Sunday October 4, 2009 Mark 10:2-16

Welcome, fall came overnight it seems. I spent some time at my parent’s farm this past week and the harvest has started. The smell of fall is in the air. Our text for Sunday occurs while Jesus is traveling to Jerusalem to face his death. He starts his travel in Mark 10:1 and is traveling down the east bank of the Jordan River. The crowds gather around him as he travels and he teaches them, note he doesn’t preach to them.

V2 Some Pharisees come to him with a hotly debated question of that time. The question was about divorce and there were differing opinions about it. Also, the man claiming to be king of the Jews, Herod, had divorced and remarried. John the Baptist had rebuked Herod for the behavior and had landed in prison with his head on a platter. The two rabbinic schools of the time-Hillel (liberal interpretation) and Shammai (conservative interpretation) debated the topic quite a bit and the Pharisees had come from one school or the other. So they put the question to Jesus and who knows why. Maybe they really wanted his opinion or maybe they wanted to trap him in his answer or maybe some of both.

V3 In typical rabbinic style Jesus doesn’t give an answer but asks a question. What did Moses say about this? In other words what do your scriptures teach about divorce?

V4 They reply that Moses allowed them to divorce. The scripture in question is the interpretation of Deuteronomy 24:1 which reads “Suppose a man enters into a marriage with a woman, but she does not please him because he find something objectionable about her, so he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, she then leaves his house”. The sticky wording was “something objectionable” and they wanted that defined, that way they could adhere to the law. Women in that day were regarded as property. They had no rights so if the husband invoked a liberal interpretation of “something objectionable” such as burning food, talking to strange men or a loud woman he could write a certificate of divorce and kick her out. She would loose her means of support and be reduced to begging as no other man would likely marry her.

V5 Jesus responds that Moses allowed divorce in Deut 24:1 because of the Israelites hard hearts. God had chosen Israel to be his renewed people and had expected them to live as such but unfortunately they behaved just as the rest of the world so Moses had to comment on their behavior possibly to try to control the divorce situations. It wasn’t that he was, as Gods representative, permitting them to do so.

V6-9 Jesus then takes the Pharisees back to the original plan of God for humanity in Genesis 1:27. God had intended for man and woman to marry and out of this union a third entity (bond) was formed that was never to be broken. It seems the Pharisees have been focusing on the wrong scripture, as we often do. They were looking for a way out and therefore picking scripture that might possibly allow it if the “correct” interpretation was upheld. Jesus responds by pointing them to the original idea. Over and over with any controversy we see people picking and choosing scripture to support their ideals and we have to get past that to what does God want from us.

V10 Jesus has now entered a house and the disciples ask for further clarification on the topic.

V11-12 Jesus teaches them that divorce is adulteress conduct in Gods original plan. “Jewish men had thought that it was permissible to divorce but now Jesus has defined it as a sin, something Jewish interpretation had overlooked. Furthermore, the same guilt is incurred by a woman who repudiates her husband-a second innovation.” (Harry Wendt)

This issue becomes what are we doing to prepare people for marriage to avoid the result of divorce? All of the cable shows on marriage are all about the fancy ceremony and the amount of money spent. It’s all about the “show” of the ceremony. Most are in the relationship for what they can get out of it. At times I’ve been appalled at the comments made by these people. We need to change the focus to the relationship that will result from the marriage. Are we willing to serve each other? Are we willing to put the needs of our partner before ours? Are we willing to work on the difficult issues for the betterment of the marriage? Anyone who has been married knows these are difficult issues to overcome and at times it would be easier to run away. This is not to condone abuse in a relationship. The ideal is one thing the reality is another.

V13 People are bringing kids to Jesus so that he might bless them but the disciples are trying to prevent them from doing so. Children did not have a high position in that society so were kept in the background.

V14 Jesus responds by scolding the disciples and telling them to let the children come. This is how we are to be (like a child) to enter the Kingdom of God.

V15-16 We are to come to God as a child, with humility, obedience, trust and confidence in other people. Children do not expect other people to be bad; they will make friends with almost anyone. We as adults become jaded and judgmental about others. We are to put that aside and return to more child like qualities. I love this picture of Jesus with the children and envision him smiling and laughing. What adult, when watching small children, doesn’t start making funny faces and smiling? Sometimes I’ve done this all during a service if there is a small child seated with their parents in front of me. Remember Jesus is on a journey to Jerusalem where, in a few days, he will be hung on a cross and he takes the time to teach his disciples plus enjoy the little children. He is still focused on showing us what his father is like in heaven.