² And Pharisees came up and in order to test him 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 divorce, and to put her away."
⁵ But Jesus said to them, "For your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment.
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 What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder."
¹⁰ And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter.
¹¹ And 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 And they were bringing children to him, that he might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them.
¹⁴ But when Jesus saw it he was indignant, and said to them, "Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God.
¹⁵ Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it."
¹⁶ And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands upon them.

• (v.4) Jesus explains the intention of the law on divorce. Accepting that divorce was a common custom, Moses' law sought to protect the wife from abuse. The 'certificate of dismissal' was a public proof that the wife was free from obligations to her husband, and could remarry.
• (vv.6-9) Jesus goes beyond Moses and uses the Genesis passage "in the beginning of creation" to explain God's original intention. In creating male and female, God intended marriage to be for one man and one woman, an indissoluble union ("the two become one body"). This union is also unbreakable because God is the author (v. 9). In these few verses, Jesus challenges spouses to live faithfully and united until death.
• (v.11) In Jewish law, a man could only commit adultery against another man, i.e., if he has relations with the other man's wife. He could not commit adultery against his own wife. Jesus, revolutionary for his times, is explicit that a sin is committed "against her" when a man divorces his wife. He elevates the woman to the real equality of the man.
• (vv.13-14) Mark describes a lively scene here. Children are brought to Jesus, "to have him touch them," an act of blessing. The disciples argue against this, probably reflecting the ancient view of children as unimportant. Jesus, in turn, rebuffs his disciples. This passage points out how the disciples continue to misunderstand Jesus.
• (vv.14-15) In asking us to receive his teaching like a child, Jesus invites us to look within and realize our own human helplessness. Like a child, we must recognize our lack of power, and thus with open hearts, receive God's teachings as a gift. Children accept the gift of the kingdom in a way adults do not--they receive with total trust.

God, who is Love, defines for us--created in His image--what love is. It is the giving up of one's self, as in a marriage, "so they are no longer two but one body." It is the trust and hope present in every child's heart.

1. What teachings of Christ am I struggling with right now? Can I trust Him enough to follow His way, even if , currently, I lack understanding?
2. Reflecting on my childhood, how happily dependent I was on my parents, and how I eagerly awaited their gifts, I ask God to restore that attitude to me. So that with open heart, I trust His teachings; I trust that they will lead me to my true and everlasting happiness.

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A synthesis by the Vietnamese Christian Life (Dong Hanh) Community