Jesus Receives Us As We Are - August 10
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 97, 99, [100]; PM Psalm 94, [95]; 2 Samuel 14:1-20; Acts 21:1-14; Mark 10:1-16
Today’s Reflection
The Bible is a complicated book, one manifestation of the creative Logos or the Word of God. The Bible is one of the ways in which God speaks truth to us, his children, across place and time—truths that we may find both challenging and comforting, depending on the verses and the lenses through which we are reading them.
Our Holy Scriptures are not for the faint of heart. The Word of God is not an easy read. For one thing, the Scriptures are hard to read because they are like a mirror—we see ourselves reflected in them, and we do not always feel comfortable with what we see when we look into them with an open heart.
Another thing that can make reading the scriptures challenging for us is that it can feel like we are reading mixed messages. Some parts of the Bible seem more focused on the law, what we should do and not do. Other parts of the Bible seem more focused on love, on how God shows his grace to us, his dearly loved children, again and again. Sometimes these threads of law and love can be found interwoven together in a such way that we cannot pull them apart. And perhaps this is as it should be, because we cannot know the God of love without also knowing the God of laws.
Speaking for myself, I experience God’s love, mercy, and grace perhaps most clearly when I am reminded by the law (which I can never perfectly fulfill) that I can never earn God’s love. The law allows me to see my imperfect self in its mirror and thereby find reassurance that God gives love to me freely, with no expectation that I must do something to earn it. This is the beauty of God’s grace (the Greek word for grace is charis, which also translates as gift).
We see both of these aspects of God—law and love—evidenced in today’s Gospel passage from Mark 10: 1-16. Jesus is confronted by the Pharisees, who yet again are trying “to test him.” They were hoping to trip Jesus up by putting him on the spot about a widespread practice in their culture: divorce. The Pharisees are hoping to get Jesus to say something against Moses and the scripture they were quoting that day (the Hebrew text about men being able to ask for a certificate of divorce). Jesus, himself the Word Made Flesh (another manifestation of the Logos), knew his Holy Scriptures better than they did, of course. Jesus responded to scripture with more scripture, citing the principles that governed marriage from before Moses, going all the back to Genesis and its commands to ‘leave and cleave.’ Based on these scriptural precedents, Jesus is very clear: “Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate,’” beautiful, sacred words that we include in our own Episcopal marriage liturgy still today.
Jesus, as quoted both in Mark 10 and in a parallel passage in Matthew 19, takes a hard line on divorce. It’s not God’s ideal for marriage. Moses only allowed for it, Jesus said, because of people’s “hardness of heart.” Jesus then takes his pronouncement on divorce a step further, mentioning the consequences for those who divorce and then remarry. These can be hard words to hear—and also puzzling in light of the mercy and grace Jesus shows again and again to imperfect people of all kinds.
This is one of the ethical and spiritual conundrums with which biblical scholars and people of faith continue to grapple with, thousands of years after Jesus uttered these words and Mark (and Matthew) wrote them down. It’s a question I have personally pondered over the years, and more so lately as both a priest and as someone who has divorced. How do I square this life decision with today’s Gospel passage? To be honest, I don’t know that I have the best, most intellectually solid answer to that question, and perhaps I never will. Thankfully, I don’t believe that God requires a rhetorically sound justification from me—God just wants to show me (and all of us) some grace.
Because of my personal curiosity about this passage, I did what I often do to find wisdom and clarity—I decided to learn what others have to say about it. As I searched the seminary database, I came across articles that took a less charitable take on the issue. But then I came across an article that spoke to me both as a person who has divorced as well as a priest who needs to be able to support others when they go through this life transition. In his article, “A Hermeneutic of Pastoral Care and the Law/Gospel Paradigm Applied to the Divorce Texts of Scripture,” Lutheran pastor Mark Molldrem writes about the importance of interpreting scripture with the purpose of discerning what is the most pastoral response to people going through challenging life situations.
As we in the church consider how we respond to people who experience divorce and all manner of complicated relationships and life situations, Molldrem’s observations seem both helpful and wise:
The central concern to focus on is not a legalistic reading of the texts but the pastoral concern that lies behind the texts. In addition to this, the law/gospel paradigm provides a theological key to gain deeper understanding as to how God rules over this controversial issue. The law, as the left hand of God’s rule, identifies divorce as sin, a sign of the brokenness not only between human beings but also between God and human beings. The law stands and wields death when it is disobeyed. The gospel, as the right hand of God’s rule, creates life through the forgiveness of the sinner. The gospel, as the first and last Word of God, speaks the word of comfort and blessing that overcomes the law and makes alive, so that the penitent can experience faith, hope, and love once again.
It's wise to consider not only “What did Jesus say?” here, but also “What did Jesus do?” and “What would Jesus have us to do?” On the one hand, Jesus took a clear stance on divorce in what he said to the Pharisees and then later in his continued conversation with the disciples. But, on the other hand, we also personally know and experience Jesus to be motivated always by mercy and grace in his interactions with all those who come to him seeking help and healing.
Finally, it’s important to note the verses at the end of today’s Gospel passage—verses that remind us that Jesus wants us to become as little children in the way that we trust in his unconditional love for us, and how we are to extend this to others. As Molldrem points out, “We must allow God to be God. The law stands over against us (“for your hardness of heart”), while at the same time Jesus receives us as we are, like children being swept up into his blessing arms (Mark 10:13-16).”
—Becky+
Questions for Self-Reflection
What are some passages of scripture that you have found personally challenging?
Which complicated or contradictory parts of the Bible do you feel curiosity to learn more about as a way of deepening your faith?
Daily Challenge
Pick a passage of scripture (or of theological writing) that you have found confusing or challenging and commit to reading and reflecting on it in prayer throughout the rest of this week. Seek out what others have written about this text, or seek out someone with whom you can share a conversation with about this challenging text. Write your own reflection about what you learned about the text, about yourself, and about God through doing this.