And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. ( Mark 10:2-16 ESV)
Here we go again with divorce. But today rather than Pharisees looking for money and having people do things that will not help them be in relationship. We have Jesus bringing in a child.
You see today in Mark Jesus throws the understanding of society completely on its head.
The reading ends with Jesus saying that you have to come to the kingdom like a little child. And children were property and were not to be seen or heard. They were suppose to learn how to act in society from the women who were OK to be seen but should not be heard. Children were not cute and a wonderful thing to have around. They were property and not always wanted. Jesus said though these people who are shunned by society and looked upon as disposable are really the ones who know what the kingdom of God is. And if you want to be a part of that kingdom you need to accept them and be like them.
The other thing that Jesus does here in Mark is to make women equal to men. You see at this time only men could divorce because women are property. But Jesus said if a woman divorces her husband and marries another… that was unheard of. Women could not do that, but Jesus said they are able to this and in so doing this He declared them equal to men.
You see it is again about relationships. It is about thinking of the other before ourselves. Not thinking too highly of ourselves like we are better than everyone else, because on our own we are all going straight to hell. We are all equal sinners that deserve to be punished. But because of the grace of God we are able to be in a relationship with Him.
So don’t think you are better than anyone else. Because God loves all of us just the same.
aSacredRebel 