You Remove All Obstacles For Me
Mk 10: 2 – 16
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Introduction
Today’s gospel tells us about a discussion that broke out between
Jesus and some Pharisees regarding the issue about divorce. The Pharisees insisted
on the legality of divorce, saying that Moses allowed it. Jesus instead tells
them that it was never God’s plan to separate husband and wife since the
beginning. The reading then ends with Jesus
blessing children who were brought to him.
The
Gospel
In an apparent attempt to test Jesus, the Pharisees posed a
question to Jesus asking him: “ Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?” Jesus asked them in return: “ What did Moses
command you?” The Pharisees then replied back with what seems to be a passage
from Deut 24: 1- 4 which says that Moses permitted a man to write a bill of
divorce in order to dismiss his wife.
Jesus then replied: “ Because of the hardness of your hearts
he wrote you this commandment.” Jesus then continued: “ 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.”
With this reply, Jesus clarifies and corrects what the
Pharisees have long believed about divorce. The permission to divorce was given
by Moses as a kind of concession to human weakness. But as Jesus emphasized,
such concession was not in conformity with God’s original plan.
What stood out, however, in this discussion in the end were Jesus’
final words about divorce which to this day have become the authoritative basis
for our belief in the indissolubility of marriage: “ What God has joined
together, no human being must separate.”
After this discussion, Jesus and his disciples moved into a
house. There, Jesus reaffirms the indissolubility of marriage and the
implications of divorce, saying : “ Whoever divorces his wife and marries
another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and
marries another, she commits adultery.”
Then, while in the house, some people brought children to
Jesus so that he may touch them. The disciples, however rebuked them. The
Gospel tells us that Jesus became indignant as he saw how his disciples turned
away the children being brought to him. Jesus then says: “ Let the children
come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as
these.
He then further said: “ Amen, I say to you, whoever does not
accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it. “
Reflection
Our Gospel takes us to a very contentious issue, the issue
about divorce. Already in Jesus’ own time, this was a hotly debated issue. Unfortunately,
to this day, it still remains to be a contentious issue.
But what becomes clear from our reading is that God’s own
plans and designs can at times be distorted by our own unwillingness to follow
his will. Jesus points to us that laws created by men do not necessarily
reflect God’s own original designs especially if these laws were legislated in
order to favor and concede to some human weaknesses.
Our “hardness of heart” blocks God’s designs and purposes.
Our hardness of heart blurs our understanding of God’s will and can send us off
to an unending downward spiral path of covetousness where “one who divorces his
wife marries another.” Our hardness of heart can always conveniently make what
is wrong, appear to be right.
But strangely, the evangelist Mark places this story about
the debate regarding divorce alongside the story of children who wanted to come
and be blessed by Jesus. It appears that the story about the children has
nothing to do with this great debate and seems out of place. But by placing
these stories side by side, the evangelist Mark wants to tell us a very
powerful message.
First, there is a contrast between those who want divorce and
the little children who came to Jesus. Those who advocate divorce insist on it
simply because of their own motives. Children, on the other hand, do not have
hidden motives or self interests. They are pure and simple. They have nothing
to hide and simply go along as directed.
Second, there is a contrast between those who advocate
divorce and children, as far as accepting God’s designs and plans are concerned. For those
wanting divorce, there is a clear resistance to follow God’s designs. Divorce
was never God’s plan from the very beginning.
If we could just accept God’s kingdom with no resistance like
little children, then God can indeed lead us to the fulfillment of his own
designs for us. Indeed, Jesus himself,
removes all the hindrances that keep the children from approaching him as
he became indignant at the disciples who drove them away, saying: “ Let the
children come to me; do not prevent them…”
In placing the two stories side by side, the evangelist Mark
seems to show us a contrast between those who resist God’s plans and those who
do not. God’s kingdom is better accepted with the attitude of a child.
In wanting us to be like children, Jesus also shows us what
children love to do; children spontaneously reach out to him, wanting to touch
him and wanting to be blessed by him. Our hardness of heart can indeed become
the single biggest block to approaching Jesus and in accepting his kingdom in
our lives.
Let us pray to the good Lord that we may be like little
children who simply want to be with the Lord.
Prayer
Dear Jesus, there have been times when I resisted your plans
for me. But today, you tell me to be like a child who simply wants to go near
you to be blessed and be embraced by you. For when I become a child, you remove
all obstacles for me that block my way to you. Amen.
“ Out of the mouths of
babes and infants, you have founded a bulwark because of your foes, to silence
the enemy and the avenger.” – Psalm 8: 2
For more Gospel reflections
like this, visit my blog:
thevineyardlaborer.blogspot.com
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