Scripture Text (NRSV)
10:2 Some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, "Is it lawful
for a man to divorce his wife?"
10:3 He answered them, "What did Moses command you?"
10:4 They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of
dismissal and to divorce her."
10:5 But Jesus said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart he
wrote this commandment for you.
10:6 But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and
female.'
10:7 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be
joined to his wife,
10:8 and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two,
but one flesh.
10:9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate."
10:10 Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this
matter.
10:11 He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another
commits adultery against her;
10:12 and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits
adultery."
10:13 People were bringing little children to him in order that he
might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them.
10:14 But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, "Let
the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as
these that the kingdom of God belongs.
10:15 Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as
a little child will never enter it."
10:16 And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and
blessed them.
Comments:
I am getting an early start on this since we are observing United
Methodist Women's Sunday on the 28th and I am not preaching. So this
is my first rambling . . .
Jesus’ commentary is shocking: if a man divorces his wife and marries
another, he commits adultery. And if the woman divorces her husband
and marries another, she commits adultery. And the crowd’s ears would
perk up and ask, “A woman can divorce her husband!? Can they do that?”
Men knew that they had power. Jesus announces that women have power.
And he is about to tell them that children have power, too.
Jesus tells us over and over again that it isn’t right, or holy, to
wield power for our own advantage or gain. The power isn’t to be
abused, or misused, or set aside. It is to be put into use in ways
that reveal the will and power of God, which is to love one another.
OLAS
I suspect this raise more in the minds of people about divorce than
power when first read. I am looking for the conection to World
communion sunday... One people, One God, One cup, One bread... One
power given the power to be the power in our lives so that all will
have power and none shall be turned away or denied access by the power
of another. this message seems like a power trip! :-) Nancy-Wi
LOL It's Saturday Night, I watch The New Red Green Show here before
bed to relax. Red Green is fromc Canada, PBS shows it here. Red has a
phrase that fits here. It may not Smart, or correct but it makes me
what I am. Red also has his prayer: I am a man, I can Change, If i
have to, i guess...Amen Is Red the 13th apostle here? No, that was
Chris Rock in Dogma! LOL KIDDING KIDDING... Clerically Blonde on west
ohio
OLAS, Wow, I like your musings! I have never heard that side of the
story before. I am still trying to decide whether I will preach Mark
or another text next Sunday, but your comments on the shocking idea
that women had power remind me of the case of Nigerian woman Amina
Lawal who was freed this week after being sentenced to stoning for
having a child out of wedlock (i.e. committing adultery in the eyes of
the court that convicted her). (Total run-on sentence there, but it's
late, and I'm tired.) Your comments remind me that women had, and in
many cases continue to HAVE little power in our world, and Jesus'
affirmation of a woman's power to divorce would have been
counter-cultural (big surprise). He does condemn divorce, and I am
trying to figure out how to preach that with grace. (I am in my first
parish and still feeling somewhat "careful.") But I like your ideas
that it isn't right to wield power for our own advantage or gain. That
may be a good angle and a way to approach the text without focusing
ONLY on the divorce issue. A tough one, as I personally feel that
divorce should be the very, very last resort and is greatly
over-utilized in our age. However, I know that it is such a common
occurrence, and that it needs to be approached with grace in the
church. In any case, thank you for your input and for getting me
thinking. ~Desiree in Sacramento~
OLAS, you have perfectly stated what I was looking for in this. I
don't want to preach on divorce. Never been there, have far too many
in the church who have. But I can preach empowerment for the "lowly"
and show that in Jesus Christ, we are on equal footing. God takes
notice of every person, gives every person a place of importance in
the Kingdom. In Christ, not one of us ranks above another. We are all
lowly and "have all fallen short of the glory of God", yet we are all
lifted high because of Jesus Christ. We are in equal need of being
made right with God and we are all equally invited to accept Jesus as
the way to address that need.
This is the perfect tie-in with Holy Communion. You have made the
coming week a whole lot easier with your clear thoughts that move us
away from the more obvious theme of the text. Thank you, OLAS.
KyHoosierCat
OLAS (or any other Methodists), I forgot to ask: What is United
Methodist Women's Sunday? ~Desiree in Sacramento~
It was Roman law that permitted women to divorce their husbands. It
was not part of the Hebrew pattern. When did Roman law creep into
Jesus' thinking?
The Rabbi Hillel believed a man could divorce his wife for just about
any reason he chose. Any fault or shortcoming would do.
According to the OT, Hebrew men could divorce their wives for "'erwat
dabar" (uncovering) which is a euphemism for immorality or indecency.
However, actual adultery was punishable by death, so the immoral
behavior didn't have to come to that point for divorce. Deut. 24:1 is
the only place reasons for divorce are given ('erwat dabar) in the OT
and "indecency" sounds pretty non-specific to me. Could it be like the
Muslim women have lived with - uncover an ankle at your own risk??? Or
could it be dancing for men? Who knows? It was a man's call on what
he'd tolerate and what sent her packing. We don't have to look any
farther than the modern middle east to see why we needed Jesus to give
women more power.
Matthew and Luke give one legitimate reason for a man to divorce his
wife - adultery. Mark gives no such specifics.
Paul (I Cor 7:10ff) gives an interesting twist - a woman should not
leave her husband, BUT IF SHE DOES.......... Then Paul says the
husband should not divorce his wife. Period. No "but if he does...." I
wonder if Paul just ran out of ink at that point and never got back to
his thought, or if he intended to stop there. Paul also gives room for
dissolution of marriage if either spouse is a non-Christian who wants
out.
The End of Biblical Marriage Basics 101. Everyone gets an A.
If I would choose this passage, which I won't, where is the grace? As
others have said, "Too many divorcees here." Should a person who made
a mistake in choosing a mate, be condemned to be single for the rest
of their lives, or can they make necessary changes and move on. The
local Wesleyan Church offers a divorce recovery group. The pastor and
his spouse are on their second marriage. PH in OH
John the Baptist had just lost his head for protesting Herod's
actions. Herod had left his wife to marry his brother's wife. She, of
course, had left her husband to marry Herod. Jesus was in a tight
situation when the Pharisees asked him for commentary. Weren't they
asking him about current events?
His comments, in private, to his disciples, describe Herod's situation
exactly. Herod and his brother's wife were not bound by Jewish law.
I, too, want to avoid making this a sermon on divorce, especially on
World Communion Sunday. Perhaps there's a key in the other part of the
lection -- about approaching God's realm as a child would. Does that
contrast Herod's situation? MTSOfan
Regarding divorce: been there done that, have the scars! I do not
believe Jesus wants us to be in a relationship that continually harms
the individuals who are within this marriage. Had to deal with all
this struggle as I was already a pastor at the time. The point I
reached was that divorce is not a matter of right verses wrong; it is
the point of deciding between two wrong things to do. It is wrong to
divorce, the damage, especially when there are children is long
lasting. It is also wrong to stay together if the damage is so severe
that life itself become intolerable. I selected what I saw as the
least wrong thing to do. And it is by the grace of God that I started
over and have been blessed with a loving marriage.
There is a second part to this pericope; the children that Jesus
blesses and sets as a model for all of us. Do not, however, mistake
being child-like for being childish! There are some qualities that
children exibit that are not to be modeled; such as fighting over some
toy, or whining to get your own way. (I think that may preach!) It
think the trusting innocence, open love regardless of race or social
status all are born into us, until trained out. Hatred has to be
carefully, carefully taught! (From "South Pacific")
Rabbii Marc gellman stated a few years ago on Good Morning America:
that we think children have no faith until adults give it to them. In
actuality children have faith until adults train it out of them! (If
you are not sure of this ask any young child about God; it is an
education.
A W-G rocky coast me.
Desiree in Sacramento- I am UMC and I served before my call on the
Wisconsin Conference Team. So I hope I actually can do justice to who
they are. UMW Sunday is a time to lift up the mission work of this
branch of the UMC. The organization started as a group of women who
felt the call to mission and donated 1 penny a week to mission. At the
end of the year, their husbands would stand up in church and tell what
their money accomplished. Yes, many years ago. However, their purpose
is to be in mission to women and children trough out the world. Much
of their millions of dollars is spent on education, water, hospitals,
and projects that help people out of poverty. The money they raise is
kept separate from the rest of the church and controlled by women.
They assemble every four years, If I remember right, the next one is
in LA in 2005. I know the last one was in Philadelphia last year.
Women from around the world assemble, they worship together, sing
songs of praise, pray and hear other women's stories. I am always
amazed and moved to tears at the great lengths these women go to be at
assembly. Many bring young children, are in wheel chairs, on crutches.
The total last time was around 10,000
They are the organization that in 1956 presented petition after
petition to our General Conference to seek elder ordination for women.
They have been instrumental in getting women elected not only as
District Superintendents, but also Bishops.
They have a reading program that spans four catagories.
Some would write that they are the kitchen keepers, and they are
social organization. The kitchen is a primary way of obtaining funds
and the social supports them in their role and in their quest for
equallity. End of Soap Box, but as you can tell I love them all. They
can be the most contray critters but you gotta lov'em for the work
they do through out the World for women and children.
The theme for the four years is " Sing a New Song"
Sorry to all others for which this post might not apply. But Olas
insight makes what this organization stands for right on.
Nancy-Wi
Oh, yeow! What texts for World Communion Sunday. I may jump ship here,
colleagues.
Anyone with me?
kbc in sc
Interesting! How touchy the subject of divorce appears to be.
Thankfully I am not preaching this week, as we have the Bishop
visiting.
For me, it is the Pharisees question that sets the tone. Is it lawful?
Legality vs righteousness.
The high incidence of divorce in this country has to raise questions,
not so much of lawfulness, but of people's right relationship with
God.
This is not about blame, but about the fact that this is simply a
symptom of the underlying issue affecting us all. We, all of us, are
not above being taught by God valuable lessons about how difficult
relationships are. And yet, ultimately, they are the most important
thing on the planet.
Forget technology, forget progress, forget wealth, etc, etc. For
Jesus, relationship are primary. In them lies the entire emphasis of
the gospel message. Jesus saw that healthy relationships based upon
the principles of forgiveness and compassion on the part of ALL
people, were essential, not only to a healthy marriage, but to the
wholeness of society.
I have not been divorced. I cannot profess to knwo what that might be
like. I can only hear the experience of those who have, but I hear my
Lord explaining that the principle behind those failed marriages, are
the same principles that apply in a dysfunctional society. Our
inability to know one anothers intimate needs and experience.
The void that lies between two human beings, requires enormous energy
to breach. I guess I see "hardness of heart", as the inability, or the
unwillingness to strive to understand one another.
I pray that we may become better at this as the years unfold.
Yes, it is a prickly subject, but Christ didn't ask us to have a
spirit of timidity, when it comes to matters that matter most.
Here's to a compelling discussion as always.
Regards, KGB in Aussie.
Whoa!
I was intrigued by OLAS's new perspective, but I don't believe we can
use THIS text to support the fact that Jesus lifts up the lowly and
gives them power. Carry it through on THIS text and we have Jesus
saying, "I give you women the power to sin." KyHC, it sounds like
that's where you might go if you run too fast with this one.
I liked particularly what KGB said, "this is simply a symptom of the
underlying issue affecting us all." The words on divorce are very
close and very painful for us in our congregation right now. We have a
female victim of a divorce where the reason is, "because I (husband)
want to be with someone else." We also have that husband continuing to
fill a spot in the pew most every Sunday, along with his live-in
girlfriend (who divorced her husband to be with him), and the divorce
of my members is not even final, yet.
I know that sometimes divorce is the lesser of two evils, I've seen
cases where that is true, but when it is used for power over another,
as someone here already said, it is nothing more than wrong.
Michelle
Like many of you, I do not want our World Communion worship to focus
on divorce. However, the last few verses of the gospel text may offer
some possibilities for preaching. My initial thoughts are to focus on
"Let the children come," as Jesus' invitation for all persons to be a
part of his love and grace. It is also an invitation for us to bring
the children, and we don't have to define children as young folks.
Could children represent those who are normally excluded by society
because they are not worthy. Could Jesus' words, "Who ever does not
receive the kingdom as a child....." encourage us to reach out to all
of God's children as well as to remind us that we are not worthy of
God's love and grace any more than the outcast among us? We are using
children in the leadership of our worship this Sunday and I hope to
proclaim that God's kingdom is open to children of all ages.
Tom in TN
For the very reason that many people in our congregations have gone
through divorce I believe that we must address it directly rather than
duck around the difficult issue because we are afraid to offend.
The reality is that divorce is painful for all involved. By definition
divorce is sin. (sin=brokenness). The act of divorce itself may not be
the “sinful” action. The divorce is the outward and visible sign of
the brokenness that has already taken place. It is possible that the
divorce is another brokenness/sin that should be avoided (i.e. work
hard on the relationship.) We can acknowledge that divorce is always
painful without saying that it is always wrong in and of itself.
Sometimes it is a worse sin to stay together in abusive (broadly
meant) situations.
Children are always deeply affected by divorce. We need to acknowledge
that.
This Sunday, with the text’s use of children again, we will have the
children’s choir sing and the older youth as liturgists and greeters.
I will directly talk about divorce and it’s effect on children and its
(still today) greater negative effect on women with an ongoing theme
of caring for others more than ourselves.
Steve Hermes Lander WY
My first post ever. I'm a huge fan of OT, and book of Job. But love to
preach the gospel. Job appears to have been written as a means to get
across a point. I even read today in the Upper Room Disciplines a
meditation by Knut Bjarne Jorgensen (UM pastor in Denmark), that the
book begins "Once upon a time" in the Danish translation. Interesting.
Anyway, my point is that Job's wife takes the attitude that Job should
"divorce" God for the misery he creates for Job (1:9). But Job hangs
in there in the relationship (1:10). It is no coincidence how well it
works with the gospel message on divorce for this Sunday. Posting this
on gospel page as well as Job page. Jane, Iowa
Jesus announced and enacted in history the new reality of God's
surprising activity. These two Markan stories demonstrate this new
reality: women and children are accepted and valued, not dismissed as
inferior to adult men.
The preacher stands in the pulpit and knows the fractured and broken
relationships that are part of his or her life. The preacher looks at
the beloved ones of the congregation who have shed tears and spoken of
the anguish, shame, and anger that welled up within them at the death
of a relationship that had been enacted in public promises before
family and friends. This text cuts close to almost all who have
gathered for hope this week. There seems to be no one on whom to set
your eyes who has not been touched in some fashion, as child or adult,
by the force of this word.
The word before us is not to be talked about or around or finessed.
This word addresses all of us with the seriousness of God's passion
for faithfulness. The promises we make imagine and enact a future.
Promises broken unsettle and disturb the present and call tomorrow
into question. So it is that the creator of the universe, who sustains
all things by a powerful word of promise, would command faithfulness
and promise-keeping. So it is that the ruler of the universe would not
desire the suffering that comes when relationships break in the lives
of God's beloved creatures.
What is amazing is the faithfulness of this God in the face of our
promise-breaking. Whether it is the people of Israel or the disciples
or the church, this God keeps speaking a word to sustain life. Whether
it be worshipers of a golden calf, an adulterous King David, disciples
who flee or deny, or a church that is more faithful to a consumer
culture than a gospel vision, this God is steadfast in keeping the
promise of forgiveness and with grace intruding into our lives.
Three scenes unfold in rapid succession: a controversy story with
Pharisees, a private conversation with disciples, and an "intrusion"
by children. All three share a concern for the valuing of persons and
relationships.
In the first scene, some Pharisees come to "test" Jesus. They try to
entrap Jesus on the issue of divorce by pinning him down on what is
"lawful." Jesus turns their question around on them. Instead of
talking about rights, as they would have him do, Jesus talks about
covenant. The Mosaic commandment quoted by the Pharisees actually
represented an improvement upon other cultures' customs of that day,
where a woman could be dismissed without notice and therefore without
protection. It was a step towards protecting the worth of those
otherwise vulnerable to the whims of others. But Jesus takes the
conversation a step further. For him, definitions of what we "can" do
or have a "right" to do are secondary to considerations of what God
intends us to do. Women remained vulnerable even with the writ clause.
Jesus' more demanding ethic appeals to tradition that pre-exists the
"contractual" law reflected by Moses' teaching, to the covenantal
ethic of Genesis 2.24 (where two become one flesh). What are the
demands of caring for one another, and for the vulnerable in
particular, in this context?
The second scene continues the conversation on marriage and divorce,
but it has moved to a private place and time. "In the house," the
disciples ask Jesus about the question. The second comment attributed
to Jesus suggests that this conversation may have grown out of the
church of Mark's generation. Nowhere does Jewish tradition in
Palestine allow for a woman to sue for divorce. This was particular to
the Gentile regions of the Roman Empire to which the church of Mark's
day had spread. Here both partners are called to consider the
covenantal nature of this relationship and its ending. Covenant
demands recognizing and respecting the worth of both partners, by both
partners.
The third scene narrates the familiar story when "people," likely
mothers, bring children to be touched by Jesus. The disciples try to
stop them, but Jesus receives the children anyway. Arms enfold those
whom society routinely kept at arm's length. Blessings extend to those
who have no power or voice. Worth is affirmed. Receiving God's realm
as a child speaks of a trust that adults can find difficult, a trust
that yields control and power into the hands of God. As to the
sovereign realm of God belonging to "little children," remember Mark's
earlier narrative of Jesus and children. To confront an argument about
greatness, Jesus puts a child in the centre of his teaching. The
little ones, the vulnerable ones, those whose hope owes not to
greatness but rather to trust: Jesus now declares "it is to such as
these that the realm of God belongs." All three scenes insist on
respecting the worth of all persons by not allowing one or some to be
"written out" by the prerogative of those in positions of power, or
excluded by judgments about those valued less than others. Those whom
Jesus embraces, blesses, and protects are the ones conventional wisdom
deems it "permissible" to dismiss as unimportant. But where others see
only the disposable, Jesus discerns the manifestation of God's love.
I think that Jesus is publicly naming an already private reality.
Naming is for many the first step in defining and dealing with the
problem.
An earlier poster alluded to divorce = brokenness =sin and I think
that’s a theologically valid pastoral way of dealing with the text.
Sure we have many people in the pew who have committed adultery
violating their marriage or have been the injured party in an
adulterous situation. So it is a text that preaches though it has a
sharp point.
Everyone has committed adultery in one form or another in their
relationship with God, we have all broken trust, we have all flirted
with other [things], and we have all cheated on God. Human adultery
and human divorce are manifestations of human adultery and human
divorce/brokenness in relation with God.
Perhaps the Gospel here is the teaching moment in which Jesus takes
the time to explain the divine perspective in experienced human terms.
And maybe God is sticking it out for the sake of the children (not
that this should be used to justify perpetuating harmful human
relationships).
Pr.del in IA
Michelle, I can see your point, and thank you for pointing out some
pitfalls here. However, I will be dealing less with divorce per se and
more with sinfulness and covenant-breaking in general. I see "marrige
abuse" (not taking care of your marriage) as one of many of the great
sins we commit against each other and God.
Before Jesus, women were chattel and were powerless to make decisions.
If things went wrong, they could say, in effect, "My husband controls
things, so I cannot be held accountable for anything. I am a victim of
my circumstances." Jesus chimes in with "No, women have power to make
life decisions (such as divorce) for themselves. They are not property
that has no say-so in these matters."
Men had been grieving God by breaking covenants(writing divorce
decrees was one way) for generations. Jesus says they broke these
covenants because they were hardhearted. He disapproved of the
practice. Now women, empowered by Jesus to see themselves as real
people, could now feel free to take the reins... and therefore could
also fall into the same pattern of hardheartedness and
covenant-breaking. Jesus says "Covenant-breaking is wrong, no matter
who instigates it. Sinning against each other is wrong no mattter who
is doing it against whom. But women can no longer pass the buck of to
their controlling husbands. They are empowered to make their own
decisions and therefore bear the onus of those decisions. With the
power comes the choice to please God or to grieve God. But you alone
face the music. Make the right choice.
I regularly point out to my congregants the difference between crime
and sin. I see crime as an illegal offense against another person that
is punishable by the court system. I see sin as an act or thought that
grieves God; it may or may not involve a crime. Not all of us have
criminal records, but sin is a universal burden humans carry. Men,
women, young, old, eastern, western, foreign......we have all sinned
against our God. Name your own sin, I have mine. But the police are
not out looking for us. The law of the land does not ban what we have
done. But God is disturbed. And we are all personally responsible for
what we do that disturbs God, and cannot hang it onto someone else
because they have more power than we have. Jesus saw to that. But he
also said, I have come to save humanity from its sins. Men,
women.......as your have confessed individual responsibility for your
sins, I give you individual absolution from them. Take, eat, this is
my body.........
So, I can very well see a connection between this text and World
Communion without making a stretch.
I appreciate the diverse views shared here. I thank you all for every
one of them. They are all adding to the understanding I gain from
Scripture. And they make me think harder than I sometimes want to!
Wow, I do go on, don't I? I'll try not to take as much room this week.
KHC
PS - Divorce for physical or mental abuse? Yep. Sometimes
covenant-breaking is done long before the lawyer is called, and the
court proceedings are just the final farewell to an already smashed
covenant.
Desiree, Are you the daughter of my dear friends in Grand Forks/Fargo?
If so, good to see you joining here. I often "lurk" about and read the
many WONDERFUL discussions here. This is my favorite site -- I am
probably the biggest DPS advocate in ND and especially in the NP
Conference! You will find these folks are thought-provoking and kind
and helpful, as you probably already noticed! Janel in ND
I too am a divorced Clergy person and single mom. I too believe that
divorce should be the last option, when all other options are tried,
but that there are circumstances when divorce is the best thing for
all concerned.It certainly was in my case, and I have never regretted
the decision, and in fact have been grateful I did make that decision
for my son's and my sake. I would say abuse,abandonment, or infidelity
are all reasons that divorce is even o.k. in scripture. But I do
believe that divorce is made too easy these days. We have a case in
our community of a woman whose husband is in the military and went to
S. Korea. He had been there for about 8 months when he let his wife
know that he wanted a divorce, because he was lonely there, and he had
a young Russian woman who was helping him in his lonliness. He kissed
his 12 year marriage off because of selfishness. There are two
children involved. Now mom has a new boyfriend,(I'll show you! I can
get someone else too!) and she spends the weekends with him, shuffling
off her children to cousins, and grandparents. The kids have lost both
parents. Their son is 11 and he came to me in the parking lot of
church with crocodile tears, telling me he had something to pray
about. He then stood up in church in front of the whole congregation
saying, "Please pray for my parents marriage. My dad has somebody
else." It broke my heart. I like this last verse for the children of
divorce: "And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and
blessed them."
I like OLAS statement that we are not to wield power for our own gain.
And that Jesus evens the power base by giving it to women and
children, but holding all equally responsible for our choices.
I have been a participant in divorce recovery programs, as well as led
groups. I can honestly say that the greater majority in the classes I
witnessed, at least the people in the groups gave their marriage every
possible chance. They needed grace, not condemnation, which thankfully
they received. Many have moved on to new and healthy relationships.
I agree that I don't think I will preach this one this week since it
is Worldwide Communion Sunday.
Susan in Wa.
P.S. Thanks for all of your comments last week on James. You all
brought great insight that informed my sermon. I was altering my
message midstream yesterday, as I was seeing things. That was
interesting!!
Off topic: Mike from Soddy Daisy TN - keep a welcome mat out for Bobby
Boutwell, S. Baptist minister of music, leaving Batesburg SC for your
part of the world. He's a good guy, we'll miss him in the ministerial
association and the commuity. kbc in sc
kbc in sc writes: "Oh, yeow! What texts for World Communion Sunday. I
may jump ship here, colleagues.
Anyone with me?"
I think I may go over also. I was trying to work on the gospel here
and tie it in to World Communion. There's been great discussion and
good connections made here in these posts.
However, I fear I'm not yet accomplished enough to take this passage
where y'all are going with it. I may center on the last section, on
the 'letting the children coming to me' part --- or may go out of this
realm altogether and pick up maybe I Corinthians and go totally World
Communion. Haven't decided yet.
Thanks for sharing all your ideas.
MM in PA
Much of society has become accustomed to throwing things away, from
"Dixie cups" to unborn children. We measure value based on how
useful/useless things are to us or how convenient/inconvenient things
are now. We have learned that our happiness should be instantaneous
and constant, that suffering and struggle should be avoided or, at
most, short in duration. In our instant world we have compressed time.
Instant coffee evolved to microwave meals, to information in nano-seconds
and speed measured in gigaherz. Jesus said, "because of YOUR hardness
of heart..." Indeed, our hearts are hard, as are our heads. Then He
demonstrates tender-heartedness by blessing children. Perhaps we will
not train our children our way, rather His way. ARMY CH E
What are the current statistics for the survival of first marriages?
50%? Recently I read that only 35% of second marriages survive (let
alone "thrive"?). It is true that it takes two to make a marriage
work, but, in fact, it only takes one to stop it from working. In
pre-marriage counseling sessions I will talk to the starry-eyed,
Bride's Magazine-dazed couples about the "erosion factor" in married
life. It's the daily wear and tear of living together with someone who
is far less than perfect. I joke that being married means 'having
someone to blame.' But since they are in the hypnotic grip of the
marriage industry by the time I see them, I also know that the couple
is unlikely to grasp what I am saying until sometime after the BIG
DAY.
One pastoral counselor in a divorce recovery series talked about the
phrase, "what God has joined together..." and explored the complex
variety of reasons that people get married, wondering what insight the
participants in the group could now (from the perspective of divorce)
articulate about what "joined them together"...How would they
distinguish their own will/drive/illusions/wishful thinking from that
of God's intentions?
The severing of relationships wherein we have given of 'ourselves, our
time and our possessions'is alwys excruciating, with or without the
legal/religious overlay of marriage/divorce.
I look at this text's tone and the intention of the Pharisee's
question as setting up an antagonistic legal challenge so the
discussion that follows is in that mode. What if the question about
divorce had came from a broken hearted one who could no longer
breathe, live, exist in the marriage? Can we imagine Jesus responding
in a different way?
During or after a divorce, some folks are able to confess their 'sin'
(brokeness, missing the mark etc), articulate some insight, tell their
truth as to their part in the demise of the marriage and then
hear/receive/believe the words of absolution. These folks are freed to
risk loving and making commitments again--still with no guarantees of
being spared the heartbreaks of loving.
I'm persuaded that over the centuries as much emotional/spiritual
violence has been perpetuated against women & men (and their children)
by the application of this passage (staying married no matter what) as
has been experienced by the rampant rates of divorce we are currently
seeing.
Unwholesome relationships, no matter their legal/religious status, do
not serve to make people whole. And since we come into these
commitments already broken (no matter our youthfulness or advancing
years)it's a miracle that any marriages work! Yet some do. (The
statistical 'success' stories are not greater in the Christian
population than in the 'secular' population...in fact, wasn't there a
statistical analysis published a couple years ago that indicated less
successful marriages within religious affiliations...?)
Having written all this, I must admit that I'm not preaching on this
text this year. Sick of it.
I haven't participated in the discussions for several months but have
benefitted greatly as an observer. Thanks for the ongoing community of
conversation and consolation. Aslanclan
While I have, and will in the future, preach on the divorce issues;
this week I shall focus on vs. 13-16; on the invitation of all to the
grace of God. It seems to relate more closely to World Communion
Sunday. The universality of God's call to come to the kingdom is an
important message to deliver in our time of "us against them"
thinking. Pastor Rick in FL.
Looking at Mark as being about the obvious - divorce - narrows our
focus far too much. It's the "red herring" that takes us away from
relationships as a whole. What do we let "divorce" us from God, from
our church family, from others who care about and support us?
I'd like to point out that this text will come on the first Sunday in
October every three years, with the exception of when Sunday is on
October 1. Proper 22 is for October 2-8, so if you use Worldwide
Communion as an excuse to avoid this text, it will work almost all the
time. We could skip this text altogether!
Maybe Worldwide Communion could be well-served with this text by
pointing out the prevalence of brokenness in the world, even between
(and within) our churches. Yet, into this broken world, Christ comes.
In the bread of communion, Christ is broken for us. He died, so that
even in our brokenness we can be made whole.
I believe the communion focus can reveal the good news on a day when
much of the gospel lesson sounds more like law.
Use Worldwide communion as an excuse to avoid this text if you must,
but don't let them be mutually exclusive, or this text is all but lost
to the lectionary.
Michelle
This passage comes within the larger unit of Mark 8.27 - 10.52 in
which the cross of Jesus is introduced for the first time. With the
cross as the symbol of discipleship, the writer spells out the meaning
of being a disciple under various circumstances: in marriage
(10.1-12), in relation to children (10.13-17), and in relation to
possessions (10.17-31). This section may at one time have been part of
a catechism.
The reader notices immediately Jesus' use of Gen 2.24 which is the
alternate first reading today. But notice the difference in the
sequence of events, here and in Genesis 2. Genesis 2 describes the
concord in which man and woman lived with each other and with God.
Then follows the alienation, excuse making, and blaming of Genesis 3.
Here the order is reversed. We meet first the effects of the Fall in
Genesis 3: excuses, fault finding, and blaming. Without interruption
since Genesis the causes and results of separation and hostility take
their toll. Even the intervening law of Moses could not halt the
deadly effects. To those who lack trust laws do not alter behavior but
only provide occasions for being more clever and deceptive. The law
permits us, twice the opponents said to Jesus who twice responded with
the command of God. Unlike those who would use the law to bless the
continuation of the "fallen" behavior of Genesis 3, ("The woman you
gave me for a companion, she gave to me and I ate"), Jesus calls for a
return to the design and purpose of God's creation presented in
Genesis 2: one flesh.
But returning to the harmony and unity of God's creation does not come
by a new law, "Follow Genesis 2 rather than Geneis 3." Nor does it
come by firm resolve and screwing one's courage to the sticking point.
Returning to the design and purpose of creation means returning to the
very ground and meaning of creation: the gift of life as an act of a
gracious God. And what better model than that of a child? The child
comes with nothing in his hand, no claim to make, no bargain to
strike. A child can "receive" the kingdom. How sharply in Mark's
Gospel does Jesus rebuke his disciples on such occasions in which it
is clear that they too have missed the point. By their own blindness
of unbelief, by their own lack of trust, even well-intentioned
disciples contribute to continued alienation and separation. And if it
strikes at the very basic and primary relationships, marriage and
family, who shall prevent its infecting the church, the whole family
of God? If creation and re-creation are acts of God's grace, who can
know this apart from trust?
I'm planning to go with vv 13-16 because I want to tie in children in
poverty with World Communion. It's timely for me and my thinking that
the census bureau just released the data on poverty in the US. But my
real focus here is that God's children are all through the world. How
do we treat them?
It's not that I'm ducking divorce but that our Annual Conference asked
us to keep the spot light on children in poverty. Living in a city
with a lot of that, it's very relevant to my middle-class congregation
who thinks the problem is theirs, not ours.
Joye in Baltimore
This hits home with a woman new to our congregation who comes to us
from a very literalist denomination. She is divorced and has indicated
many times her disdain for those who remarry after divorce - and this
is the Scripture she quotes.
I'm almost tempted to avoid this pericope, not because I don't want to
bring up a hot topic, but because it may appear that I'm singling her
out. I don't want anyone to get even a HINT that I'm using the pulpit
to settle a personal score, y'know?
Sally in GA
and that's not to mention a couple I happen to know is in the middle
of divorce proceedings, but hasn't made it public. And it's a 2nd
marriage for both.
S in G
and that's not to mention a couple I happen to know is in the middle
of divorce proceedings, but hasn't made it public. And it's a 2nd
marriage for both.
S in G
Moses wrote the commandment for people b/c of their hardheartedness.
Interesting how Jesus pointedly says "MOSES" wrote the law,
indicating, perhaps that it's a human law not necessarily ordained by
or disapproved of by God.
Then he says "God made them male and female ... for each other ..."
He's talking about marriage, but does this not also indicate that
we're created to be in each other's company in general? Our spiritual
nature is to not be alone in the world.
I think of that part of "Moonstruck" where the Cher character asks her
mother why men chase women. She tells him the story of Adam and the
rib - and says something like "a man chases a woman because he wants
his rib back."
Sally in GA (chatty again today)
Steve Hermes - I appreciate what you said,especially about timidity. I
also think timidity can be a good thing when it is the result of
pastoral caution. I still think our church is too small to NOT give
the impression I'm using the pulpit to single out either this couple
or this woman since they are actively going through it. I would
caution other pastors of small churches the same way.
Sally in GA
Thank you all for your thoughts and reflections on a difficult text.
One thing that has particularly struck me, in light of it being World
Communion Sunday.
Steve Hermes Lander WY wrote "The act of divorce itself may not be the
'sinful' action. The divorce is the outward and visible sign of the
brokenness that has already taken place."
In Holy Communion we receive the outward and visible sign of the
gracious love of God that reconciles us to God and to one another. I
think this is a direction I can work with.
Peace, pcat in va
The New Interpreter's Bible commentary on this episode with the
Pharisees demonstrates that it is another conversation like the "Is it
legal to pay the tax to Caesar?" question. In other words, it is an
attempt to catch Jesus in a politically compromising situation: "Essene
interpretations of the Law argue for the permanence of marriage.
Polemic against the polygamy or divorce and remarriage of the kings of
Israel was generalized to apply to members of the sect as well. The
Essene argument against divorce appealed to Gen. 1:27; 7:9; and Deut
17:17. The political implications, hence the danger to which the
Pharisees hoped to expose Jesus, become clearer when one recognizes
that the Essene legislation was formulated on the basis of rulings
about what it was permissible for a king to do. He was not permitted
to have more than one wife. Nor could he divorce his wife and marry
anohter. Viewed in the light of marriages and divorces among members
of the Herodian family, as well as the political manipulation of
political marriages in Rome, the Pharisees' question is much more
dangerous." (NIB, Vol VIII, pg. 643)
Thus, the episode is squarely one about power and politics, not really
about marriage at all. When the disciples inquire further of Jesus in
private, he extends personal power to women. The Pharisaic question
assumes the Jewish tradition that only a man could divorce his wife.
In a sort of back-handed way, Jesus extends the power of divorce to
women as well (even though in a perfect world there would be no
divorce). "If a man divorces his wife ... if a woman divorces her
husband...." One can imagine the disciples murmuring amongs
themselves, "Wait a minute! A woman can divorce her husband???? Wow!"
Jesus then continues the outrageous "powersharing" by making allowing
a child into the inner circle and setting the child up as the model
for those who will be admitted into the Kingdom! This is radical
inclusivity. The NIB commentary underscores this as well: "Once again,
this behavior [of the disciples' attempting to keep the child away]
shows that the discimples do not understand the point of Jesus'
ministry, which is inclusive, not exclusive. Including the children
also made it possible for the women who had the responsibility of
caring for them to hear Jesus' teaching."
These two linked episodes are not about creating new legislation about
marriage. They are about "powersharing" and inclusive community.
For those of you who do not do communion every week and are
celebrating World Communion Sunday, consider this before you "jump
ship" for the week. (Hi there, KBC!)
Blessings, Eric in OH
Hi, Eric, and WELCOME BACK! I'm assuming you're the "right" Eric. This
sounds like you......
Anyway, thank you for giving support to what OLAS said, which has
pretty much become my focus for the week. In fact, yesterday, my day
off, I got my bulletin completed and my sermon written because I was
so excited about what this text had to say. I appreciate confirmation
of the point from too-long-missed Eric!
KyHoosierCat
Yeah, KHCat -- it's me, the Eric the Real.
As a follow up to that last post, I went and check the exegesis at
SermonWriter. These two paragraphs from a much longer bit also fit in
with what OLAS and I were saying:
"Is Jesus condemning all who divorce and remarry? Verses 11-12
certainly give that impression. However, it is interesting to compare
these verses with the 'You have heard that it was said…. But I say to
you…' passages in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus' words there are
equally strict with regard to anger (Matt. 5:21-26), adultery (Matt.
5:27-30), divorce (Matt. 5:31-32), oaths (Matt. 5:33-37) retaliation
(Matt. 5:38-42), and enemies (Matt. 5:43-48). Should we regard a
divorced or remarried person as hopeless if we do not so regard an
angry person, an adulterer, etc.? Is Jesus establishing a new and even
more impossible law to replace the already impossible Mosaic law?
"Rather than establishing hopelessly high standards, Jesus is calling
us to a purposely high vision. He wants us to conduct ourselves in
keeping with God's will so that we might be a blessing to our
families, our neighbors, and ourselves. However, when we fail to keep
his perfect standards perfectly, our failures remind us that our only
hope is -- and always was -- Jesus -- the cross and open tomb. If this
is true for anger, adultery, oaths, retaliation, and enemies, it must
also be true for divorce."
The whole of this analysis can be found at http://makeashorterlink.com/?B2E811E06
I'm working on Sunday's sermon today (rather than waiting for Friday)
because Wednesday there is that little installation service, then
Thursday we are entertaining friends who are in town for Wednesday, on
Friday we are going about 2 hrs east of here to inter the ashes of the
oldest parishioner of my former parish who passed away in August just
a few days before her 104th birthday, and Saturday we are going to
some state fair sort of thing somewhere IN Akron. So I gotta get this
sermon done today!
Blessings, Eric in OH
And here's something else that ties this lesson with the Genesis
lesson one can use. The emphasis on creation and community ties in
with communion. It's from a sermon by a Lutheran pastor:
"The creation story in today’s Old Testament lesson, reveals the
broader aspect of God’s will, and that is God’s basic desire that all
humanity live in community, in relationship as equals, and not to live
in isolation. Nowhere does God tell us when to marry, who to marry, or
that we have to marry. What Jesus implies in today’s Gospel is that
divorce tears apart all relationships whether it is a marriage, a
friendship, or the bond between a parent and child. We have all
experienced the agony and pain of broken relationships at some point
in our lives. Divorce makes public that private reality, which is the
destruction of relationship.
"Yes, God does allow divorce, but God also knows how hurtful it is. A
relationship is destroyed. Someone has been cut-off, hurt, isolated
from community. But then we hear the words of Jesus telling us, 'Come
to me. Come to me when your life and your relationships have been
broken. When you are lonely and have been cast aside, I welcome you.'
By the grace of God we are redeemed, and we are called into the
special relationship in the kingdom of God. NO ONE can take that
away!"
The entire sermon is at http://www.zianet.com/peacelutheran/Sermon2000/Ser1008.htm
Blessings, Eric in OH
As the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion live in the midst
of tension over the issue of biblical interpretation it is interesting
that the debate here between Jesus and the Pharisees is over biblical
interpretion: Which scripture is authoritative on the issue of
marriage and divorce. The Pharisees studied Deuteronomy 24 and Jesus
Genesis 2.
What does all this suggest about using the bible to argue one's own
prejudices?
tom in ga
While I agree with Olas, KHC, Eric in OH, and others, that this is not
about simple instructions on marriage and divorce, I can't completely
agree that it's NOT about marriage and divorce, either. The Pharisees
ask him, it's a test, just like the other times they tried to test him
... and just like the other times, Jesus uses their own example
against them, but doesn't simply address it as being incidental to a
greater truth. I've read those commentaries, too, but I just can't get
past the several verses Jesus spends addressing their test.
For example, when the lawyer tests Jesus about inheriting eternal
life, we don't exegete away Jesus' saying "go and do likewise" to the
lawyer's correct response of "love the lord your God, with all your
heart, mind, soul, and your neighbor as yourself." Any one of us in
this room would instruct our congregants to go and do likewise.
It's MOSES' law, written only because it was necessary to, I suppose,
keep the peace and guarantee SOME rights for the divorced party. There
was another Rabbi at the time (sorry, can't remember the name)of
Hillel, who had a much more liberal approach, though Hillel was more
popular.
Also, it was Moses', as well as Roman, law. Maybe because of the Roman
law (I've read that), but maybe not. For as long as there have been
married couples, there has been marital discord.
I maintain my focus: Jesus is making a distinction between the
spiritual and the human (Moses' - not God's - law). And I confess that
I'm working from memory here.
Regardless, my hesitation is about giving the appearance of revealing
a confidence or singling someone out, so I think I'll talk about the
human togetherness aspect via Hebrews. I like Eric's quote about Jesus
calling us to a purposely high vision.
I've got a headache that won't quit today, so maybe I'm just clear as
mud all around.
Eric, blessings during your service tomorrow night.
Sally in GA
Fr. Jude Siciliano, a Roman Catholic Dominican who teaches preaching
at the Dominican School of Theologoy and the Graduate Theological
Union in Berkeley, CA, sends out an e-mail "First Thoughts" post to
subscribers. In his post this week, he addresses the very issue of how
this pericope's marriage/divorce teaching relates to the Eucharist:
"The symbol of marriage also helps us look at today's eucharist.
Jesus' first miracle was at a marriage banquet. Two people making a
lifetime commitment provided a suitable setting for the miracle that
symbolized God's abundant and overflowing love for us. The wine of joy
and celebration--over flowing from God to us. Celebrate! Toast the
love God has for us!
"Jesus' life, death and resurrection have their powerful effects on us
and in marriage we can see these effects concretized in love that is
generous, patient, mutual, self-giving, forgiving, faithful and
permanent. Marital fidelity is a vivid reminder that Christ stays with
us in good times and bad. Marriages do fall apart; sometimes this
happens over a long period a splinter at a time, sometimes because of
a sudden act of betrayal.
"Jesus presents the ideal today of a permanent loving relationship
that reflects God's intentions for humans from the beginning. As it
says in our Genesis reading, "the two become one flesh." They are
inseparable. But we humans are weak, ignorant, make rash and immature
decisions --- and we sin. While Jesus holds out the ideal, he also
recognizes our human incompleteness; our hearts are not fully turned
to him, nor do we give our hearts fully to one another.
"The gospel presents the vision of a whole new way of acting and
being. Whether we are married, divorced, single or vowed celibates, we
all know how far we are from fully embracing that vision of new life.
We struggle to live the gospel ideal in all walks of life, including
marriage, but we fall short. We do not give up the ideal though, we
are here today at eucharist to have our hearts turned more fully to
the God whose heart is always and totally turned to us. We hope that
today is another step on our journey to be faithful, not only to those
to whom we have made vows, but to all we are called to serve. We look
for more faithful hearts in our service to others. All of us want our
loving ways to reflect God's permanent and life-giving love for
humanity. If our hearts fall into the category Jesus calls 'hardness
of your hearts' then we ask that the eucharist do the work of making
our hearts more pliable to God's ways."
Sally in GA -- thanks for your greetings -- and I agree that this
passage IS about marriage and divorce. I don't think we can escape
that. However, I don't believe Jesus is legislating any sort of new
high standard or law about marriage (as some traditions have tried to
interpret this). Rather, he has enunciated a "high regard" for the
marital estate and set that before us as the ideal. He is not willing
to allow marriage to be turned into either a political football (which
is how the Pharisees first present it to him) or a temporary
convenience (which is the what the Rabbis with their loose
interpretation of Moses have allowed it to become).
Blessings, Eric in OH
Thank you all for your contributions. To date I'm just a reader, maybe
some day I'll actually contribute.
Phil MT
Hi, Phil MT. Your input will be welcomed.
For clerically blonde in ohio:
Another piece of Red Green wisdom for you....
"We're all in this together. Just keep your stick on the ice and stay
in the game."
SueCan
I find it helpful to think that maybe God has not joined all people
together. Therefore, people are not separating what God has joined
together. Maybe God did not (does not) intend for a certain couple to
be together.
However, I find some other help in "A Course in Miracles." It says
that people blame their external circumstances on their internal needs
and lack. When they really need a change of mind, they avoid that by
having a change of circumstances. This will happen. And no guilt needs
to be further incurred. But eventually, they will need to "learn their
lessons," and have a change of mind (turning to God and finding the
source of love that fulfills) instead of blaming the externals. The
form is not important (be married or be divorced). The content is
important (am I connected to God and finding abundant love and life
from this source). If we get the content right, we might be able to be
in a relationship with most people (everyone?).
Brent in Pincher
This being Wednesday, our thoughts and prayers are with Eric in OH as
he celebrates his new ministry and we give thanks for having him share
his faith with us, desperate preachers!
tom in ga
Don't knock people who are divorced until you've been through it. I'm
in the midst of a divorce right now. My wife of 20 years got involved
in an inappropriate relationship (not sexual, but it could have gone
that way) and after 6 months of wavering between staying with me and
leaving she chose to leave. I kicked her out. Now the relationship
with the other guy has fallen through and she wants to come back. This
is the second time she has gotten involved in such a situation, and
she's a pastor also! I told her I couldn't trust her anymore. She also
has a mental illness (bipolar disorder) which has affected her
judgement severely. I know if I took her back we'd go through the same
thing again in a year. To top it off, she has told me a number of
times that she never loved me, but was always in love with the other
guy, and married me because he wasn't available and she thought I'd be
a good husband and father and take care of her. She is definitely not
coming back. It would happen again. If it wouldn't be with the same
guy it would be someone else. This is not to judge anyone with mental
illnesses--I nursed her through some pretty rough episodes, defended
her numerous times, supported her when she was nearly fired because of
her illness. But am I going to remain single the rest of my life? No
way!
Long and short of it is, I am not going to preach on this passage this
year. In the future, maybe. It's too close to home right now.
NY
NY, I pray for God's comfort and for your heart to heal. You have
suffered, that is plain. You know first-hand the pain of broken
covenants, and of the unselfishness required to try to mend them.
Sometimes, as Moses found out, it is better to just smash the tablets
upon which the covenant is written, and then return to God to get a
new one. In other words, God may very well be prepared to give you
another marriage covenant to enter. If so, enter it. You have
apparently done your best with the old one, but it was broken anyway.
KHC - who has never been married or divorced, so has no right to
comment, really.
Eric - thanks for the quote from "First Thoughts." I hadn't checked
them this week (I keep trying to short-circuit the process, I guess) -
though I usually link up to them via Textweek.com. I keep trying to
get out of the Gospel, because I'm preaching Hebrews, but I keep
getting pulled back in here - there's more talk. Yes, the Eucharistic
symbolism isn't lost on me, either. Maybe I need to pray on this more
and proclaim the Gospel as written.
Anyways, thank you for your comments. You put it much more
articulately than I - it's EXACTLY what I was trying to say. You just
said it better!
Sally
Prayers abound today:
For Eric in OH, all he has shared with us and the new path laid out
for him to do God's work in OH.
And, for NY and the pain he's feeling and for the grace of healing to
come.
And, for all those on this site (lurkers, contributors, and even for
others who don't even KNOW about this site) who are stuggling with
this passage this week. It is close to home for many, both in front of
the congregation and in the body of it, and I pray for God's wisdom as
we listen for the Spirit guide our thoughts and our words.
MM in PA
Dear NY, You are very wise in choosing not to preach on divorce in
your present emotional, spiritual and probably physical state. You are
not only too close to this, you are LIVING this. You also sound
(rightfully so) ambivalent about this separation ("she chose to
leave...you kicked her out"). I hope you are both getting counseling.
As part of a divorced clergy-couple (8yrs now) I know some of the
depth of your pain. Please take care of yourself and spend some time
with a licensed professional pastoral counsellor who understands not
only the dynamics of family systems but the uniqueness of these issues
for clergy in the pastoral ministry. There is HOPE! Healing and shalom
come with faith, prayer and often a lot of hard "work" on one's self.
You are in my prayers, DSinNJ
First off ... I just noticed that I made reference to "The Dominican
School of TheoloGOY"... and I wondered what that subject might be:
perhaps the study of God by non-Jews???
Secondly ... thanks to Tom and everyone for your prayers today as the
folks of St. Paul's Parish, Medina, OH, and I celebrate the new
ministry we have begun together. Wish you could all be here to
celebrate with us.
Thirdly ... this is probably my last post of the week. I cobbled
together my sermon last night, largely from the bits and pieces I've
already shared here with you. For the next few days I will be sharing
time with family and friends visiting for the installation service,
and going to East Liverpool, Ohio (no, there is no West Liverpool - go
figure) to inter the ashes of Helen Downard.
Helen was a remarkable woman who lived nearly 104 years; she passed
away in mid-August. She was a parishioner at my last parish. She was a
professional piano and organ teacher and a church organist for many
different denominations. She had some of the funniest stories to tell
about worship-gone-bad (you all know the sort of thing).
Her daughter and son-in-law are coming from Overland Park, KS, for
tonight's service and staying for a few days of visiting and to inter
Helen's ashes. We will do that on Friday. I would ask you to pray for
the repose of her soul and for comfort for Martha and Bill and her
many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Blessings, Eric in OH
A word of caution to those who will be reading the whole gospel and
preaching only on the last part. We sometimes say more with what we
don't say. If you aren't going to preach on the first part, you may
want to consider not reading it. LGB
Eric, I wish you'd "cobble together" your sermons about a week ahead
of time and post them so I could just steal them. Have a good week.
This is the second of four Sunday's in our annual stewardship
campaign. There is a common thread of God's mercy that seems to weave
the three readings in the Episcopal lectionary for this Sunday. Our
giving comes from gratitude for God's grace. Grace in giving us bone
of our own bone, and flesh of our own flesh so that we might have a
suitable mate and companion. God's grace in becoming one of us, giving
up his very life to show us the way to life in all of its abundance.
God's grace in showing us mercy when we fail in the relationships
entrusted to our care. This is going to be tricky. Any ideas or
comments will be greatly appreciated!!!!
Susan in GA
God's grace requires of us a response. We can't just take what he
offers and merrily go our way. It requires something from us as a
humble and very genuine Thank You. A changed life. A concerted effort
to include, not exclude. A genuine plan to mend broken
relationships/covenants. Etc. And, in the theme of Stewardship, to
turn over to God those things that we use for our own gain (money,
time, talents, etc, all blessings from God) and to offer them for the
gain of the Kingdom. It is all in response to what God has already
done for us. To receive from God's abundance and to not make a real
sacrifice to show our gratitude is the height of arrogance. It is to
say that we somehow deserved what we have received. (Did Job fall into
that trap before he was put to the test?)
In my home Church, we used to sing the first verse of "We Give Thee
But Thine Own" every single Sunday when the Offering was presented. It
is burned in my head and heart that I own nothing, but God has allowed
me the privilige of using what I have. I must use it to his purpose.
Because he used what he had for mine.
My thinking is pretty simplistic, really, but it's what came to mind
when I read your post about Stewardship.
KyHoosierCat
I am thinking of making the connection between this passage and
worldwide communion by speaking about getting hung up the legalities
and missing out on the love and the purpose of what we are doing - not
just in our faith life but in everyday life. The Pharisees are hung up
on legalities. Jesus speaks about the heart. Earlier in my life, I
used to get so hung up on "doing it right" when it came time to
receive communion. I would worry that I didn't give the right reply
when receiving the bread; I would worry whether I was to eat the bread
as soon as I got it or would we be waiting and eating it as one; what
if the little glass I chose got stuck in its hole wouldn't come loose.
At some point, I realized that I was so hung up on doing it right I
totally missed Christ and I shifted my focus.
One of the greatest joys of my ministry is that I serve a church which
welcomes children of all ages to the Table. It is so meaningful to
serve children as their parents help them break off the bread and dip
it in the cup. True communion, true welcoming. Lats year, I arrived in
a rush at the second point of the pastoral charge. As I invited people
to come to the Table, I realized that no one had told me they would be
helping me serve, so asked, "Who will help me serve today." An 8 year
old boy who was already up and ready to receive to communion, said, "I
will" "Oh dear," I thought, "what will people think if I have him
serve?" I was sure most would be okay, but I thought some may take
exception. But I realized there was no way I could refuse such an
eager heartfelt offer. So he stood beside me and offered the bread. At
one point, I realized he wasn't making eye contact with the people he
served, so I quietly whispered to him that he was telling them
something very wonderful and that he should look into their eyes when
he served them. And he did. I'm certian it was a meaningful expereince
for him - it certainly was for me. I realize that the "legalities" of
some would have said no to his serving, but I know that our Lord said,
"Let the little childfren come to me..." This may be good Sunday to
have the children help with the special meal. Blessings LGB
I am focusing on integrity, because that is really at the core of a
marriage. The question is are we looking for loop-holes to get out
like the Pharisees, or do we have integryt? I think there can be a lot
of bridges from integrity in all of our relationship to world
communion. Janet in NJ
from the Executive Summary of the Third National Incidence Study of
Child Abuse and Neglect (available online from the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services or the National Center on Child Abuse and
Neglect): Family Characteristics Children of single parents had a
77-percent greater risk of being harmed by physical abuse, an
87-percent greater risk of being harmed by physical neglect, and an
80-percent greater risk of suffering serious injury or harm from abuse
or neglect than children living with both parents.
This was updated in February of this year. Statistics on Poverty and
children also correlate to divorce and single parenthood. I may not
use these statistics out of sensitivity to the many single parents out
there and the reality that most do wonderful jobs and there are "in
tact" homes that are horrid. However, I feel that we need to preach on
marriage, divorce and remarriage at least occasionally in the face of
a world of hurt that comes through the realities of family life in the
us during the 21st century.
Lewis in Alabama
LGB - what a lovely story.
Sally
This is one of the most difficult texts for me. I have never preached
either for it, about it, or against it. Divorce is a tragic thing no
matter how one looks at. Held side by side to the pictures of the
wedding day or the dating days, divorce speaks of dashed hopes and
broken dreams. Divorce: it just is simply not the way everybody
involved had hoped things would turn out.
Jesus puts it that divorce is “allowable” in a hard hearted society
where relationships are a matter of rules and regulations, laws and
commandments. But in a society of grace, where everything is a gift
and all of us recognize our vulnerability, there is no room for
divorce. Indeed, there can be no divorce in such a relationship!
For me, this text can stand next to world communion Sunday in a bold
and real way. It is a text that speaks about the condition of human
relationships in our world across racial, tribal, ethnic and economic
lines. The wonderful family that God had created “red and yellow,
black and white, they are precious in his sight” is not the way the
Genesis exclamation of “it is good!” had promised.
Coming to God’s table to eat together takes the focus off each other
for a moment and puts the spotlight on God our host. We can for that
“table moment” shift from conversations of blaming each other and
faulting on another, to recognizing that in the end we are all in need
of bread. That in the end, we are mortal creatures clinging
desperately to the immortal.
This is really important for us as a human family. No matter our race,
color or creed, divorce is not an option. And the only way to live
with each other is to exercise the kind of grace we find at the table.
I am thinking as I type. Probably rambling and deceiving myself into
thinking I am getting excited about talking divorce and serving
communion in one hour. Ha!
PastorPastor
Date: 10/1/2003
Time: 12:58:56 PM
Comment
This is one of the most difficult texts for me. I have never preached
either for it, about it, or against it. Divorce is a tragic thing no
matter how one looks at. Held side by side to the pictures of the
wedding day or the dating days, divorce speaks of dashed hopes and
broken dreams. Divorce: it just is simply not the way everybody
involved had hoped things would turn out.
Jesus puts it that divorce is “allowable” in a hard hearted society
where relationships are a matter of rules and regulations, laws and
commandments. But in a society of grace, where everything is a gift
and all of us recognize our vulnerability, there is no room for
divorce. Indeed, there can be no divorce in such a relationship!
For me, this text can stand next to world communion Sunday in a bold
and real way. It is a text that speaks about the condition of human
relationships in our world across racial, tribal, ethnic and economic
lines. The wonderful family that God had created “red and yellow,
black and white, they are precious in his sight” is not the way the
Genesis exclamation of “it is good!” had promised.
Coming to God’s table to eat together takes the focus off each other
for a moment and puts the spotlight on God our host. We can for that
“table moment” shift from conversations of blaming each other and
faulting on another, to recognizing that in the end we are all in need
of bread. That in the end, we are mortal creatures clinging
desperately to the immortal.
This is really important for us as a human family. No matter our race,
color or creed, divorce is not an option. And the only way to live
with each other is to exercise the kind of grace we find at the table.
I am thinking as I type. Probably rambling and deceiving myself into
thinking I am getting excited about talking divorce and serving
communion in one hour. Ha!
PastorPastor
LGB- Thank you for sharing the story about children and communion -- I
really needed it this week. I've been in my first parish for three
months, a very small church that for the first time in years has two
children. On Sunday I told their mother I'd like to talk with her
about communion and the boys. Well, the matriarch of the church
overheard and was in my office yesterday morning to let me know that
"those boys are not ready to receive communion!" Sigh. At our session
meeting tonight we'll talk about how to prepare the boys for
communion, but the church has only been celebrating the Lord's Supper
once a quarter (!) and I get the impression that for some, the
sacrament is more nuisance than nourishment. I was planning on
preaching on Hebrews, connecting brothers and sisters of Christ with
world communion sunday. But it seems that some basics about why we
come to the Table at all might be in order.
I found DPS a few weeks ago -- thank you all for the helpful and
challenging posts!
Leanne in AL
I find it helpful to ponder this reading with other messages of Jesus
in mind. His own acceptance of "sinners" evidently included
prostitutes and at least one woman caught in adultery. He was the
"friend of tax collectors and sinners" which is not a harsh legalist.
And he talked to the Samaritan woman, who had gone through five
marriages and was living with a sixth man, in a way that invited her
to find life from a different source (another well). He did not shut
the door on her. And how is it that all of us commit adultery by
lusting after another? How can we, then, be legalistic to others who
go through a divorce? We commit adultery by getting divorced. We
commit adultery by lusting after another. What is happening in my mind
that I am thinking life is to be found in another mate or lust? Is
Jesus trying to say that when I find life in God, those external
"wells" will not be so tempting? Communion is an outward sign or
symbol about finding our life in God. Is it possible that having a
religious ceremony is not the same as God joining together? Maybe God
does not intend on two people being together just because they have a
religious service? Getting married in a church is not the same as the
spirit moving two people to be together. Surely we can't equate a
religious service with the spirit's obvious leading? Brent in Pincher
I am contemplating replacing the Hebrews text with the one about
having this treasure in clay pots, so that I can lift up our
fragility, our brokenness, and Christ as the glue.
Maybe...
Michelle
To KHC,
Thanks for what you have written. It got me thinking about smashed
covenants generally. I like that image. I see them everywhere. We need
Jesus to restore what we have broken.
Anonymous
Leanne in Al I will keep you and your session in my prayers. As far as
children understanding or being ready to receive communion, John
Calvin said, "I would rather expereince it than understand it."
Children do experience it and often with more joy than some adults! If
the session digs in their heels, possibly you could have the boys come
forward with the rest and offer them a special blessing. I do hope
they will be welcomed as part of the family to the table. Welcome to
desperate preachers. I would indeed be desperate without all these
wise and wonderful people. Blessings LGB
Leanne in Al I will keep you in my prayers.How important is the
serving of communion for you? Sounds like it is quite important? What
about asking the woman whose saying the boys are too young, how she
interprets Jesus words “let the children come to me, and forbid them
not”. Could you ask her when did she first receive communion? Before I
retired, I was an associate in a congregation, where before either the
senior pastor and I came, communion had been served quarterly. The
members even stayed away on that Sunday because of the length of the
service. The senior pastor, who liturgically needed to serve communion
more often, began a small early service where communion was always
served.
Shalom
bammamma
I am approaching this text with the main idea of hardness of heart in
mind. Hardness of heart is what led the Pharisees to question Jesus.
Hardness of heart is what leads us to look for what we can get away
with rather than for what God intends for us. Just because God will
allow you to do something, doesn't mean he wants you to.
In Greek it is one word, sklerokardia. It is the same word we use when
we describe Multiple Sclerosis. MS occurs when the nerve fibers in
your body harden and cease to function.
Sklerokardia could be described as a disease, actually a spiritual
disorder, in which your heart becomes rigid and inflexible. Zechariah
7:8-12 give a good picture of what hard-heartedness is like. My own
definition is "the unwillingness to be corrected and guided by God."
This is where the children come in. Children are trainable. The
concrete in their hearts has not yet completely hardened. To a large
degree, they can be guided and corrected. They don't always like it,
but they are much more responsive to correction that we adults are.
The only way to receive the kingdom of God is to come as a child who
is willing to be guided and corrected by God. This will naturally, (or
perhaps supernaturally), lead to repentance and confession of sins.
You will no longer come go Jesus looking for indulgence. Instead, you
will come to learn what he wants you to do.
Just some thoughts
GC in IL
