Spring arrives at MSF... |
“Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?”
They were testing him.
Saint Mark’s
editorial remark throws a wholly different light on Jesus’ teaching, “They were
testing him.” Apparently, they knew his opinion already because
they knew the Law of Moses. Jesus did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it.
Sometime in the
early 1980’s a woman asked me the Church’s teaching about adultery? I assured
her that it had not changed through all the upheavals of the 1960’s and 1970’s.
It was pretty well spelled out in the Decalogue. She had been told otherwise by
a minister who exploited her vulnerability.
Since time immemorial, it seems, people have waited for God to
change the commandments about marriage. When his disappointed disciples
realized that Jesus would not change the ancient teaching they remarked,
“If that is the case of a man with
his wife, it is better not to marry.” He answered, “Not all can accept [this]
word, but only those to whom that is granted.”
The fact is not everyone should get married. It is a
privilege not given to everyone. Nor, for that matter, is it a right. I remember
another woman who wanted to discuss with me the question of marrying once
again, for the seventh time. (Actually, she would remarry number five; he said he’d
kill himself if she refused.) When I suggested, “Maybe you should never have
married in the first place.” she said that had never occurred to her.
The sudden acceptance of “gay marriage” has caught many by
surprise. To anyone who knows our philosophical and religious tradition, the idea
is obviously absurd. Its acceptance only reveals the widespread failure of Christian
education and formation.
One facetious argument is that gay marriage is like miscegenation,
which was illegal in many states. If a black man can marry a white woman, why
can’t two men marry each other? The answer should be obvious: a black man and a
white woman can conceive children. A gay couple cannot. ...all in awhirl. |
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.