Divorce, the rich man, serving others and ole blind Bart.
Let’s begin with a quick statement about divorce, because this topic seems to get more attention than most others. Jesus concedes that Moses permitted divorce because the hearts of men were hardened. The men didn’t care about their wives the way they were intended to from the beginning. Instead, they were treated more like property or livestock. It’s hard to imagine, having been raised in such a different time, but in Moses’ day women had no options for income and survival other than marriage, save prostitution. And a woman who couldn’t produce sons for her husband would be in danger of being discharged, and losing her livelihood. Worse than that, women were divorced for almost any reason, any failure to keep their husbands happy. These women were now “used property” and as such they weren’t as valuable or sought after by others. A divorce could mean starvation or extreme poverty, unless you had a wealthy family to fall back on.
Jesus simply states that it was never intended to be like this. Women who joined with a man were to stay with him forever, in a relationship of mutual love and respect. But that still isn’t the case today, because we are a fallen people and we don’t always treat each other well. The world in which men and women stay together has been corrupted. Sure, it’s still possible, if both the husband and wife are devoted followers of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit will work in both of those lives to make them truly “one”. I can personally attest to this, as I believe it has happened to my wife and I. Without Jesus, I wouldn’t have given my marriage much of a chance…I was too selfish and uncaring. But God began changing me when I accepted Him, and slowly I became a better marriage partner. My wife put up with a lot over the years, but through it all we learned to enjoy each other’s company and appreciate each other’s talents.
However, there are people who simply haven’t regenerated, or haven’t done so quick enough to save their marriage. When they divorce, is it sin? Yes. Are they committing adultery to remarry? Yes. Unless their sin is forgiven, in which case it “never happened” and God isn’t holding the failed marriage against them. If they happen to marry without asking forgiveness, and at some later point in life they confess and ask forgiveness then their lives are cleansed from sin, just as if they had never sinned. Forgiveness is an incredible thing.
Divorce isn’t the unforgivable sin. It’s just one more way that men and women fall short of God’s original plan for us. God never intended for us to hate either, and every time we do, then we are guilty of murder. Some of us are watching the cable news and condemning ourselves every night. This type of behavior should end as we mature. In the same we we grow in our marriages, we should grow in our other relationships. Our relationship to entertainment should mature and develop into something healthy as well.
This post is getting a little long (for me) but I wanted to comment on the rich man, because I think we often confuse what’s going on here as well. Jesus isn’t saying that wealthy people can’t get into heaven, that would be crazy. What he’s saying is that people who love wealth more than Him can’t get in. You can only have one “God” in your life, and you cannot “serve both God and money”. I noticed something in the last two readings (Mark 10 and Matthew 19). Jesus doesn’t quote all of the commandments correctly. In Matthew he adds in “love your neighbors” and in Mark he adds “don’t cheat”. In both cases the one commandment He fails to mention is “don’t covet your neighbors possessions”. I think this is instructive for us. The rich man had kept all the commands except the one that Jesus didn’t mention until the very end. The reason this man walked away sad wasn’t simply because he had great riches, it was because he wanted more and more. Apparently he couldn’t let go of the wealth, which leads me to conclude he was guilty of wanting what his neighbors had.
How do we free ourselves from this temptation to make money our God? Simple. Give the money away when God asks you to. If you can’t put your tithe into the offering plate, and if you can’t use some of your savings to help fellow Christians who are in need, then you have a problem. You might be right where the rich young ruler is…outside of God’s favor, and outside of heaven. Take a quick look at your net worth…is it more valuable than an eternity with Christ? Would you rather have your resources here, or His resources there? I’m not saying that you have to give everything away, just what God asks for. If he asks for it all, then give it. Make up your mind right now to give to God whatever he asks. He has already promised that you will receive 100 times as much in this life, and then eternal life in the next. Good grief man, don’t be stupid about this.
Let’s finish up today with a few comments about the blind man.
Bart was far away from Jesus, and couldn’t find his way there. It was hard enough for a man with sight to get though the crowd, let alone a blind man. So Bart did what he could, he began to yell. Jesus didn’t respond when Bart yelled the first time…but I’ll bet he heard him! I wouldn’t be surprised if Jesus didn’t know he was going to heal Bart from the very first shout. You can tell when some people begin shouting whether or not they are going to get tired and stop. Bart wasn’t stopping. Bart is a reflection of how we should pray. Pray and don’t give up. Keep pleading with God, even when he doesn’t answer…because He will answer!
The good news, the best news…is that Jesus told the crowd “bring Bart to me”. It reminds me of the father who waited alongside the road for his prodigal to return, and when he saw him in the distance he ran toward him. Jesus stopped and called Bart to himself, when Bart couldn’t make it there alone.
Cheer up! He’s calling you too!
PR