Pentecost 19 – 4th October 2015 – Year B

Pentecost 19 – 4th October 2015 – Year B

Grace to you and peace from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen

The text for this meditation is written in the 10th Chapter of the Gospel according to St Mark: Verses 2-16:

Some Pharisees came, and to test Jesus they asked, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?’ He answered them, ‘What did Moses command you?’ They said, ‘Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.’ But Jesus said to them,‘Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation, “God made them male and female.” “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. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.’ Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. Jesus said to them, ‘Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.’ People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’ And he took them up in his arms, laidhis hands on them, and blessed them.

Let us pray: Father, guide the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts that your word of truth may lead us to recognise our sins and come to you in repentance confessing them and commending them into your hands. Amen

I searched the computer for ‘pre-wedding arrangements’; and ‘pre-nuptial agreements’ and I got literally millions of returns. The first was all about planning the perfect wedding, and under Pre-Nups the top one gave this advice:

“Nobody plans to fail - but a lot of people fail to plan. Since we do not get married with a view to divorce, most Australians do not consider the benefits of a prenuptial agreement taking into account the issues outlined in the Family Law Act 1975”

Then I looked up ‘Marriage Guidance Counsellors’ and ‘Divorce Lawyers’ in Australia only and I have to tell you that there are multiple thousands of businesses making handsome profits in this booming business: I looked up ‘Christian Pre - Marriage Counsellors’ in Australia only and whilst there are a number of people who offer professional services, the ‘Births, Deaths and Marriages Department state that the most popular response from couples getting married goes like this:

“Why think about something as mundane and as sober as pre-marriage counselling. Why rain on the parade? Why descend from cloud nine? Why try to squeeze it in, with all the other things that have to be organised? (Who needs it,

anyway?)”

I have no doubt that our Gospel text touches on a subject that gives cause to many passionate opinions and experiences. People debate in the courts and with each other about divorce. I would expect that there are some reading this right

now who feel affronted and threatened by this text.

To justify ourselves people often debate divorce with God. They say in their heart where only God can hear them, "God wants me to be happy. God wouldn't have expected me to live like that. God knows I married too young. I didn't break up a

marriage; we never had a marriage to begin with." They lay out in their heart all the reasons why they aren't at fault for their divorce. They build before God such an ironclad case that God Himself is expected to declare, "You're right; you

should have divorced your spouse. You did the right thing for yourself, your kids, and even for your spouse."

When it comes to debating with God we’re not alone, the disciples in our text did too. They were floored by Jesus' words about divorce not being part of God's plan and that it was one wife till death! When they got back inside the house

away from the Pharisees, the text says, "The disciples asked Jesus about this." That word "asked" is better translated, "were badgering."

Picture them saying, "Come on Jesus! You carry this too far! Divorce can't be that bad! So many people do it! Even Moses permitted it!" ….. If you want to see to what lengths the disciples debated Jesus, read the Matthew 9: 1-11 account to Jesus' statement that "anyone who divorces his wife and marries again commits adultery," Matthew records the disciple’s words, "If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry at all!" The disciples conclude what

most people do today. It's better to live together. Then there is no messy divorce if things don't work out. Then you can get out from under Jesus' totally unreasonable demand never to separate what God has joined together.

Why debate divorce with God? The Scriptures are clear; He hates it. He says very clearly in Malachi 2, "I hate divorce." He doesn't get into the circumstances of psychological pressure, or violence or adultery - No, He hates all divorce.

There's no such thing as a good divorce in the eyes of God. All Jesus says to the disciples in Mark is anyone who divorces and remarries, commits adultery. You see, that was God's plan from the beginning one spouse for life. Two become

one in marriage and stay that way till separated through physical death.

According to the Holy Scriptures, whether we like it or not, there's no debate about our worldly circumstances. There is just marriage for life. There is just forsaking all others including mum and dad and literally being glued to each other

for as long as you both shall live.

In Matthew and Paul, there are exception clauses. But they're not in Mark’s Gospel. They are adultery and desertion. God permits divorce if your spouse commits adultery or leaves you, because adultery and divorce actually break the

marriage. It must be realised though that these exceptions are not in Scripture to give us something hold before God in defence of divorce; they are there to help us recognise what really does break a marriage.

You see my experience tells me that in reality even these scriptural exceptions don't give us peace. Are we who justify ourselves really free of guilt, I see time and time again where guilt creeps into a person’s conscience - maybe they did

after all have something to do with their spouse's adultery or desertion. Maybe the divorce is part their fault as well - quite likely we are all guilty of sin and there is no degree of sin. In the Holy Scriptures, God says He hates all divorce, is that

news to us? Does that make us feel uncomfortable? Are we surprised by our own sin?

I ask the question “is our hope in life all about our sin?” – No it is not: Thanks be to God then that rather than have us struggle with a divorce or any other sin, God forgives it! God doesn't debate sin; He forgives it. That means no looking back, freedom from guilt. No more nit picking, no more searching motives, no more debating about whose guilty or innocent in a marriage. No more sifting through the details of a marriage trying to find out who's guilty and who's innocent with only the innocent going free. If God doesn't debate divorce but forgives it, then there's no more being troubled by the obvious fact that there is no innocent party in marital difficulties.

Friends for those who suffer from anger and guilt this is an amazing revelation! God really forgives what He Himself declares He hates? When we follow the text. Mark tells us, "As was Jesus' custom, He taught them." These people were taught as the Gospel records Jesus had been teaching all along. God forgives sins because the Son of Man came into world to save sinners. The Lamb of God came into the world to carry away the sins of the world. Jesus calls sinners to lay their sins on Him and be free.

The Pharisees try to test Jesus. They want to trap Him in a Jewish debate about divorce. One group said a man could divorce a woman for any reason, even burning a meal, and the other said the husband had to find something indecent in

her. Both views assumed divorce was part of God's plan and that it was the husband's prerogative to divorce his wife. They only disagreed as to when a husband could do it. When did a woman do something bad enough to warrant a husband divorcing her?

Jesus turns it around. He shows them that divorce wasn't part of God's plan. "It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law about divorce." The divorce question isn't about how bad a wife can act but about how hard our hearts are! It wasn't God's will that men have the right to dump women whenever they felt like it or even whenever they had done something indecent. Divorce was given to protect women from the hardness of men's hearts who would divorce at the drop of a hat leaving a woman without a husband but still technically married.

We see how this touched the hearts of women! Jesus goes inside the house and deals with the disciples who want to continue the debate about divorce where thePharisees had left off. But the debate is over in the minds of the women. Here is a God who is gracious toward women! They are touched by His forgiveness, and they want their babies to share in it. They're not bashful about bringing their babies to Jesus so He might give the babies by His touch what they had just

been given by His Words.

But it seems like the disciples were upset with Jesus' words about marriage, and they "rebuked" the mothers. "Go on; get out of here; quit bothering the Master with your little children. He's got better things to do." - Jesus reaction? - He gets

indignant but all the more determined! "You must let the little children come to me, and do not continue to prevent them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."

The words "to such as these" are important. They show Jesus is not just talking about little children age-wise, but about all those like little children. What are little children like? They have nothing to offer Jesus. No good works. No faith. No money. They have no good marriage. No faithful marriage. No scriptural divorce to put before Him. They have nothing. And yet the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. It belongs to all those who have absolutely nothing to bring to Jesus.

Those who want to debate sin with God think they have something to offer Him. Some excuse, some goodness, some reason for Him to accept them. But if we debate our sins with God, we'll only hear what the Pharisees and disciples heard.

You see our harsh temper is not merely a character flaw. Our lustful eye is not ‘just the way we are.' Our longing for money and more things is not excusable.

Friends Romans Chapter 3 clearly reminds us that we are sinful beggars; we have no grounds to argue because we will lose. Our hope is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth; not in lame excuses that Satan will try to use

against us. Will we trust our salvation to the fact that we really weren't to blame for our bad marriage, our sins. If we do then dear friends we will be lost. We don't debate divorce or any other sin with God; we drop to our knees and in repentance, confess it. Confess that we are a little child before God with absolutely nothing to offer Him. We don't have a Scriptural divorce, a good marriage, a faithful heart, or a better life than others to offer Him. We have nothing but sin upon sin, excuse upon excuse.

In repentant confession, the glorious gospel that touched the women can touch us too. Now we can hear God's New Testament to sinners: Not "You do this and then I'll forgive you," but "I will remember your sins no more." Not, "As long as

your sins aren't too bad I'll forgive you," but "Though they be crimson I will make them white as snow." Not, "As long as you did your best to be a good person I will let your sins go," but, "I've put your sins away from you as far as east is from

west."

Friends, Jesus call us to him as little children: helpless and passive, leaving everything in our life to be dealt with by the boundless love of Jesus. Jesus calls us to be babies when it comes to sin. Who are we to debate with God what is and what isn't sin, if it should or shouldn't be placed on our account, are we guilty or not guilty. Let us come before our Triune God confessing we are as little children wholly dependent on Jesus to take us up in His arms just as we are and bless us. There can be no debate that this is where He wants us to be because He says, "Let the little children come to Me." Amen

The love and peace of God that is beyond all human understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen

Merv James