Mark 10:1-12

Sirach 6:5-17

Psalm 119L12, 16, 18, 27, 34, 35

Mark 10:1-12

Jesus came into the district of Judea and across the Jordan.

Again crowds gathered around him and, as was his custom,

he again taught them.

The Pharisees approached him and asked,

“Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?”

They were testing him.

He said to them in reply, “What did Moses command you?”

They replied,

“Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce

and dismiss her.”

But Jesus told them,

“Because of the hardness of your hearts

he wrote you this commandment.

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,

no human being must separate.”

In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this.

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.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, I praise you for your mercy and love. You are just in all that you have done. When I sinned, you did not abandon me but called to me and welcomed me back with open arms.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Trying to Trap Jesus: Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem and was imparting important teachings to his followers and disciples. In his discussion with the Pharisees, the topic of divorce came up. The Pharisees weren’t really interested in Jesus’ teaching but wanted to test him and asked: “Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?” It is possible that since they were “across the Jordan” and in Perea, a region governed by Herod Antipas, they wanted Jesus to deny the legality of divorce and draw upon himself the wrath of Herod and his mistress, Herodias. “For it was well known that Herod, the ruler of this territory, and his consort had abandoned their spouses in order to remarry. Because John the Baptist had been executed for condemning their unlawful union (Mark 6:17-19) as he ministered in this very region (Mark 10:1), the Pharisees hope Jesu will meet the same fate as John by making the same outspoken mistake” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: Old and New Testament, 1806). 

2. The Old Law of Moses and the Original Law of God: If Jesus gave a simple yes answer to their question, the Pharisees would be able to accuse Jesus of contradicting his own teaching. If Jesus had given a no answer, the Pharisees would have been able to accuse him of contradicting the Law of Moses. In rabbinic fashion, Jesus answers their difficult test and question with a question of his own: “What did Moses command you?” By asking the question, Jesus was able to introduce a key distinction between what God originally commanded at Sinai and what Moses eventually commanded on the plains of Moab. In fact, one of the keys to understanding the Book of Deuteronomy is that it is the “Second Law,” that is, the Law that Moses gave at the end of the 40 years of wandering in the desert. After 40 years, Moses was frustrated by the continual rebellions and sins of the people, by their “hardness of heart.” And as the Book of Ezekiel judges, some of the laws – that Moses gave in Deuteronomy – were not good (Ezekiel 20:25). This is the way Jesus judges the Law Moses gave concerning divorce: “Because of the hardness of your hearts he wrote you this commandment” (Mark 10:5). When Jesus gives the New Law, it harkens back to the original plan of God for marriage. Divorce and remarriage are prohibited in the New Covenant.

3. A Faithful Friend: In the First Reading, the Book of Sirach offers practical wisdom about friendship. “Let your acquaintances be many, but one in a thousand your confidant” (Sirach 6:6). True and close friends are few in number. Sirach puts its readers on guard against trusting a new friend too quickly. They may be only acting like your friend for their own gain. False friends will flee when suffering or misfortune befalls you. True friends will remain at your side and support you through thick and thin. A true and faithful friend is a “sturdy shelter,” is “beyond price,” and is “a life-saving remedy.” A faithful friend is a gift from the Lord to those who fear him. The same can be said for a faithful spouse. Just as true friends will walk with us toward our heavenly home, an ideal for Christian marriage in this life is to walk hand-in-hand toward heaven.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, my brother and faithful friend, walk with me and teach me your ways. You are my true confidant. I can tell you anything, and you will give me good counsel. You are my sturdy shelter, the pearl of great price, and have saved my life!

Living the Word of God: Who are my closest friends? What is our friendship based on? How can I be a better friend and aid them on the path of salvation?