Sunday, October 06, 2024

God's plan or yours?

 While this Sunday the Revised Common Lectionary cuts out a large part of Hebrews chapter 1 and a slice of Hebrews chapter 2, I looked at the Gospel reading and was left wondering how the revisionist preacher would handle it.

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.

I imagine that the typical revisionist preacher will avoid talking about the first two paragraphs altogether and focus on the third one, or he/she/it will not even touch the Gospel reading and instead focus on where he/she/it took the grandchildren last week.

 When Jesus talks about human sexual relationships, he goes back to the beginning, a time before sin, and God's design for us. 

When the revisionist talks about human sexual relationships, he/she/it must push things to the present and humanity's designs, so he/she/it has to ignore Mark chapter 10 among other things.

Who will you follow, God or man?


1 comment:

  1. A.R.Hill8:55 AM

    A Christian follows God - Indeed! One note to add: Under the Law of Moses a wife does not posses the power of divorce. Maybe departed from or deserted her husband per or to quote David Bentley Hart.

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