Reflection
from Mk 10:2-16
In the beginning of today’s gospel Jesus
was teaching the people as he always did. Suddenly some Pharisees came to him,
trying to trap him. The matter was about divorce. Jesus perceived their bad
intention, but even so welcomed them well, listening to them with patience and
valuing their effort in questioning him. In the dialogue with Jesus, their
unique problem was the deficient vision about matrimony and family. Jesus
corrects this mentality, reminding them about the original plan of God concerning
man and woman. He speaks also about adultery as result of the divorce and shows
special relationship with the children who merit to be respected and valued so
that they can grow in security and joy.
Some Pharisees
use the Law of Moses to trap Jesus. According to their mentality, this Law
allows divorce, but Jesus doesn’t agree with them. Why does Jesus have a different
position in relating to this matter of the Law? According to the Book of
Deuteronomy 24, the man can write a letter of divorce if he finds something in
his wife which he doesn’t like. The woman had very few opportunities to present
letter of divorce to his husband, for example, if the husband was infected with
leprosy. In this context the situation of the woman was very difficult because she
was bullied and depended of the good will of the man. But Jesus helps them to
think better because the Law was made for the good of the people and not the
people for the good of law.
The position
of Jesus is very clear. He came to reveal the original plan of God and
according to this plan, both man and woman have been created liked and
resembled God and God shared with them his love which makes them to desire one
another and at last to leave their parents, to unite themselves and be one
body. This reality shows that the man doesn’t have right to do what he wants
with his wife, for example, to abandon the wife in any moment he wants. So,
their union means that they cannot abandon each other or to be separated. The
main objective of Jesus is to recover the dignity of the woman removed by the
Law. According to Jesus woman has right of being respected in the matrimonial
life and not being mistreated or dominated like possession. The intention of
God is that husband and wife continue growing in love and lastly get eternal
life. And we can share this plan of God of living unity of life in our families
or communities.
Human
desire to love and to be loved is the reason of the
existence of the marriage and the family. The family is the base of human
experience and anything which goes against this principio is prohibited in the
Bible. For that “don’t commit adultery” is included among the Ten Commandments.
Why does adultery threaten the family? Adultery can destroy a family because it
can result in pregnancy and the birth of a child. That child will start out
life with no family. If adultery doesn’t destroy a family, it almost always
causes terrible harm to a marriage, such as sense of betrayal and loss of trust
which means that adultery causes a fraudulent life. It is necessary to be
careful with some kinds of friendship. When the husband or wife has some
friendship with relationship stronger than which he/she has with the spouse it is
more difficult to resist to the adultery. When a husband or wife is having sex
with someone other than their spouse, the thought cannot release about another
person and how to deceive the spouse. Adultery doesn’t protect the family and
doesn’t protect the spouses from emotional pain.
Protecting the family is the reason for the
commandment. Why the family is so important? Because without it the social
stability is impossible. Because without it the passing on of society’s values
from generation to generation is impossible. Because the relationship between
parents and children make them more responsible and mature. Because more than
anything else the family satisfies emotional and material needs, giving to the
children secure and stable childhood.
Fr Ndega
Review: Sara
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