MEans of Grace, the Hope of Glory
Today’s Gospel reading is show-stopper. Or a heart-stopper, and definitely a text that a preacher cannot just skip past. And it is personal because I stand before you as a divorced person. So, the text today was personal.
“Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
According to the American Psychological Association, approximately 40-50% of first marriages end in divorce. (The divorce rate for second marriages is even higher, with approximately 60-67% of second marriages ending in divorce.) These statistics are enough to cause anyone’s heart to stop and though no one ever enters into marriage thinking this statistically has a great chance of failing (well, some actually may) —the statistics don’t seem to keep many from marrying.
Marriage to a partner for life provides security and comfort. It is a great blessing to love and to have someone to share your life with - but when it goes wrong, it can go dreadfully wrong.
I think of the poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow which describes a little girl, but I think of it in relation to marriage sometimes,
There was a little girl
BY HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW
There was a little girl,
Who had a little curl,
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good,
She was very, very, good,
But when she was bad she was horrid.
Marriage can be very, very good, but when it is bad, it can be horrid. And when things go wrong, it can be very, very painful.
The question that begins our Gospel passage; “Is it lawful for a man to divorce is wife?”, comes from the Pharisees or religious rulers of the day.
The question is a political one, because it takes place in the region of Judea ruled by Herod Antipas, who had already beheaded John the Baptist for his criticism of Herod remarrying Herodias, his brother’s wife. John lost his head for saying that it was not lawful for Herod to marry his brother’s wife, and the Pharisees could have been thinking that if Jesus answers the wrong way, maybe Herod will get rid of Jesus in the same way he got rid of John the Baptist. (John 6: 14-28) Or at least get into some sort of political trouble for his statement.
The question is also a theological one. They were religious leaders; here is this Jesus coming along and reinterpreting things for them; changing up how things are interpreted and done — how was he going to answer this question?
There are several passages in the Torah, the first five books of the Bible; that the Pharisees would have been familiar with. Moses was attributed to having written the entire Torah, so when Jesus answers their question with a question, “What did Moses command you?” there were several passages they could have brought up in response to Jesus’ question. They brought up Deuteronomy 24.
They answered,
“Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and divorce her”.
Women were easily discarded in biblical times, and the consequences of divorce for a wife, were devastating. To be divorced in Jesus day would be beyond ruinous - the woman would be tainted, unable to marry again, unable to support herself.
What Moses actually says in Deuteronomy 24 is that, if the husband and wife get a divorce, and she remarries and something happens in the second marriage, she can’t go back to the first husband. (So she was allowed to be dismissed and divorced— just couldn’t go back to husband number one)
The certificate of divorce in the Deuteronomic context functioned as an annulment though, so she could go back to her family, (who could help care for her).
Jesus continues on though… “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you…”
Jesus points out that this law was an accommodation, “because of [the] hardness” of their hearts.”
Jesus then points them to before Deuteronomy- before the existence of the law. He turns them to Genesis and and reminds them of how things were from the beginning of creation — of the intention.
We live in a fallen world. Things are not as they should be. This has affected all of humanity including our personal relationships; including marriages.
Before Adam and Eve became self-oriented through sin, divorce was not a thing. There was no necessity for it.
Divorce —like all of the hard things of humanity — death, sickness, physical ailments —is a fruit of the fall. Divorce is not a part of the natural order of things. “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” Well, it became lawful.
Divorce can and may be tragically needful, and divorce may be horribly inevitable. But it was not what was intended.
The Pharisees were looking for a way to justify their actions. Jesus transforms the question from what is legal to what was intended. He quotes from the creation story to reestablish God’s original intention for marriage.
The kingdom calls for a return to the kind of relationships created before the fall, for obedience to the Creator’s will, rather than the use of the law necessitated by sin.
Law exists because sin exists.
So, we should strive for the created order, but we live in a world where sin has infiltrated all of humanity, including our personal relationships. (Most definitely our personal relationships.)
In The Episcopal Church, we take a gracious stand toward divorced people, for which I am thankful, or I wouldn’t be standing before you today.
Divorce happens. Hard, bad things happen. We move on. We move into God’s grace — we forgive ourselves and others and we become testaments to the grace of God for all to see. We don’t have to remain marred by our sin - we can become a new creation. Praise be to God.
In the Episcopal church we also remarry people who have been divorced, though we don’t do so lightly — we view marriage as a sacrament and want you to treat it as such.
Often what comes up in counseling and reflection is often heartbreak concerning a previous marriage. Remarriage can bring healing and fulfillment. No one wants divorce. A part of you dies in a divorce.
We worship a God who stated in Malachi, 2:16, “I hate divorce”, (in response to the prophet Malachi telling the people to not to be disloyal to the wife of your youth.); and I like to say, “And I do to…” It was not intended.
Divorce is due to hardness of heart and there are consequences. But we worship a God who raises the dead and the makes all things new —a God who is all about resurrection and new life.
Marriage is good. The book of Genesis reminds us that, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” Having a partner; having someone to navigate this life with is a blessing. It is a blessing —but marriage is not a means of grace. God’s amazing Grace came to us all in the person of Jesus Christ.
The Gospel reading flows from divorce to Jesus taking little children into his arms and blessing them. “Let the little children come to me; and do not stop them for it is such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.”
Children become the answer to the question behind the question —-“Is it lawful to do this…?” “What do I need to do to be accepted?” “Where does the law fit into your being and our lives Jesus?”
Children have no way of proving themselves, of justifying themselves —they are needy —they need someone to help care for them.
This is how we all are before Christ.
Where does the law fit? What do you need to do to be accepted? The law has been abolished through the person of Jesus Christ.
Like a child in utter need; like a child in need of His Grace, in need of His forgiveness. That is how you come —we are no longer under the law.
This is to whom the kingdom of God belongs. Children. Those who recognize and understand their dependence.
You come to the kingdom of God — as a little child. Aware of your dependence on God’s grace.
God hates divorce. So do I. It was not what was intended but it happens because of hardness of heart. The good news is, is that there is forgiveness. The good news is — is that we are no longer under a law of which we could never keep anyway —Christ came to earth as a means of grace and the hope of glory.
Part of our General Thanksgiving says that,
“…We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.”
We bless you for “… for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.”
I am thankful every day for the means of grace that is provided to each of us —to me—through the person of Jesus Christ.
He is my hope of glory. The hope of glory. The hope of a life ever-lasting that is no longer dependent on the things that we do or don’t do — the things that we say or don’t say. The marriages we keep or don’t keep.
God provides grace for all of us.
We only have to accept it.
Amen.
“Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
According to the American Psychological Association, approximately 40-50% of first marriages end in divorce. (The divorce rate for second marriages is even higher, with approximately 60-67% of second marriages ending in divorce.) These statistics are enough to cause anyone’s heart to stop and though no one ever enters into marriage thinking this statistically has a great chance of failing (well, some actually may) —the statistics don’t seem to keep many from marrying.
Marriage to a partner for life provides security and comfort. It is a great blessing to love and to have someone to share your life with - but when it goes wrong, it can go dreadfully wrong.
I think of the poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow which describes a little girl, but I think of it in relation to marriage sometimes,
There was a little girl
BY HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW
There was a little girl,
Who had a little curl,
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good,
She was very, very, good,
But when she was bad she was horrid.
Marriage can be very, very good, but when it is bad, it can be horrid. And when things go wrong, it can be very, very painful.
The question that begins our Gospel passage; “Is it lawful for a man to divorce is wife?”, comes from the Pharisees or religious rulers of the day.
The question is a political one, because it takes place in the region of Judea ruled by Herod Antipas, who had already beheaded John the Baptist for his criticism of Herod remarrying Herodias, his brother’s wife. John lost his head for saying that it was not lawful for Herod to marry his brother’s wife, and the Pharisees could have been thinking that if Jesus answers the wrong way, maybe Herod will get rid of Jesus in the same way he got rid of John the Baptist. (John 6: 14-28) Or at least get into some sort of political trouble for his statement.
The question is also a theological one. They were religious leaders; here is this Jesus coming along and reinterpreting things for them; changing up how things are interpreted and done — how was he going to answer this question?
There are several passages in the Torah, the first five books of the Bible; that the Pharisees would have been familiar with. Moses was attributed to having written the entire Torah, so when Jesus answers their question with a question, “What did Moses command you?” there were several passages they could have brought up in response to Jesus’ question. They brought up Deuteronomy 24.
They answered,
“Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and divorce her”.
Women were easily discarded in biblical times, and the consequences of divorce for a wife, were devastating. To be divorced in Jesus day would be beyond ruinous - the woman would be tainted, unable to marry again, unable to support herself.
What Moses actually says in Deuteronomy 24 is that, if the husband and wife get a divorce, and she remarries and something happens in the second marriage, she can’t go back to the first husband. (So she was allowed to be dismissed and divorced— just couldn’t go back to husband number one)
The certificate of divorce in the Deuteronomic context functioned as an annulment though, so she could go back to her family, (who could help care for her).
Jesus continues on though… “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you…”
Jesus points out that this law was an accommodation, “because of [the] hardness” of their hearts.”
Jesus then points them to before Deuteronomy- before the existence of the law. He turns them to Genesis and and reminds them of how things were from the beginning of creation — of the intention.
We live in a fallen world. Things are not as they should be. This has affected all of humanity including our personal relationships; including marriages.
Before Adam and Eve became self-oriented through sin, divorce was not a thing. There was no necessity for it.
Divorce —like all of the hard things of humanity — death, sickness, physical ailments —is a fruit of the fall. Divorce is not a part of the natural order of things. “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” Well, it became lawful.
Divorce can and may be tragically needful, and divorce may be horribly inevitable. But it was not what was intended.
The Pharisees were looking for a way to justify their actions. Jesus transforms the question from what is legal to what was intended. He quotes from the creation story to reestablish God’s original intention for marriage.
The kingdom calls for a return to the kind of relationships created before the fall, for obedience to the Creator’s will, rather than the use of the law necessitated by sin.
Law exists because sin exists.
So, we should strive for the created order, but we live in a world where sin has infiltrated all of humanity, including our personal relationships. (Most definitely our personal relationships.)
In The Episcopal Church, we take a gracious stand toward divorced people, for which I am thankful, or I wouldn’t be standing before you today.
Divorce happens. Hard, bad things happen. We move on. We move into God’s grace — we forgive ourselves and others and we become testaments to the grace of God for all to see. We don’t have to remain marred by our sin - we can become a new creation. Praise be to God.
In the Episcopal church we also remarry people who have been divorced, though we don’t do so lightly — we view marriage as a sacrament and want you to treat it as such.
Often what comes up in counseling and reflection is often heartbreak concerning a previous marriage. Remarriage can bring healing and fulfillment. No one wants divorce. A part of you dies in a divorce.
We worship a God who stated in Malachi, 2:16, “I hate divorce”, (in response to the prophet Malachi telling the people to not to be disloyal to the wife of your youth.); and I like to say, “And I do to…” It was not intended.
Divorce is due to hardness of heart and there are consequences. But we worship a God who raises the dead and the makes all things new —a God who is all about resurrection and new life.
Marriage is good. The book of Genesis reminds us that, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” Having a partner; having someone to navigate this life with is a blessing. It is a blessing —but marriage is not a means of grace. God’s amazing Grace came to us all in the person of Jesus Christ.
The Gospel reading flows from divorce to Jesus taking little children into his arms and blessing them. “Let the little children come to me; and do not stop them for it is such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.”
Children become the answer to the question behind the question —-“Is it lawful to do this…?” “What do I need to do to be accepted?” “Where does the law fit into your being and our lives Jesus?”
Children have no way of proving themselves, of justifying themselves —they are needy —they need someone to help care for them.
This is how we all are before Christ.
Where does the law fit? What do you need to do to be accepted? The law has been abolished through the person of Jesus Christ.
Like a child in utter need; like a child in need of His Grace, in need of His forgiveness. That is how you come —we are no longer under the law.
This is to whom the kingdom of God belongs. Children. Those who recognize and understand their dependence.
You come to the kingdom of God — as a little child. Aware of your dependence on God’s grace.
God hates divorce. So do I. It was not what was intended but it happens because of hardness of heart. The good news is, is that there is forgiveness. The good news is — is that we are no longer under a law of which we could never keep anyway —Christ came to earth as a means of grace and the hope of glory.
Part of our General Thanksgiving says that,
“…We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.”
We bless you for “… for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.”
I am thankful every day for the means of grace that is provided to each of us —to me—through the person of Jesus Christ.
He is my hope of glory. The hope of glory. The hope of a life ever-lasting that is no longer dependent on the things that we do or don’t do — the things that we say or don’t say. The marriages we keep or don’t keep.
God provides grace for all of us.
We only have to accept it.
Amen.