Jesus replied, “Have you not read, that, in the beginning, the Creator made them male and
female? And the Creator said: Therefore, a man shall leave father and mother, and be
joined to his wife, and the two shall become one body. So, they are no longer two, but one
body. Let no one separate what God has joined.”
They asked him, “Then why did Moses command us to write a bill of dismissal in order
to divorce?” Jesus replied, “Moses knew the hardness of your hearts, so he allowed you
to divorce your wives; but it was not so in the beginning. Therefore, I say to you:
whoever divorces his wife, unless it be for immorality, and marries another, commits
adultery.”
The disciples said, “If that is the condition of a married man, it is better not to marry.”
Jesus said to them, “Not everybody can accept what you have just said, but only those
who have received this gift. There are eunuchs born so, from their mother’s womb.
Some have been made that way by others. But there are some who have given up the
possibility of marriage, for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who can
accept it, accept it.”
Reflect
Look at any store shelf and it will tell you a lot about the culture. The labels all say things
like “new and improved,” “instant,” and “disposable.” We are always looking for the next
best thing. We want our results fast. We want to be able to use things and toss them without
need for maintenance or need for storage.
While these traits are not necessarily bad in and of themselves, they can encourage us to
consume more than we need, damaging the environment. The greater danger arises
though when we apply our consumer values to our human relationships. We look for new
and improved friends or spouses, “trading up” instead of remaining faithful and committed.
Instead of working to improve a marriage, we look for an instant fix or walk away. We treat
people as though they are disposable, to be discarded when they are no longer of use. But
Jesus reminds us that this way of living is not God’s plan for us. God calls us to loving
commitment. May God soften our hardened hearts.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023