Seeking God's Kingdom (Oct 4)
2009-09-30 by Amy Malick
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I married, divorced young, and remarried almost 30 years ago. My children from the first marriage, whom my second husband raised, are in their 30's with children of their own. Only in recent years have I begun to understand what I believe Jesus, in this passage, is explaining to be God's vision for the kingdom - and how I, in my humanity, fell short. In my case, I see the "one flesh" of my first union embodied in my children. Although both I and my first husband married well the second time, and each of us has been happily married for three decades, our children are paying the consequence, and continue to suffer in often subtle ways from the divorce. As one person in a Bible study last week on this passage pointed out, the "adultry" Jesus says I committed by divorcing and remarrying may ultimately have been adultry against God's perfect plan for me. Yet, as I read these harsh-seeming words of Jesus, I am comforted, not shamed, because I know God has established my freedom from sin through Jesus. The law, by shining a light on our human frailty, is a gift to show us our need for God's salvation. Jesus asks me to come to him as a child, with trust and faith to live in the abundance of freedom. In your sermon, help us to see through the rules to the rulemaker.



Sanctity of marriage (Oct 4)
2009-09-30 by Tim Norton
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I believe this passage illustrates the passion Jesus felt for the institution and sanctity of marriage. The Pharisees, after all, came to test Jesus. They posed a question designed to trick Jesus, challenge his authority, and to, with luck, catch him unprepared for their assault. If he answered poorly, he would lose integrity with his crowd of followers, which would in turn, solidify the Pharisees' authority in the eyes of the populace. I don't think they were the slightest bit interested in the rules of marriage and divorce. Jesus knew this and challenged them right back. They knew the law verbatim, but had long forgotten why and by whom the law was written.

Moses had to deal with a population whose faith waned in strength and conviction regularly. Forty years spent in the wilderness, having to deal with a restless people daily, Moses must have agreed to the "certificate of dismissal" to placate some mutinous stirrings of malcontent. He did the best he could, but Moses was not God. Jesus, on the other hand, saw marriage from a pure standpoint, from the point of view of the Creator. Was he challenging them to look beyond the reactionary nature of the law by quoting scripture? If they believed, as revealed in Genesis, that "a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh", and that "what God has joined together, let no one separate", if they believed that to be the word of God, how could they even consider the concept of divorce?

Tough things to consider these days. Divorce is often too convenient an option for at-risk marriages. So is Jesus saying it should not be an option? Does he expect us to lead a sinless life? I, for one, am quite sure that would be impossible for me. If I consider only the ten commandments as the law of God, I know I've broken nearly all of them at one time or another by what I have done or condoned through inaction. Perhaps he is telling me to be aware of my sin, to strive to live righteously, and that when I fail, as I do, his forgiveness, his sacrifice, is there to make me whole again so I can keep on plugging away. Perhaps he is telling me to raise my sights and stay focused on his lead.

We are all children of God, and in God's eyes we are always children. We try, strive, reach and climb - and fall, everyone of us does. In our childhood we are children, in our adulthood we are children. Jesus tells us reach for the kingdom of God, let God do the rest. He's been doing it for a long time, actually forever.

Moses vs. Jesus Must I Choose? (Oct 4)
2009-09-30 by John Roberts
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When Jesus was preaching, divorce was a hot topic. The basic Jewish scripture is Deuteronomy 24:1. The basis for divorce was exclusively a fault in the woman. Women were treated as property. There were two schools of Jewish thought. One view was that only adultery was a reason for divorce. The other view was anything that displeased the husband. Guess which view was more popular? Jesus said that the Genesis scripture was more important than the Deuteronomy scripture. What do we do today with scriptural conflicts?

A recent convert to Christianity asked me why there were Presbyterians who believed that women should be active and participate in every phase of the church and other Presbyterians who limit women's participation. Both groups quote scripture for support.

How do you explain that in a sermon? Which side do you think Jesus would choose?

Is it really not relevant, or does it just make us uncomfortable? (Oct 4)
2009-09-30 by Theadora Gabrielson
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How ironic that Jesus' comments on divorce are connected to his instructions to his disciples about allowing children to come to him.  In our culture, where it is often more difficult to get married than divorced, and being the child from an intact family is the oddity, this passage certainly seems to speak to us.  But, is it a message we want to hear?  Have we hardened our hearts to God's vision and purpose of marriage?  Certainly this passage is one that we can brush aside and agree en masse that it is not relevant for our times. 

I admire those pastors willing to step up to the pulpit and speak these words.  I imagine churches full of uncomfortable parishoners, perhaps offended that the pastor would suggest that they, faithful church-goers, good people, were unable to fulfill what God wants to see in our lives.  Hopefully, those uncomfortable feelings will help all of us acknowledge that as hard as we try, we are unable to live up to God's expectations and that we need God's unending grace as we continue to trip and stumble our way through life.   Fortunately, God's love is not tied to our ability to follow "the law".  Jesus Christ died on the cross so we can recognize that although we may feel uncomfortable hearing how we have failed, we can be secure in his love and forgiveness.

 

The Importance of All in God's Sight (Oct 4)
2009-09-29 by Camille Alleyne
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In addressing divorce Jesus speaks of both man and woman as equal, with the same rights in the divorce process. This process of divorce seems not to be the most important consideration with because Jesus speaks of the permanency of marriage, where man and woman become one.

Jesus further reminds us that it is to the lowly, the unimportant in the eyes of mankind who are important in the eyes of God. Here a parallel could be seen when Jesus elevates a woman to the same level as a man in the divorce process and reminds the disciples that it is to the children (who were the least important) that the kingdom of God belongs.

What should we make of the statement whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it?

 

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