Marriage and Divorce

Today's Reflections  

Marriage and Divorce

http://graceandspace.org

Mk 10:1-12

¹[Jesus] went into the district of Judea [and] across the Jordan. Again crowds gathered around him and, as was his custom, he again taught them. ²The Pharisees approached and asked, “Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?” They were testing him. ³He said to them in reply, “What did Moses command you?” ⁴They replied, “Moses permitted him to write a bill of divorce and dismiss her.” ⁵But Jesus told them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts he wrote you this commandment. ⁶But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female. ⁷For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother [and be joined to his wife], ⁸and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. ⁹Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate.” ¹⁰In the house the disciples again questioned him about this.¹¹He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; ¹²and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Reflection:

What God has joined together, no human being must separate. Jesus here articulates the original divine plan about marriage—that it should be indissoluble, for in God’s design, man and woman become one flesh. Divorce, the breaking of the marriage bond, is forbidden by God. One who divorces one’s marriage partner and marries another commits adultery.

Unfortunately, even in countries where the majority are Christians, divorce is often allowed by law, and even in our country there have been attempts to introduce divorce legislation. We should do our best to protect and preserve the indissolubility of marriage. We should prepare our people well to enter into marriage. We should provide support for married couples to stay living with each other happily.

“Grant us, O Lord, to be one heart and one soul… for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,

in sickness and in health, until death do us part.”