Uncomfortable Words (For Revisionist Preachers)

This Sunday's reading is from Mark 10:2-16,

Some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?’ He answered them, ‘What did Moses command you?’ They said, ‘Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.’ But Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. 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, let no one separate.’
Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 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.’People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to 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. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’ And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

The last time I heard a revisionist Episcopal priest give a sermon after this Gospel reading, the focus was on the little children being brought to Jesus and how Jews considered children to be unclean, and that no respectable rabbi would ever touch them. "Humbug", I thought and understood he was not going to talk about the elephant in the pews, you know, Jesus' opinions about marriage and divorce.

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, let no one separate.’

These "red letter words" are hard for revisionists to spin so they are usually conveniently ignored. Once ignored, everything else falls into place. Romans 1 can be trashed, the Old Testament can be bashed, and any part of scripture that you don't like can be buried.

Jesus' words are so plain here in taking us back to the beginning of creation. You can't argue with him on this unless you are willing to deny his Lordship by saying that he was wrong, or that he was meeting his audience where they were, or that his statement is about heterosexuals and has no bearing on same-sex marriage.

If you are in an parish where your preacher tries one of those arguments, or if he/she/it ignores those "uncomfortable" words, close your wallet or pocketbook and run for your life.