The Fifth Sunday of Easter (GA)

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.”

Wives should submit to their husbands. And husbands should love their wives as they love their own body. The two have become one flesh. Likewise, for those who are un-married, they should prepare their body and life for their future spouse. This means they should refrain from sexual immorality against their own body (and future spouse).

Men and Women should be able to live together in peace. A Man and woman should be joined together in marriage, and never be separated by any creation of man. There are many lies in our modern world, which threaten this peace and harmony. But the order of Wives submitting to husbands and husbands loving their wives, promotes this union. It provides a proper order in things. It even provides a back loop that the husband should not oppress, or abuse his wife, but love her as Christ loved the Church.

Many people view marriage with weak eyes. They view it as an ancient tradition. But it is a part of how God has designed his people to live from Genesis. So Jesus himself, quotes Genesis. Jesus shows that he confesses Genesis to be truth, even as he is the way, the truth and the life.

But this text should speak to all of us, not just those who are married, nor those who will be married. This text speaks to the union God has with his people. St Paul will talk about the body of Christ, being the body of believers. We are joined with all believers, as the people of God. We are forgiven of our sins. We are made righteous and holy, because we are loved by a Father who sent his Son, and Jesus who was willing to lay down his life for us.