October 2, 2009
Sunday Scripture
Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
BY FATHER DONALD DILGER
We recall the headline to this section of Mark’ s gospel, that Jesus was on his journey to Jerusalem. The goal of Jerusalem included arrest, torture and crucifixion. Jesus insisted that anyone who wished to follow him must join him on that journey. With this in mind, Mark presents some difficult teachings. Today it is a most sensitive topic: divorce and remarriage. The presentation begins with a question, “Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?” Mark notes that Jesus’ critics were testing him. That is the setting in the time of Jesus, but in the time of Mark, the late sixties and early seventies of the first Christian century. Mark is testing his Christian community on this issue.
Jesus’ critics note that Moses permitted a husband to write a certificate of divorce and dismiss his wife. The reference is to Deuteronomy 24:1-4, “When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce . . .” The point of the extended legislation is not only to permit divorce because of “some indecency,” but to forbid a divorced wife who remarries, whom the second husband also divorces, to then return to the man who first divorced her. The latter part of the legislation is not the concern of this gospel reading. The concern is rather in allowing divorce because of “some indecency” the husband finds in his wife, and remarriage after divorce.
A conservative school of thought in Jesus’ time interpreted “some indecency” as meaning “adultery.” A progressive school of thought interpreted “some indecency” as almost anything, for example, if the wife was not a good cook, or even if the husband found a more beautiful woman. The Marcan Jesus will have nothing to do with such loopholes. He returns to God’s original intention, “Because of your hard hearts God permitted divorce. But from the beginning . . . God made them male and female . . . and the two shall become one flesh . . . no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no one put asunder.” Mark extends his interpretation of Jesus’ words to mean that no matter who initiates the divorce, neither can remarry without committing adultery.
The Gospels of Mark and Luke are absolute in this matter. It would be unfair to omit that both Matthew and Paul recognize exceptions. We know that marriages, like people, die. We recognize the sometimes extreme difficulty of the divorced to live without the mutual love and support which marriage is designed to provide. We recognize that children need both male and female role models in the home. In Matthew 19:10-11 the disciples respond to Jesus, “If that’s how it is, it is better not to marry.” Jesus answers, “Not all can receive this teaching, but only those to whom it has been given.” A compassionate Jesus deals mercifully with those who cannot “receive this teaching.” The Church imitates the compassion of Jesus by granting annulments for substantial reasons.
To his instruction on divorce and remarriage Mark adds the story about people bringing children to Jesus to be touched by him. The disciples try to chase them away. An angry Jesus rebukes the disciples and embraces the children. Why does Mark add this story in the context of divorce and remarriage? Because he recognizes the difficulties children endure in these situations. Parents and all who are involved in the divorce process are called upon in this instruction to shield the children as much as possible from the adverse effects of divorce only or divorce and remarriage. The Marcan Jesus expresses his concern in these words, “Whoever does not accept the kingdom of God in the form of a little child shall not enter it.”
Genesis, as arranged by priestly editors centuries before Christianity, first presents the creation of the world in six days. This is followed by a second creation story which in some ways contradicts the first. Our reading today is part of the second creation story. Neither of the two creation stories in Genesis was written as history. They are religious instruction. Some of the teaching contained in the second creation story: God created all things not God. Humankind is related to the animal world and shares in the divine work of governing the world. Men and women are of the same nature. In marriage they become one flesh, equal partners. Marriage between a man and woman is instituted by God. It is up to the homilist to explain how these teachings are derived from the text.
The second readings on Sundays in Ordinary Time are not chosen because they express a major theme of the gospel and first reading. But today there is a connection in words which describe Jesus as the “pioneer of our salvation.” It is a creation theme, ‘The one who consecrates and the one consecrated are of one origin. Therefore he is not ashamed to call them ‘brothers’ (and sisters?).” This saying places us not only into the human family as the gospel and first reading do, but into the divine family.