Mark 10:2-16
2 Some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” 5 But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. 6 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7 ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
10 Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11 He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; 12 and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
13 People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. 14 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. 15 Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.
Jesus' Teaching about the Family
Again, burning questions are addressed of Jesus trying to trap Him, refute His message, and prove that He is not the awaited Messiah. This time, they ask about divorce, which was and remains one of the problematic issues in human life.
They refer to Moses, which means the Pentateuch, to enhance their rationality by asking Jesus about divorce. "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife by giving her a certificate of dismissal?" (v 2-4).
Jesus reminds them to refer to positive biblical values much more than to their traditional interpretations. He is not discussing who has the right to initiate and execute divorce. Jesus refers to the very foundation of the marriage between a man and a woman as blessed by God since the beginning of creation.
We notice how Jesus insists on equal rights/responsibilities for both the man and the woman, to honor the bond of marriage and to bear the consequences of breaking it. The hardness of hearts or degrading the value of marriage according to God's will as inspired in biblical teaching lead to the destruction of the pillars of family life.
Nowadays it is a burning question in many societies that needs to be reconsidered in the light of Jesus' teaching. This is in many ways difficult to accept, but with God nothing is impossible. Jesus wants men and women to enjoy life and promote each other's personalities through a real family and through shared responsibilities.
As a mature result of this lawful and faithful bond, spouses who love each other are inspired to continue growing individually and accomplish goals together. One of these goals is to co-create children with God, care for their growth, wisdom and stature as Jesus did, and prepare them to contribute positively to society. Luke 2:52, "Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man."
We see the Lord Jesus "taking up the children in his arms, laying his hands on them and blessing them" (v. 16). This is the family Jesus wants to bless in His Church.