Moses allows a certificate of dismissal
giving a man the right to divorce his wife.
Oct 4 2015 World Wide Communion Mark 10: 2-16
This is one of those passages
that many a clergy will skip over during the lectionary year as this text on marriage and divorce is a difficult text to deal with in our modern world both in the East and in the West.
Many of us in the west have been taught that divorce in the eyes of God is an absolute no within
some of the Christian denominations. That no matter what, marriage, when
you enter into it is for life, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, till death do us part, isn't that the pledge many make. In at least two of the Christian
traditions Orthodox and Catholic, marriage is considered a Holy Sacrament. The Scripture says; "Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate". In the
beginning this may have been the intention for marriage within the Kingdom of God and still is but this is not the reality in the kingdom of humankind. Under the Law marriage would fall from the ideals of Gods intention, only to end up in the Jewish legal
system of the courts along with Moses' certificate of divorce. To this very
day, marriage and divorce are still a legal issue licensed by the provinces {government} and settled by divorce through our court system, not religion nor the church. Now you
think about this folks because as much as we want marriage to be sacred and concatenated by God as it was intended in the beginning, but marriage only happens if the province {government} issues you a licence. Marriage and divorce became and still are part of our legal system. All clergy get their license to preform marriages from the province, therefore in reality the church can only offer God’s blessing
on the ceremony.
From my perspective these passages from Mark raise for us three levels of
understanding.
1. First they raise the question
of our proper understanding and teaching about marriage, children, and the effects that divorce can produce.
2. Secondly it raises the questions of who, or
what has the proper authority to answer our questions? Should we turn to
our own traditions, our own reasoning, experience, conscience or should we
appeal to scripture and if so, whose interpretation do we accept as gospel?
3. Thirdly in the final verses
of today's reading, Mark 13: 13-16 Jesus raises the question of the
Kingdom of God. He explains the proper attitude of those who are to receive and enter into the Gods
Kingdom.
The question posed to Jesus by
the Pharisees was “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife? In
typical fashion Jesus turns the question back to his opponent asking “What does
the Jewish Law command you”. They said “Moses' Law permits a man to write
a certificate of dismissal and divorce her”. Let us keep in mind here
that the purpose for this question presented to Jesus was not
for clarification but was intended to trap him, to stir up anger
against him with the crowd and ultimately Herod. If he
supported divorce, he would be upholding the Pharisees position. They saw
marriage and divorce as legal issues not spiritual or religious ones and they
doubted that he would do that. If Jesus spoke against divorce that would anger
Herod who had already used this loophole in the Jewish law to rid himself of an
unwanted wife. Not only Herod but many Jewish men were using divorce as a means to fill their own passions rather than to take into
consideration God's original intentions for marriage, which by the way, did not include separation, but a union for life, till death do us part. Let us recall that Herod had John the
Baptist beheaded for speaking out against his divorce. Moses’
certificate of dismissal was written into Jewish Law as a concession
to people's sinfulness. It was not
intended as an escape root for Men to fill their own passions or remove a wife
at will. Divorce was originally intended to help
the abused person escape the abuse. But this law appears to
favor the male and actually opened up a loophole for male abuse.
Women were often treated as property.
Marriage and divorce were
often regarded as transactions similar to the buying and selling of land. So where did that leave the divorced woman?
In Jesus’ time when a woman received a
certificate of divorce, she lost most of her rights, including her right to own
property. She could very easily find herself begging for food on the
streets or prostituting herself for her livelihood. Jesus condemns this
attitude, clarifying God’s original intention, that marriage be a union of oneness.
Let's make this very clear folks, God’s original intention for marriage was
never meant to imprison a women or a man in an abusive relationship that
threatened life or the livelihood of either party. Here divorce is
not an option it is the reality.
Jesus had a pastoral concern for
women who could have their lives and the lives of their children torn apart by
a man’s signature on a piece of parchment. Jesus goes on to explains that living within God’s Kingdom, there would be mutual respect and concern
for each other. There would be no need
for a certificate of divorce or a call to a lawyer to take her of him for all
they are worth. That became the norm in Jesus time and seems to be the
norm in many situations surrounding divorces today. The marriage commitment was intended
as an example for a divine human relationship. Unfortunately many
marriages that end up in our divorce courts today are usually entangled with personal ego, money, power, self-centredness, status, or adultery, not
about physical or mental abuse.
As trivial as it may sound some men and women are just bored with their spouse,
distracted by the allusion of greener pastures on the other side of the fence.
Jesus was declaring the
beginning of a new era in which relationships could work if each party
approached each other with mutual respect and concern. With Jesus as your
guide it would be possible to go beyond what was just permissible to what was
kingdom enhanced. Unfortunately many do not choose this form of new
beginning. On our own the kingdom standard will seem to be beyond our reach, utopia.
On a final note it is no coincidence that in the very next few lines of this passage from Mark Jesus involves the children. More often than not, these little ones are the real casualties of the divorce courts. Jesus knows that young children are able to reconcile their difference when it comes to their relationships. Jesus also know's the forgiving heart of a young child emulates the forgiveness of God, and for that reason he claims them for himself and states: “Let the little children come to me, for it is to such as these that the Kingdom of God belongs.” Understanding the unconditional love displayed by little Children, he offers a stern warning to all who have the ears to hear. “Truly I tell you whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” As we get ready to come to the communion table with Christians all around the world today, let us recommit our lives to the way of the Christ.
There's A Place In My Heart"
If you have never watched the Movie "Mary Magdalene" may I suggest you take the time. You will see the results for "Divorce for Men Only" You can get it from Youtube or down load it from one of the other movie sights.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lonUDIl56Ek
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lonUDIl56Ek
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