TEXT — Mark 10: 1–16 — “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
Setting
1 And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again; and again, as his custom was, he taught them.
Question of Divorce
2 And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
Moses’ Exception
3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to put her away.”
5 But Jesus said to them, “For your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment.
God’s Plan
6 But 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, 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 put asunder.”
“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her”
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.”
Children
13 And they were bringing children to him, that he might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it he was indignant, and said to them, “Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands upon them.
EXPLANATION
Introduction
There are three scenes in this Gospel passage. Having moved closer to Jerusalem, his destination, Jesus stops to instruct some crowds. He is approached by some Pharisees who wish to trap him with a very loaded question.
Then he takes the Twelve aside by themselves to give them a fuller understanding of his teaching.
Finally he meets some children and uses this encounter to give a brief instruction on the kingdom or reign of God.
Verse 1 is not part of the Gospel Reading for Sunday. We include it for information.
1 And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again; and again, as his custom was, he taught them.
“And he left there” — Mark uses this expression to indicate that Jesus is commencing a new phase of ministry (Mk. 1: 35; 7: 24). He has left Galilee and is now in Judea.
“and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan” — The territory “beyond the Jordan” was Perea, the domain of Herod Antipas, who was living publicly with Herodias, his brother’s wife (Mk. 6: 17–20). This area was where John the Baptist ministered, was eventually arrested and executed.
“and crowds gathered to him again” — Jesus had travelled in Galilee away from crowds to instruct the Twelve (Mk. 30–31). Now he travels openly and the crowds gather around him once more.
“and again, as his custom was, he taught them” — Mark uses the word “again” twice, once to say that the crowds are following Jesus “again”, and secondly that he is teaching crowds “again”.
The use of the verb “taught” with a further explanation for the Twelve only (vv. 10–12) is a clue that Jesus sees this teaching as an exercise of his Messianic authority (Mk. 5: 37; 9: 2; 10: 10; 13: 3; 14: 33).
2 And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
“And Pharisees came up” — This is the first of many disputes in which Jesus will be involved with various Jewish groups (Mk. 11: 27–12: 44).
“and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” — The “test” had a double purpose. The first: Jesus was within the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas where John the Baptist had been beheaded because he had reprimanded Herod and Herodias for living in adultery (Mk. 6: 17–28). Herod’s family was much divorced and so his answer could bring Jesus into public opposition to Herod and Herodias and perhaps be executed also.
The second purpose: There were two strongly held views among the Jews concerning this question, one strict, the other lax. The Pharisees wanted to compromise Jesus by having him side with one against the other.
The foundation of the question was Deuteronomy 24: 1–4. At the time of Jesus these verses were interpreted in two strongly disputed ways, either with great strictness, which allowed divorce only for adultery, or with laxity, which allowed divorce for any even frivolous reason. The question was put to Jesus “in order to test him”, not to seek the correct interpretation. The Pharisees obviously knew what he accepted as the answer and they wished to show that he was unorthodox in his teaching.
Dt. 24: 1–4 reads, “When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favour in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a bill of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, and she departs out of his house, and if she goes and becomes another man’s wife, and the latter husband dislikes her and writes her a bill of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies, who took her to be his wife, then her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the Lord, and you shall not bring guilt upon the land which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance”.
Here are four points offered as a clarification of this passage from Deuteronomy:
First, it is clear from this passage that divorce was accepted and it was lawful for a husband to divorce his wife on condition that he gave her a “certificate” that safeguarded her and allowed her to remarry. Joseph, “the just man” was prepared to divorce Mary when he heard that she was pregnant.
Second, Deuteronomy dealt with a specific case where a man had divorced his wife and then considered marrying her a second time after her second spouse put her away or may have died. The problem presented considered legal purity or defilement: could he marry her a second time? The answer given is that he could not.
Third, the grounds for divorce were that the wife was found to have “some indecency in her”, “she had been defiled” in a way that was “an abomination before the Lord”. She was obviously ritually unclean. At the time of Jesus, what caused this uncleanliness was disputed.
Fourth, a copy of a certificate of divorce was discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls. It reads: “I divorce and repudiate of my own free will [name of husband… name of wife] so that you are free on your part to go and become a wife of any Jewish man that you please” This legal document was proof that the woman was free to marry again and she was protected from her former husband should he change his mind.
3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to put her away.” 5 But Jesus said to them, “For your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment.
He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to put her away.” — Moses did not “command” divorce so the Pharisees, on the defensive, correct Jesus and say that Moses “allowed” divorce (Dt. 24: 1–4). Later, in verse 7, Jesus will declare what was commanded in Scripture.
“certificate of divorce” — The purpose of the “certificate of divorce” was to protect the woman from her husband should he seek demands after she had left. She had no further obligations to him and she was allowed to re–marry (Is. 50: 1; Jr. 3: 8).
“But Jesus said to them, “For your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment” — Jesus then told them that Moses did this because of their “hardness of heart”. In other words, divorce was not the original will of God. It was a relaxation of the law because they were ignoring the law and women were suffering injustice. The “certificate of divorce” protected them. (Dt. 10: 16; Ez. 3: 17). What Moses “commanded” was the “certificate” to protect the expelled wife. If Moses had not “commanded” the “certificate” the wife would have been made to suffer.
“Hardness of heart” means deliberately closing one’s mind and emotions to the truth (Mk. 3: 5; 4: 10–12; 6: 52).
6 But 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, 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 put asunder.”
“But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female’” — Jesus quotes from Genesis 1: 27. He declares that divorce was forbidden from the very beginning of creation not because God created man and woman but because of how he created woman from man.
Genesis 2: 21–24 elaborates. God made man fall into a deep sleep and while asleep he took a rib from man and enclosed it in flesh. God built this rib into woman. She was bone of man’s bones and flesh of his flesh, equal to him in every way as a human being. Jesus then quotes Gn. 2: 24.
‘‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’. So they are no longer two but one flesh” — This now is the “command” Jesus spoke about in his question to the Pharisees (v. 3).
Most people would regard the unity between parents and their son as the strongest and most binding unity. Nevertheless, the son “shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife”. This new union is stronger because “the two shall become one flesh’. So they are no longer two but one flesh”. The explanation is this — woman was formed from man. Now they are joined together again. They form one flesh, one body. It is a re–unification. Just as flesh cannot be divided so husband and wife cannot be divided. The re–union is indissoluble.
It is quite clear that marriage is between what God created, “male and female”, one man and one woman, who are bound in the indissoluble union of “one flesh”.
“What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder” — Jesus declares that marriage is indissoluble. He states that he is authoritatively proclaiming God’s will. God is the author of marriage as an institution and of each marriage. Jesus now revokes what Moses allowed.
“let not man put asunder” — The “man”, as is clear from Dt. 24: 1–4, is the husband who was “allowed” put his wife aside. Much less can any other person dissolve marriage.
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.”
“And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter” — It was normal for Jesus to give special instruction to the Twelve “in the house”, that is by themselves.
“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her” — In the culture of Jesus’ time wives were regarded as the property of their husbands. If a wife committed adultery the husband was personally offended. However if a husband committed adultery that was not regarded as an offence against his wife. But it was regarded as an act of adultery or offence against the man with whose wife someone committed adultery. The reason for this was that adultery was regarded as a sin of injustice only against the husband. An adulterer could not offend or be unjust to his own “property” but he could offend another man with whose “property” the act was committed. Jesus introduced a new concept — if the husband committed adultery it was an offence against his wife. If he married again after divorce, he was living in a state of adultery; the first marriage was never dissolved.
“and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” — Jewish law did not allow a woman to divorce her husband. Mark wrote to Gentiles who were accustomed to women divorcing their husbands in civil court. Mark states that just as men may not divorce their wives, wives may not divorce their husbands.
13 And they were bringing children to him, that he might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it he was indignant, and said to them, “Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands upon them.
“And they were bringing children to him, that he might touch them” — that he might give them a blessing by laying his hands on them (Mk. 10: 16).
“and the disciples rebuked them” — No reason is given for the disciples “rebuking” the parents. Most likely they regarded children as bothersome so they decided not to allow them disturb Jesus.
“But when Jesus saw it he was indignant” — Other occasions when Jesus was indignant: Mk. 1: 43; 3: 5; 8: 12; 8: 17–21; 9: 19).
“Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God” — Jesus says “to such belongs the kingdom of God”. “To such” cannot mean simply children but certain childlike qualities. What are these qualities? Innocence cannot be one because Jesus came to call sinners. Children had no legal powers or rights. They could not make demands that they were entitled to enter the kingdom. The outstanding quality of children is that they are powerless to do anything important for themselves. They depend on others for everything. Next, they receive everything as a gift, not as a right. That is the manner in which anyone and everyone receives God’s gift of the kingdom. No one can have a right or claim to it nor can anyone deserve it.
“Truly, I say to you” — This is always the introduction to a very solemn and important teaching (Mk. 3: 28; 8: 12; 9: 1, 41; 10: 29; 11: 23; 12: 43; 13: 30; 14: 9, 18, 25, 30).
“whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it” — If one does not depend on God to receive the kingdom as a gift, like a powerless child, that person cannot enter the kingdom; the person does not have the correct approach to the kingdom.
“And he took them in his arms” — Jesus embraced the children to show how he accepted them into his kingdom. The word used in Greek for children in this context refers to those less than twelve years of age.
“he blessed them” — Jesus invoked God’s power on the children.
“laying his hands upon them” — He transferred this divine power to them.
APPLICATION
In today’s Gospel Jesus shows himself as the promised Messiah (the Christ in Greek, the Anointed in English). He has authority over the Law of God. He revokes what Moses had conceded because of the hardness of heart of the Jewish people, more correctly of Jewish males.
God created the first man and woman and placed them in paradise, the Garden of Eden, where they enjoyed living happily and peacefully in the presence of God, their friend. Between the man and the woman, two persons equal in everything, there was perfect union. They were one like flesh, which has no parts and is unbreakable. This was the will of God for them. The Garden of Eden was paradise because it was the abode of perfect love and union — God’s love for his creatures, their love for God and their love for each other.
This paradise was shattered by the first sin which hardened the hearts of human beings. Jesus came to restore love. He was the face of God, allowing sinful humanity see God’s perfect love. He confirmed this perfect love by his life of service of humanity. His great desire was that humanity would learn from this example and replicate God’s enduring love and service in the institution of love and service that God had established: permanent and stable marriage.
Is this an impossible dream? Jesus says ‘no’. If we regard marriage as a purely human institution, leaving God, who established it from the very beginning of creation, out of the picture, then it is not guaranteed to succeed. God preserved it from the flood and offered it as a free gift to those who would accept. Marriage has to be lived according to God’s design and will.
What does one require to make marriage succeed? Jesus gives an example. To many it may seem ridiculous but Jesus gave it and so it must be valuable. He said that one must be like a little child! He singled out the qualities that a child has that apply in this situation of marriage. Children know that they are powerless, that they can do nothing on their own. That makes them dependent on others. Thirdly, children receive everything not as a right but as a gift. Fifty years ago, Bishop Fulton Sheen wrote a book that was required reading for those getting married. It was entitled “Three to Get Married” — husband, wife and Jesus. An excellent book.
The words “religion” and “relationship” are based on the same root. Religion is our relationship with God and that is the relationship of childhood; we are God’s children. We are powerless without God. We depend on him. Everything we have comes from him as pure gift. We must trust him. That is the recipe of a perfectly loving marriage.
The second insight into Jesus that the Gospel passage provides is that it gives us his attitude towards women and children. In the Jewish culture at the time neither group was held in any esteem. Women were considered to be their husband’s property. Children were regarded as having no legal rights or social status. Jesus calls all back to God’s design from the very beginning of creation.
The third point in this passage concerns the kingdom of God. That is what it is, Jesus tells us. It is the kingdom of God, not some human institution or one which humans can enter by right or merit. They must realise that they have to depend on God for entrance.
Commentary on the 27th Sunday of the year (B) 4th October 2015
TEXT — Mark 10: 1–16 — “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
Setting
1 And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again; and again, as his custom was, he taught them.
Question of Divorce
2 And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
Moses’ Exception
3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to put her away.”
5 But Jesus said to them, “For your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment.
God’s Plan
6 But 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, 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 put asunder.”
“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her”
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.”
Children
13 And they were bringing children to him, that he might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it he was indignant, and said to them, “Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands upon them.
EXPLANATION
Introduction
There are three scenes in this Gospel passage. Having moved closer to Jerusalem, his destination, Jesus stops to instruct some crowds. He is approached by some Pharisees who wish to trap him with a very loaded question.
Then he takes the Twelve aside by themselves to give them a fuller understanding of his teaching.
Finally he meets some children and uses this encounter to give a brief instruction on the kingdom or reign of God.
Verse 1 is not part of the Gospel Reading for Sunday. We include it for information.
1 And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again; and again, as his custom was, he taught them.
“And he left there” — Mark uses this expression to indicate that Jesus is commencing a new phase of ministry (Mk. 1: 35; 7: 24). He has left Galilee and is now in Judea.
“and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan” — The territory “beyond the Jordan” was Perea, the domain of Herod Antipas, who was living publicly with Herodias, his brother’s wife (Mk. 6: 17–20). This area was where John the Baptist ministered, was eventually arrested and executed.
“and crowds gathered to him again” — Jesus had travelled in Galilee away from crowds to instruct the Twelve (Mk. 30–31). Now he travels openly and the crowds gather around him once more.
“and again, as his custom was, he taught them” — Mark uses the word “again” twice, once to say that the crowds are following Jesus “again”, and secondly that he is teaching crowds “again”.
The use of the verb “taught” with a further explanation for the Twelve only (vv. 10–12) is a clue that Jesus sees this teaching as an exercise of his Messianic authority (Mk. 5: 37; 9: 2; 10: 10; 13: 3; 14: 33).
2 And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
“And Pharisees came up” — This is the first of many disputes in which Jesus will be involved with various Jewish groups (Mk. 11: 27–12: 44).
“and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” — The “test” had a double purpose. The first: Jesus was within the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas where John the Baptist had been beheaded because he had reprimanded Herod and Herodias for living in adultery (Mk. 6: 17–28). Herod’s family was much divorced and so his answer could bring Jesus into public opposition to Herod and Herodias and perhaps be executed also.
The second purpose: There were two strongly held views among the Jews concerning this question, one strict, the other lax. The Pharisees wanted to compromise Jesus by having him side with one against the other.
The foundation of the question was Deuteronomy 24: 1–4. At the time of Jesus these verses were interpreted in two strongly disputed ways, either with great strictness, which allowed divorce only for adultery, or with laxity, which allowed divorce for any even frivolous reason. The question was put to Jesus “in order to test him”, not to seek the correct interpretation. The Pharisees obviously knew what he accepted as the answer and they wished to show that he was unorthodox in his teaching.
Dt. 24: 1–4 reads, “When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favour in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a bill of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, and she departs out of his house, and if she goes and becomes another man’s wife, and the latter husband dislikes her and writes her a bill of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies, who took her to be his wife, then her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the Lord, and you shall not bring guilt upon the land which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance”.
Here are four points offered as a clarification of this passage from Deuteronomy:
First, it is clear from this passage that divorce was accepted and it was lawful for a husband to divorce his wife on condition that he gave her a “certificate” that safeguarded her and allowed her to remarry. Joseph, “the just man” was prepared to divorce Mary when he heard that she was pregnant.
Second, Deuteronomy dealt with a specific case where a man had divorced his wife and then considered marrying her a second time after her second spouse put her away or may have died. The problem presented considered legal purity or defilement: could he marry her a second time? The answer given is that he could not.
Third, the grounds for divorce were that the wife was found to have “some indecency in her”, “she had been defiled” in a way that was “an abomination before the Lord”. She was obviously ritually unclean. At the time of Jesus, what caused this uncleanliness was disputed.
Fourth, a copy of a certificate of divorce was discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls. It reads: “I divorce and repudiate of my own free will [name of husband… name of wife] so that you are free on your part to go and become a wife of any Jewish man that you please” This legal document was proof that the woman was free to marry again and she was protected from her former husband should he change his mind.
3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to put her away.” 5 But Jesus said to them, “For your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment.
He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to put her away.” — Moses did not “command” divorce so the Pharisees, on the defensive, correct Jesus and say that Moses “allowed” divorce (Dt. 24: 1–4). Later, in verse 7, Jesus will declare what was commanded in Scripture.
“certificate of divorce” — The purpose of the “certificate of divorce” was to protect the woman from her husband should he seek demands after she had left. She had no further obligations to him and she was allowed to re–marry (Is. 50: 1; Jr. 3: 8).
“But Jesus said to them, “For your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment” — Jesus then told them that Moses did this because of their “hardness of heart”. In other words, divorce was not the original will of God. It was a relaxation of the law because they were ignoring the law and women were suffering injustice. The “certificate of divorce” protected them. (Dt. 10: 16; Ez. 3: 17). What Moses “commanded” was the “certificate” to protect the expelled wife. If Moses had not “commanded” the “certificate” the wife would have been made to suffer.
“Hardness of heart” means deliberately closing one’s mind and emotions to the truth (Mk. 3: 5; 4: 10–12; 6: 52).
6 But 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, 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 put asunder.”
“But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female’” — Jesus quotes from Genesis 1: 27. He declares that divorce was forbidden from the very beginning of creation not because God created man and woman but because of how he created woman from man.
Genesis 2: 21–24 elaborates. God made man fall into a deep sleep and while asleep he took a rib from man and enclosed it in flesh. God built this rib into woman. She was bone of man’s bones and flesh of his flesh, equal to him in every way as a human being. Jesus then quotes Gn. 2: 24.
‘‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’. So they are no longer two but one flesh” — This now is the “command” Jesus spoke about in his question to the Pharisees (v. 3).
Most people would regard the unity between parents and their son as the strongest and most binding unity. Nevertheless, the son “shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife”. This new union is stronger because “the two shall become one flesh’. So they are no longer two but one flesh”. The explanation is this — woman was formed from man. Now they are joined together again. They form one flesh, one body. It is a re–unification. Just as flesh cannot be divided so husband and wife cannot be divided. The re–union is indissoluble.
It is quite clear that marriage is between what God created, “male and female”, one man and one woman, who are bound in the indissoluble union of “one flesh”.
“What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder” — Jesus declares that marriage is indissoluble. He states that he is authoritatively proclaiming God’s will. God is the author of marriage as an institution and of each marriage. Jesus now revokes what Moses allowed.
“let not man put asunder” — The “man”, as is clear from Dt. 24: 1–4, is the husband who was “allowed” put his wife aside. Much less can any other person dissolve marriage.
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.”
“And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter” — It was normal for Jesus to give special instruction to the Twelve “in the house”, that is by themselves.
“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her” — In the culture of Jesus’ time wives were regarded as the property of their husbands. If a wife committed adultery the husband was personally offended. However if a husband committed adultery that was not regarded as an offence against his wife. But it was regarded as an act of adultery or offence against the man with whose wife someone committed adultery. The reason for this was that adultery was regarded as a sin of injustice only against the husband. An adulterer could not offend or be unjust to his own “property” but he could offend another man with whose “property” the act was committed. Jesus introduced a new concept — if the husband committed adultery it was an offence against his wife. If he married again after divorce, he was living in a state of adultery; the first marriage was never dissolved.
“and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” — Jewish law did not allow a woman to divorce her husband. Mark wrote to Gentiles who were accustomed to women divorcing their husbands in civil court. Mark states that just as men may not divorce their wives, wives may not divorce their husbands.
13 And they were bringing children to him, that he might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it he was indignant, and said to them, “Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands upon them.
“And they were bringing children to him, that he might touch them” — that he might give them a blessing by laying his hands on them (Mk. 10: 16).
“and the disciples rebuked them” — No reason is given for the disciples “rebuking” the parents. Most likely they regarded children as bothersome so they decided not to allow them disturb Jesus.
“But when Jesus saw it he was indignant” — Other occasions when Jesus was indignant: Mk. 1: 43; 3: 5; 8: 12; 8: 17–21; 9: 19).
“Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God” — Jesus says “to such belongs the kingdom of God”. “To such” cannot mean simply children but certain childlike qualities. What are these qualities? Innocence cannot be one because Jesus came to call sinners. Children had no legal powers or rights. They could not make demands that they were entitled to enter the kingdom. The outstanding quality of children is that they are powerless to do anything important for themselves. They depend on others for everything. Next, they receive everything as a gift, not as a right. That is the manner in which anyone and everyone receives God’s gift of the kingdom. No one can have a right or claim to it nor can anyone deserve it.
“Truly, I say to you” — This is always the introduction to a very solemn and important teaching (Mk. 3: 28; 8: 12; 9: 1, 41; 10: 29; 11: 23; 12: 43; 13: 30; 14: 9, 18, 25, 30).
“whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it” — If one does not depend on God to receive the kingdom as a gift, like a powerless child, that person cannot enter the kingdom; the person does not have the correct approach to the kingdom.
“And he took them in his arms” — Jesus embraced the children to show how he accepted them into his kingdom. The word used in Greek for children in this context refers to those less than twelve years of age.
“he blessed them” — Jesus invoked God’s power on the children.
“laying his hands upon them” — He transferred this divine power to them.
APPLICATION
In today’s Gospel Jesus shows himself as the promised Messiah (the Christ in Greek, the Anointed in English). He has authority over the Law of God. He revokes what Moses had conceded because of the hardness of heart of the Jewish people, more correctly of Jewish males.
God created the first man and woman and placed them in paradise, the Garden of Eden, where they enjoyed living happily and peacefully in the presence of God, their friend. Between the man and the woman, two persons equal in everything, there was perfect union. They were one like flesh, which has no parts and is unbreakable. This was the will of God for them. The Garden of Eden was paradise because it was the abode of perfect love and union — God’s love for his creatures, their love for God and their love for each other.
This paradise was shattered by the first sin which hardened the hearts of human beings. Jesus came to restore love. He was the face of God, allowing sinful humanity see God’s perfect love. He confirmed this perfect love by his life of service of humanity. His great desire was that humanity would learn from this example and replicate God’s enduring love and service in the institution of love and service that God had established: permanent and stable marriage.
Is this an impossible dream? Jesus says ‘no’. If we regard marriage as a purely human institution, leaving God, who established it from the very beginning of creation, out of the picture, then it is not guaranteed to succeed. God preserved it from the flood and offered it as a free gift to those who would accept. Marriage has to be lived according to God’s design and will.
What does one require to make marriage succeed? Jesus gives an example. To many it may seem ridiculous but Jesus gave it and so it must be valuable. He said that one must be like a little child! He singled out the qualities that a child has that apply in this situation of marriage. Children know that they are powerless, that they can do nothing on their own. That makes them dependent on others. Thirdly, children receive everything not as a right but as a gift. Fifty years ago, Bishop Fulton Sheen wrote a book that was required reading for those getting married. It was entitled “Three to Get Married” — husband, wife and Jesus. An excellent book.
The words “religion” and “relationship” are based on the same root. Religion is our relationship with God and that is the relationship of childhood; we are God’s children. We are powerless without God. We depend on him. Everything we have comes from him as pure gift. We must trust him. That is the recipe of a perfectly loving marriage.
The second insight into Jesus that the Gospel passage provides is that it gives us his attitude towards women and children. In the Jewish culture at the time neither group was held in any esteem. Women were considered to be their husband’s property. Children were regarded as having no legal rights or social status. Jesus calls all back to God’s design from the very beginning of creation.
The third point in this passage concerns the kingdom of God. That is what it is, Jesus tells us. It is the kingdom of God, not some human institution or one which humans can enter by right or merit. They must realise that they have to depend on God for entrance.