Word to the Wise
Sunday, October 7, 2012 - 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time - B
[Gen 2:18-24; Heb 2:9-11; Mark 10:2-16 or 10:2-12]Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate. [Mark]
Few of Jesus' teachings astonished his disciples more than his teaching on divorce! I dare say that this teaching still astonishes many people who believe that a lifelong commitment to one other person is simply unrealistic! "People change! People make mistakes when they fall in love." Indeed, it would appear that even Moses decided that this was one battle he would not fight and he allowed divorce. What Jesus teaches seems to (and did) contradict Moses! From the viewpoint of the Pharisees and disciples, Moses was more realistic than Jesus! This was one instance when "hardness of heart" seemed to put an essential truth aside because that truth was "too hard" to live. That essential truth is found in the Book of Genesis which Jesus quotes. The words, "from the beginning," are very important because they are added by Jesus. The unity of marriage is part of the original plan of creation - one man, one woman. Divorce is something human beings have created. Human beings are creating other definitions of marriage as well. But no matter how we try, the truth of God's creation stands as a prophetic contradiction to any efforts we make to "redefine" marriage.
I think many preachers today may try to find a way to "preach around" this subject today or else thunder condemnations. I, for one, am acutely aware of the pain, suffering and struggles of married couples because I have friends who have experienced divorce in their own efforts to marry (or in their parents' marriage(s)). I try to make every effort to see what proper preparation takes place. Yet, despite this, marriages that I have celebrated have ended in divorce. I am also aware that marriage, like so much in our culture, has become a kind of "commodity." I can only hope that "hardness of heart" does not prevail. Nor do I believe that Jesus has proposed an impossible ideal because I have celebrated marriages that have endured. Condemnation does not help, nor does avoiding the subject in preaching! I can only put forward what, as a matter of faith, we know that Jesus has taught. AMEN
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