Sunday 04 October 2015

Psalm: Psalm 8

Background

In Jewish law in the time of Jesus only a man could initiatedivorce, so the suggestion implicit in Jesus' words in verse 12that a woman might have an equal right to do so is radical butunsurprising for anyone who has been following his ministry and themany ways it deeply challenged the status quo.

When Matthew's Gospel reports this whole incident (Matthew 19:3), it is a question about whatconstitutes just cause for divorce, but Mark's Gospel here reportsit as simply concerning whether divorce is right at all. ThePharisees are often presented in the Gospels as testing Jesus bytrying to get him to say something they can use against him. Herehe responds with an answer to their question that is neither astraight yes or no.

Moses, the one whom the Jewish people understood to have giventhem God's law, assumed divorces would take place, that they wouldbe properly documented, that a divorced woman might remarry, andprohibited her from re-marrying her first husband if she becamedivorced again (Deuteronomy 24:1-4). Jesus suggests theseprovisions only exist because of "hardness of heart" (v. 5). God'sabsolute purpose for marriage from the beginning - Jesus quotes Genesis 2:24 (in verse 7) - was that God joinstwo people together and humans are not able to undo that bondmerely by the legal process of divorce. Jesus reinforces thisunderstanding in no uncertain terms when privately with thedisciples later he describes second marriages after divorce as actsof adultery (verses 10-11).

But because of human failure to share the heart of God,provision for divorce is necessary to limit the consequences of ourfailures.

To "receive the kingdom of God as a little child" (v. 15) hasnothing to do with subjective qualities of children, but with theobjective fact that they are weak and unimportant, and God choosesthe weak of the world (see 1Corinthians 1:26-29) as is amply demonstrated by the ministryof Jesus.

To Ponder

• In your view, what if any constitute legitimate grounds fordivorce?

• Do you consider that the society you live in makes divorce tooeasy or too hard? What changes to the law would you like to see?How might we wish people's understanding of marriage to changebefore they enter it?

• Why do you imagine the disciples tried to stop parents bringingsmall children to Jesus for his blessing (verse 13)? Why do youthink Jesus took a different view? How, in your experience, doesthe Church of today learn from this simple story?