Sunday Reflections 7 October 2012

 

Marriage,divorce and adultery

 "Will be true to you in sickness,good and bad times ... till death do us apart"  

 

Last  Sunday’s Gospel reading concerns a very relevant issue today – divorce, which is becoming so rampant these days among the people of all cultures and faith, even among Catholics. It is also the greatest evil that is tearing apart the family unit and is directly or indirectly the cause of many of our social and moral problems in the world.

I like to share some thoughts as put to me by the priest at the sermon last Sunday.

Jesus was very clearly against divorce as can be seen from his words, “What God has united, human beings must not divide. … Whoever divorces his wife and marries another is guilty of adultery against her.  And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another she is guilty of adultery too.” We all know that adultery was a very serious and shameful act punishable by stoning to death at that time.

Knowing Christ’s strong words against divorce, why do Christians, his followers, still condone divorce? The Catholic Church’s teaching is very clear and it has definite guidelines on divorce and remarriage. But dos did waver when those involved are powerful personalities?

Our parents and grandparents did not have any option when their marriage got into problems as divorce was not acceptable to them. Therefore they stood by their marriage wows till death did them apart, thereby saving their marriage and the family unit and peace.

Today things are totally different. We have divorce as a solution for our marital problems and unfortunately it has become the first and most easily available option to us even for the most trivial reasons.

With the increasing rate of divorce the family unit and the moral values of society is rapidly disintegrating so fast that the basic human values are at risk of being totally lost in the near future. Despite we becoming apparently more religious, our morals and values have all deteriorated to the extent that it has become irreversible. Where have we gone wrong?  Is there a way to correct the situation?  

As Christians who are married or intending to do so, let’s take seriously the teachings of Jesus on marriage, divorce and adultery. Let’s do our utmost and exhaust all means available to us before resorting to divorce. We must remember that God had sanctioned our marriage and our wows we made in front Him. If we truly love Jesus as we claim then we should not divide whom He had united.

Gospel, Mark 10:2-16

 Some Pharisees approached him and asked, 'Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?' They were putting him to the test.

 He answered them, 'What did Moses command you?'

 They replied, 'Moses allowed us to draw up a writ of dismissal in cases of divorce.'

 Then Jesus said to them, 'It was because you were so hard hearted that he wrote this commandment for you.

 But from the beginning of creation he made them male and female.

 This is why a man leaves his father and mother,

  and the two become one flesh. They are no longer two, therefore, but one flesh.

 So then, what God has united, human beings must not divide.'

  Back in the house the disciples questioned him again about this,

 and he said to them, 'Whoever divorces his wife and marries another is guilty of adultery against her.

 And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another she is guilty of adultery too.'

  People were bringing little children to him, for him to touch them. The disciples scolded them,

 but when Jesus saw this he was indignant and said to them, 'Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.

  In truth I tell you, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.'

  Then he embraced them, laid his hands on them and gave them his blessing.