Proper 15 (G)

Mark 10:1-12

And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them.

² And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” ³ He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” ⁴ They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” ⁵ And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. ⁶ But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ⁷ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, ⁸ and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. ⁹ What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

¹⁰ And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. ¹¹ And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, ¹² and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

I have often wondered how the Pharisees hearted the words, "because of your hardness of heart." Did they hear these words like I hear them? Did they take pride in being better than their forefathers? Did these words pass through their ears like so many forgotten words in a day?

All of us are hard hearted sinners. We often can develop all kinds of excuses for our actions. Especially during a divorce when mud is flying in all directions, it is difficult to see ourselves in the wrong. But often times we are.

God allowed for people to get a certificate of divorce because they are wicked people. God allows people to do very sinful things, because they are corrupted by sin already. All this proves is that you are a sinful and corrupt person deserving nothing but death and Hell. All of us are Adulterers. 

God set his only begotten son to a bunch of Adulterers. He sent this Son of Man not to condemn them, but to Love them. Christ has had compassion on you and forgives you all your sins. He takes you to be his Holy Bride. What God has joined together let no man separate. God has joined you to his Son.