Beautiful Tension

by Keith Amodia

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 10:2-16.

The Pharisees approached Jesus and asked,

“Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?”

They were testing him.

He said to them in reply, “What did Moses command you?”

They replied,

“Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce

and dismiss her.”

But Jesus told them,

“Because of the hardness of your hearts

he wrote you this commandment.

But 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.

So they are no longer two but one flesh.

Therefore what God has joined together,

no human being must separate.”

In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this.

He said to them,

“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another

commits adultery against her;

and if she divorces her husband and marries another,

she commits adultery.”

And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them,

but the disciples rebuked them.

When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them,

“Let the children come to me;

do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to

such as these.

Amen, I say to you,

whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child

will not enter it.”

Then he embraced them and blessed them
placing his hands on them.

—

Reflection

The Church has always upheld the dignity of Marriage as a divine institution that unites man and woman. The beautiful thing about marriage is that it is not just a choice made by both man and woman. Jesus pointed out that Divine Will deigned to unite man and woman in marriage: “… what God has joined.” This points out to us the unitive nature of God. He unites all things together.

Young people often ask what are the signs of doing God’s Will. God’s Will seeks to bring out unity and harmony in all things. Love unites the many into one. It makes something beautiful out of differences. It transforms contrast into complementarity. With man and woman made differently, God has designed their differences to make a beautiful whole.

God is not in discord but He exists in the beautiful tension of complementary unity. Especially in marriage, where the man and woman find themselves different more than the same, there God is working to bring out the complete face of His love. Human love must learn to live with beautiful tension in order to learn what divine love is all about.

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