Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mark 10: 2-16
Divorce is the absence of the presence

As a test, someone asks Jesus, “Can a man divorce his wife?” Jesus could offer two possible responses to this age-old Hebrew inquiry: “No, unless she violated the marriage agreement by being unfaithful,” or “Yes, certainly. If she fails to fulfil her duties as a wife and homemaker to your satisfaction, you have the option to divorce her.”…kind of like being fired from a job.”

We discover is that Jesus doesn’t answer yes and no questions. Jesus sees marriage as a small step toward God’s bigger concern: to draw all things together in grace. What God does in marriage is just a tiny sample of what Jesus does for all creation on the cross – to be broken to give life. God does not simply walk past the poor and the weak, he cares for them.

Jesus takes the time to stop and show concern for the woman and her children who are being forced out of their homes. He worries that they will face social stigma and struggle to make a living. This issue is not confined to the past; even in the present day, divorce remains one of the main contributors to poverty among women and children. Jesus demonstrates care and compassion for those who are vulnerable and suffering.

“Jesus, is it wrong to divorce?” This is the wrong question. The Gospel is very categorical in its message: “Let no one separate what God has joined”. This helps us to believe in the holiness and importance of marriage that God put together. Also, to believe in the unconditional care and healing of the weak, including those who have been broken by divorce.

The church has a word of grace to preach on this painful topic of divorce. Maybe there are a lot of broken people from broken relationships who need to hear the consoling voice of a loving God and a loving community.

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Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica 2024