to his identity and social position.  So while we may make a simple conclusion that this man was greedy or selfish, that doesn't seem to be the precise conclusion we should draw.  After all, he has already followed the commandments all of his life, which does not indicate a selfish disposition, or a lazy one.  Moreover, in Mark's Gospel, we're told that  "Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, 'One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me'" (Mark 10:21).  It seems unlikely that Mark's text would go out of its way to tell us that Jesus loved this person if he had a defective character that was simply selfish or miserly.  Instead, what we are invited to do here is consider both the difficulty and necessity of what Jesus is teaching to one whom He apparently loved.  In other words, Jesus' word -- this difficult assignment -- comes because Jesus loves this young man, and therefore deeply desires to lead him to salvation.  He is not a lost cause, incapable of repentance or change, but one to whom Jesus would desire to open the kingdom of heaven.  In that light, what we find is that the Gospel is calling us to think about why this is difficult and why it is also necessary.  In yesterday's reading and commentary, we displayed the icon of Christ the Bridegroom, because although the topic was ostensibly marriage and divorce, in the traditional understanding of the Church, marriage asks us for sanctifying sacrifice which helps mold character.  Perhaps we are to see today's teaching by Jesus to this young man in the same light.  He also is asked for a sacrifice in order to come to a deeper communion with Christ, to attain the eternal life he seeks.  Sacrifice is not easy; in fact to one whom Jesus loves, and who is obviously dedicated enough to faith to follow the commandments all of his life, perhaps the next great step is just that much more difficult a sacrifice -- to leave his great possessions, which no doubt carry family ties and position within the society, behind him in order to more fully follow Christ and enter into that Kingdom.  Indeed, we will hear the disciples come to terms with their own sacrifices for following Christ as well -- and Jesus will have something to say about what it is that makes such sacrifices possible.  We might also note here that at the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD (within one generation), the entire group of the aristocratic landowning Sadducees would disappear into history, and ponder what this might have meant for this young ruler's future at any rate.  Christ's advice, if taken, would possibly have planted him in the early Church, and stood him in good stead for how to live through such a debacle.  To train one's focus on treasure in heaven rather than treasure on earth would prove no doubt of great value for such circumstances.  At any rate, it was ironically "treasure in heaven" that this rich man still lacked.  But in the meantime, let us stop to consider what we give up in order to become a part of this Kingdom, to participate as deeply as possible in the life of Christ, and to rely upon our faith as we grow in the identity that He offers us instead of what we already know.  In this sense, we are to become like "little children," who follow where Christ would lead them, and we are born again through His guidance and teaching for a new life and new identity. 

 

 

 

Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; 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 

 

In yesterday's reading, Jesus warned the disciples about "scandalizing" the little ones in the Church:  "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 into the region of Judea, closer to the center of the religious authorities.  Here the Pharisees come to test Him about an issue that was hotly debated in Christ's own time between the ruling parties and factions of the Council, that of divorce.  This extended even to detailed issues that involved money and property, such as what happened with a dowry if a couple divorced and then remarried.  Abuse of marriage and divorce was common enough for such purposes that these became issues for regulation in the ruling 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 Jesus' response, He careful to go to the command of Moses.  The Pharisees approached many issues through the traditions they had developed subsequent to the Law, while the Sadducees (the other main ruling party) viewed strictly the Law of Moses as their Scriptures.   As is frequently the case in the Gospels, Jesus not only bases His answer on Moses' command, but also on the intent of the Law, rather than the minutiae of legalism.  So, my study Bible says, in contrast to the easy access to divorce under the Mosaic Law, and because of the misuse of divorce of that day, Jesus repeatedly condemns divorce -- and emphasizes the eternal nature of marriage.  Jesus quotes from Genesis 1:27, 5:2 and Genesis 2:25.   The basis of the Pharisees' test and response is Deuteronomy 24:1-4.  My study Bible comments that God's condescension, or allowance for human weakness, does not override the original principle of permanent monogamous marriage as revealed in Genesis 1 and 2.  Christ here adds His own clear prohibition: "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."   Again, we see this in context of the easy divorce and abuse of such in Christ's time.  In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus suggests the possibility of divorce on the grounds of sexual immorality (Matthew 5:31-32), which my study Bible says indicates that marriage can be destroyed by sin.  This is the case for all relationships, however.  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.

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 also because they thought children "diminished His dignity as Teacher and Master."  Jesus rejects this thinking, and sets little children as an example of those who inherit the kingdom of heaven.  So, therefore, children are invited (even as an example to adults) to participate in the Kingdom through prayer, worship, baptism, chrismation, and Communion.  In a comment on a similar passage, Theophylact writes regarding the qualities of little children, "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 quite interesting to think about the simple qualities of children which may be associated with holiness, or participation in the kingdom of of heaven.  One thing that comes to mind is how children -- especially very little children -- view presents or toys.  One can put almost any object in the hands of a little child or infant and it instantly becomes a beloved toy.  It doesn't matter if it's a toy on sale in stores.  I have seen a very young child play with a small box its mother handed to it while waiting in line at the store.  This unopened box served as a teething ring on its corners, an object to hold, something to shake up and down, and when taken away, it was a dear toy to be cried over.  Little children do not care how much a toy costs, in fact they have no idea about prices and do not measure their delight by comparing monetary value.  They just know whether or not they like something, and can play with just about anything in their grasp, taking delight in it.  Perhaps if we see with the eyes of a little child, we also will find much more to delight us, we might perceive much goodness we ordinarily miss, as well as beauty and even the truth of things.  For without all the things we learn that serve as distraction, as measurement, as calculation, and even competition, we might have much clearer lenses through which to see what is there, and possibilities all around us.  We might be able to take delight in the smallest things, and be charmed by a flower, a sunset, a butterfly.  It is this sort of simplicity that it seems is worthy of praise.  We can see something a little similar in Christ's praise of Nathanael, in the opening chapter of John's Gospel (John 1:43-51).   When Philip speaks to Nathanael of Jesus, Nathanael's first response is actually negative:  "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  But Jesus praises him, saying, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"  In other words, Nathanael's straightforward thinking is being praised.  Nathanael is what we might call a straight-shooter, asking direct questions from what he knows (Nazareth was not known as a place prophesied to produce a holy man or prophet, let alone the Messiah).  It is in this kind of simplicity that we find the quality of a little child cited by Theophylact, and praised by Christ.  There is no guile, no complicated seeking to climb a ladder of social competition, no need to flatter falsely or practice hypocrisy, no attempt to manipulate.  Of course, we're not asked to be exactly like little children, in the sense that we're also expected to grow in the capacity for discernment, for knowing the things of God, even gaining in the wisdom we're taught.  But if we look closely, Jesus tells us, "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."  We are asked to be like little children in our receiving of this Kingdom; taking in simplicity with delight, what is good, what is beautiful, what is true, and responding to what is above all love and care.  Without those simple and straightforward qualities of children cited above, how will we be capable of doing any of that?  What will we know of God and see in Christ? How can we truly discern the beauty of faithfulness, or purity, or the splendid beauty in God's creation?  From a particularly selfish standpoint, none of these things will point us to God, but only to ourselves as owners or deserving recipients.   But to see life, and the goodness of life, and its beauty, good qualities, and even wisdom as a gift takes a different set of eyes to see, a different heart to know.  It is that quality of the heart Christ emphasizes for that is how we receive the kingdom of God.  Perhaps also it is that quality of the heart that sustains a good marriage between two people, as well as the capacity to know and love Christ, and for this reason marriage is a spiritual institution ordained by God. 

 

 

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.