Delving into the Gospel and Discovering Grace

Gospel

Mark 10:2–16

Some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" ³He answered them, "What did Moses command you?" ⁴They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her." ⁵But Jesus said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. ⁶But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.' ⁷'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, ⁸and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate."
¹⁰Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. ¹¹He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; ¹²and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."
¹³People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. ¹⁴But 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. ¹⁵Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it." ¹⁶And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.
 
Scholars consider this Gospel lesson to be one of Jesus’ “hard teachings.”  One pastor said that many preachers would want to exercise prudence, choosing to preach on the Hebrews text instead of the Gospel today.  The problem is, preaching the gospel is rarely about being prudent.  Far be it from me to follow the path of prudence.  Avoiding this Gospel lesson after reading it would be like ignoring the elephant in the room. 

Is there anyone who can hear this story without cringing?  Since almost fifty percent of all marriages in the United States end in divorce, I would venture to guess that every one of us has had some experience with it.  Divorce not only brings about pain and suffering for the couple, but also for their children, family members, and friends. 

As tragic as divorce is, sometimes it is the best choice for all involved.  Divorce can save people from the physical, mental and spiritual abuse that often stems from failed relationships.

Even so, people experiencing divorce suffer from such a deep sense of failure that hearing Jesus’ words today is like ripping open wounds that have not been fully healed.  One woman described hearing this passage in church and feeling as if a garbage dump was being poured out all over her.  Although she had put on her Sunday best to attend church that day, by the end of the reading she felt as if she couldn’t rid herself of the stink of her divorce. 

I imagine that some of us here today may be feeling the same way right now.  This text is extremely difficult to hear.    But when we internalize it in this way, we fail to realize that Jesus is using divorce and remarriage to make a bigger point.  He is using it as a springboard for a deeper discussion about our brokenness and inability to live as God intends. 

The Gospel tells us that the Pharisees are again trying to test Jesus.  But he is on to them.  When they ask if it is lawful for a man to divorce his wife, Jesus answers their question with question.  He knows that the Pharisees already know the answer, so he asks, “What did Moses command you?”  Being the good Pharisees that they are, they repeat the law from Deuteronomy 24 verse 1.  The verse says this: “If a man marries a woman and then it happens that he no longer likes her because he has found something wrong with her, he may give her divorce papers, put them in her hand, and send her off.” 

So there is the answer…right from Moses’ law.  The answer is yes, divorce is lawful, but Jesus does not say it is right.  Jesus’ response throws them, and us, for a loop.  His answer is unequivocal.  Divorce is lawful, but it isn’t really what God intends.

God’s intention unfolds in the creation story.  It is a bond of equality between two people, joined together so closely that hurting the other means hurting yourself.  This is God’s intention for all relationships. 

But it is an ideal that is not the reality for us because human sinfulness creates all sorts of unhealthy situations.  Therefore, the law allowing for divorce is in place to protect the life and spirit of individuals who would otherwise be forced to live in harmful relationships. 

Even so, obeying the law does not release us from the brokenness we feel when a relationship dissolves.  Instead of feeling justified, we worry that we made the right decision.  We worry that we could have done more.  We are afraid that we are nothing more than a failure, in God’s eyes and in the eyes of our family and friends.  Although we want to do right, trying to live according to God’s intent, we find ourselves floundering.  To make matters worse, Jesus points out that we cannot even find righteousness through our obedience to the law.

I think this is the point of today’s text.  Every time we seek to understand the law as a way to make ourselves right with God, we set ourselves up to fail.  But Jesus seeks to release us from our pain and brokenness by showing us a better way. 

The whole Gospel of Mark is the story of Jesus’ journey on the way to the cross.  During the three years of his ministry, his plan directly conflicts with everyone else’s expectations.  Along the way, Jesus also forces us to admit how far we fall short of God’s intentions for creation.  And the closer Jesus comes to the cross, the harder the questions become and the more he reveals how much we need God’s grace.

The Hebrews text says that Jesus is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being.  We expect to stand in front of God and receive condemnation for our failure.  But with Jesus, to our amazement, there is no condemnation – only forgiveness.  For God is a God of the sinful, the broken, the humble, the miserable, the troubled, the oppressed, the despairing, and those who feel they have become totally nothing. God lifts the lowly, feeds the hungry, heals the blind, comforts the miserable and troubled, justifies the sinner, raises the dead, and saves the despairing and the condemned. 

Sometimes we have to confront the forces that threaten to leave us in isolation and shame.  But God is with us in all of our struggles. God’s forgiveness changes everything.  It scrapes off the garbage dump that has been heaped on our heads.  It restores us to a right and loving relationship with God.  It offers us eternal life!  Like that preacher said, delving into the Gospel is not always prudent, but it is where we find God’s grace.  Thanks be to God.