God’s Law and Man’s Law
27th Sunday Ordinary Time Cycle B
Jesus replied, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
Mk 10:2-16
A woman fed up with his husband one day prayed to God, “God give me another husband.” God told her that He would answer her prayers but not in the way she wanted. Instead of changing her husband, God would change her. God would make her more understanding, forgiving, and affirming. God answered her prayers thus. Instead of changing the man, God changed the woman. God made her more patient with her husband and because of that, her husband eventually also changed himself.
The solution to broken relationships lies with the persons involved in the relation. Unless the person is healed, the person would never relate well in any new relationship.
The Jews in this Sunday’s gospel told Jesus that Moses permitted divorce. Yet Jesus answered them that from the creation of man and woman God Himself made the two as one and should always remain thus. He was firm in His conclusion when He said, “Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate.” It is as if Jesus was telling the stubborn Jewish law makers “Make no mistake about this. Follow God and not Moses.”
In this short episode it is evident that divorce is a mere human law that should not be followed in all circumstances. Marriage on the other hand is the original law written by God Himself – God’s intention woven into man’s essential nature. Divorce is merely an amendment written by legislators to accommodate man’s whim.
The first reading reinforces this in its conclusion “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one flesh.” Gn 2:18-2
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