TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, October 3, 2021
(Genesis 2:18-24;
Hebrews 2:8-11; Mark 10:2-12)
The world
deplores what has happened in Afghanistan. People everywhere lament the fact
that the Taliban have taken back the reins of government. For twenty years
girls have attended schools. Now they are restricted to learning in private.
For twenty years women have been able to hold positions in society. Now they
have to confine themselves to their homes. Jesus too is saddened by this new
reality.
In the
gospel, Jesus advocates for the good of women. The Pharisees want to trip him
up with the question about divorce. It seems that for them it is not a problem
that the man can divorce his wife. The prospect that the woman will be left
without resources does not seem to be their concern. The only question seems to
be theoretical: what is the reason for the divorce? They are asking Jesus if one
can get divorced for incidental things like a man becoming infatuated with a younger
woman. Or does it have to be a serious offense like adultery on the part of the
woman? Jesus' response forbidding divorce saves the woman from both poverty and
the shame of being abandoned by her husband.
By
prohibiting divorce Jesus also rescues the institution of marriage. If one
could get in and out of marriage as easily as buying and selling a donkey, marriage will
soon be considered insignificant. People would not want to fully commit themselves
one another. They would be creating reservations in their mind specifying the
indications to let go of the relationship. Unfortunately, we are seeing the
downfall of marriage in our day for this reason. For a hundred years there have
been no great stigmas attached to divorce in many places. The result has been
not only many divorces but also less desire to marry, fewer children to
continue the culture, and, worst of all, many children without parents at home
to guide them.
We need
stable marriages for many reasons. It is the best environment to raise
children. If young ones are to become adults responsible to family, community,
and God, the strength, the tenderness, and the wisdom of both mother and father
are by and large indispensable. Marriage also matures the two people. Newlyweds learn
early that other people grow up differently so that each has to adjust to the
other to avoid serious problems. Finally, marriage provides unconditional
support to overcome the great challenges of life: among others, the loss of a
job, the death of loved ones, and serious illness. In this sense, a good
marriage provides a person with a sense of God's love.
However, we
do not mean to say that marriage is absolutely necessary for successful living.
A man recently died who was the head of one of the largest corporations in the
world. When he retired, he dedicated himself to helping children in schools and
hospitals. He said that one reason for his success was that he remained single.
Nor do we mean that the married person has to stay with an abusive spouse. If
the person is being beaten or is forced to commit sin, he or she must separate.
And those people who are in a second marriage, what should they do? First, they
have to fulfill their responsibilities to all their children and, perhaps, the
first wife or husband. Then, the validity of the first marriage can be
examined. Not infrequently the events surrounding the marriage rendered the matrimony null from the beginning.
It is a
measure of the love of Jesus and the importance of marriage that he bothers to
answer the question of the Pharisees. He realizes they desire to see him stumble,
but he knows that his disciples need the correct orientation toward marriage.
Human life would not be possible without good marriage. Yes, people can be born
outside of marriage, but they would whither soon if there were not others nearby who
know the love of married parents.
