Our Gospel lesson today talks about divorce, and it also talks about children. Actually, the part about children isn’t so much about children as it is about Christian discipleship. Jesus tells us that we need to become like children to inherit the kingdom of God.
I heard Margie Shaw preach once and she talked about a game her children used to play. It was the “Would you rather…?” game. You would be stopped waiting for a train, and they would ask, “Would you rather eat a bug or a worm?” She said she had looked at the scriptures for that day, and it looked as if she was going to preach on divorce or stewardship. She felt as if she were playing the “Would you rather…?” game again.
I have to say that no one wants to preach on divorce. It is a tough topic, and people have understandably strong feelings. It is one of those topics where you are walking in a mine field. One wrong step, and “boom.” Next thing you know the preacher is being given a certificate of dismissal. So the temptation is to preach on the Old Testament or the Epistle. People who preach talk about “giving a nod” to the Gospel and heading in a different direction.
The problem is that then there is an elephant in the room. We can try to ignore it, but it is still there.
I am going to make a couple of quick comments about divorce and then talk about the question itself. I don’t think anyone believes divorce is a good thing. Maybe there are some lawyers out there who specialize in divorces, and it it their bread and butter.
I think most of us can agree that marriage is a good thing we should all believe in. I can also promise you that no one gets married planning for things to go bad. Sometimes they go bad though.
I would like for you to think for a minute about the question itself. Divorce has always been an issue where people have emotions involved and there are strong feelings. The Pharisees came to Jesus to test Him. They ask a loaded question that is likely to get Jesus in trouble. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” So that you are reminded of the context, Jesus has just gone to “Judea and
beyond the Jordan.” More than likely this is the region of Perea where Herod reigns. As you recall Herod had divorced his wife to marry Herodias, the wife of
Herod’s brother. John the Baptist had criticized this marriage and ultimately Herod had him beheaded. You know the story.
The Pharisees were hoping that if they could get Jesus to condemn divorce, then he might meet a similar unseemly end. The Pharisees had already conspired once with the Herodians to destroy Jesus as we are told in Mark 3. Now they are trying again.
As it turns out, there were two schools of thought on the question of divorce when Jesus was on earth. The Pharisees asked this question to trap Jesus between competing opinions. The school of Shammai said that a man could divorce his wife only for adultery, but the school of Hillel said that a man could divorce his wife for nearly any reason. Whichever side Jesus took, he was bound to alienate the other side. The Pharisees figured that, if they could peel away half of Jesus’ followers today and another half tomorrow, pretty soon he would have no followers left. So if the Pharisees could not just get Jesus executed, they were going to get him to run off followers. The Pharisees were determined and they had a mission.
But Jesus didn’t take their bait. He uses a famous teacher trick. He redirects. Instead of saying, “Here is the rule,” he points them to Scripture, “What did Moses command you?” He answers the question with a question of his own.
The Pharisees answered, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” That is a simple answer to a question that has a complex answer. Old Testament law allowed men to divorce their wives, although it isn’t clear exactly how all this worked. As they say, “It’s complicated.” There were schools of thought associated with famous rabbis which filled in the detail. The problem is they did not agree.
Now the Pharisees have not given up. They are going to come back with more questions intending to trap Jesus and get him in trouble no matter what he says. They ask him about paying taxes. They ask about marriage and the afterlife. These are all trick questions to get Jesus to say something they could pounce on.
The Pharisees realize their trick did not work this time. Jesus was too smart for them, and they go off to plot. Jesus then says some harsh things about divorce in private to the disciples.
Is Jesus condemning anyone who divorces and remarries? It sounds that way. Jesus made equally harsh statements about anger and oaths and retaliation and how to relate to enemies. As one example, he said:
“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times,
‘You shall not murder’;
and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’
But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister,
you will be liable to judgment;
and if you insult a brother or sister,
you will be liable to the council;
and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire”
Oops. That seems a little harsh. I am going out on a limb and predicting everyone here has been angry with a biological brother or sister. What about your Christian brothers and sisters? This is the big double oops I claim. What about saying someone is an idiot? Maybe I should stop now.
When I read Jesus’ words about anger or divorce, I have to ask what he was trying to do. Was he trying to save people or push them away? Was he trying to bring us hope or to explain to us why we are hopeless?
Rather than establishing hopelessly high standards, I believe that 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 Jesus and the cross. Our hope is Jesus and the empty tomb.
A little later in this chapter, a rich man comes to Jesus asking what he needs to do to inherit eternal life. He is a good man, but Jesus tells him to sell everything give the money to the poor, and then to come and follow Jesus. The man went away sorrowful, because he had lots of money, and he wasn’t about to give it away.
When the man had gone, Jesus said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God.” The disciples said, “Then who can be saved?”
Now listen carefully to Jesus’ answer. He said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”
When I read what Jesus had to say about anger, and divorce, and oaths, and retaliation, and enemies, I ask, “Then who can be saved?”
Then I hear Jesus’ answer, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”
I have exactly one takeaway for you today.
Thank God for the grace of God.
I have said these words in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Sermon preached by Fr. Tom at St. Thomas, Plymouth
October 4, 2015; Nineteenth Sunday of Pentecost
Genesis 2:18-24
Psalm 8
Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12
Mark 10:2-16