[00:00:05] Hello! My name is Sally Moriarty-Flask; welcome to: From His Word to Our Hearts, my weekly Bible study podcast. Together we will explore the readings to be proclaimed at the Catholic Mass on Sunday, October 6, 2024, the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
[00:00:24] This week's episode is entitled: God's Plan for Us, and in these readings, we'll examine God's original plan for humankind, how it's gone astray, and how to get back on track.
[00:00:39] As we journey through the readings this week, consider the following: do we take our commitments too lightly? Do we treat marriage as a temporary state? Or do we see it as God does, a sacred union between two equal partners?
[00:00:59] So let's begin in prayer. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
[00:01:05] Heavenly Father, we praise you and we thank you for the gift of your word. Through it, help us to understand your plan for us and to know that we are made for better things. Teach us to stop settling for less and to accept the gifts you give us with the simple faith of children. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
[00:01:32] Now that we have opened our hearts in prayer, let's listen to what God is telling us in the Scriptures.
[00:01:38] Our Gospel this week is from Mark 10: 2-16.
[00:01:45] One thing I want to mention before we get started is that there is a shorter and a longer version of this passage. The church gives individual parishes the choice to use the shorter version when necessary. Now, the shorter version leaves out the last four verses of this passage, but I wanted to explain that to you so you understand if you hear a slight difference in the reading at your parish's Mass this weekend.
“Pharisees came up, and in order to test [Jesus] 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 divorce, and to put her away.’ But Jesus said to them, ‘For your hardness of heart 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. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.’ And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. And 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.’ And they were bringing children to him, that he might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them. 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. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.’ And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands upon them.”
[00:03:45] Okay, the Catholic Lectionary omits a few verses of Mark's Gospel that lie between the end of last week's passage and the beginning of this week's.
[00:03:54] Basically, we miss some talk about being salted with fire. Appropriate after last week's passage about sin. And then Mark's description of the route that Jesus and his disciples travel as they leave Capernaum and continue their journey to Jerusalem. All we're told is that they went to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan river.
[00:04:17] Somewhere in that general area, Jesus stops - again - to teach the crowds that always gather to see him. That sets the stage for what happens in today's reading. Okay…
“Pharisees…”
[00:04:33] First word in the reading. Remember, the Pharisees were lay people that believed that strict adherence to all the Mosaic laws was required in order to live good, holy lives and attain salvation.
[00:04:48] “Pharisees came up and in order to test [Jesus]…”
So, the Pharisees were trying basically to trip Jesus up with a question, hoping that his answer would turn the crowds against him. So, they asked…
“Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
[00:05:07] Now, it's also important for us to understand that divorce was widely accepted in Jewish society. Specific teachings about divorce are found in chapters 22 - 25 of the Book of Deuteronomy, which - if you will remember - is a grand sermon given by Moses to the people.
[00:05:29] These four chapters are in a section of the book that begins with the words, “This is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel; these are the decrees, the statutes, and the ordinances.”
[00:05:43] That's the quote that begins that section.
[00:05:46] So those words, in and of themselves, sort of codify divorce as an accepted part of Mosaic law. And the Pharisees, remember, are all about strict adherence to that Mosaic law. It's also important to understand that there were two different traditions surrounding divorce that were set forth by two different rabbinical traditions - two different rabbis. One tradition held that the only valid reason for divorce was for immodest conduct… so, indecency or adultery on behalf of the wife, by the way. The other tradition held that a man could divorce his wife for any reason - if he didn't like her cooking… if he didn't like how she kept the house… for any reason at all… he could divorce her. So that's the backdrop here.
[00:06:40] “[Jesus] answered them, “What did Moses command you?”
[00:06:45] Whenever Jesus answers a question with a question, that's a hint that he wants his listeners to think for themselves, rather than relying on time-worn answers. He's encouraging them to look at all sides of a situation, because maybe they missed something. He wants them to recognize that the real issue should be MARRIAGE not divorce. The truth of the matter is that Moses never actually gave a specific commandment about divorce. He simply framed conditions under which divorce could take place. And truth be told, those conditions were intended to DECREASE the number of divorces. And at the same time - and this is important - to provide some measure of protection for the woman! It's worth noting that only men could petition for divorce, because once a woman was married, she was considered to be her husband's possession, with no rights and freedoms on her own. So that legal protection - when she was divorced - would have gone away and she would be in a sort of limbo. The Pharisees said…
“Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to put her away.”
Notice the word the Pharisees used: allowed - Moses allowed it… he permitted it. That's really a crucial point, because Moses's decree was that the man who wrote the certificate of divorce was then forced to relinquish his legal claim on his wife, which meant she was no longer considered to be the property of her former husband and that left her free to remarry. Interestingly enough, however, NOT to marry a divorced man. Interesting the things you find out when you delve into Deuteronomy.
[00:08:47] “But Jesus said to them, ‘For your hardness of heart 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.’”
[00:09:13] Now, Jesus cites two different quotes from the Book of Genesis here - from the two different creation stories. The first quote, “God made them male and female” is from Genesis 1:27 which is part of the first creation story. And second quote, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh” is from Genesis 2: 24 which is part of the second creation story. Now, he's not talking about just the physical body here… he means the whole being. The body, yes, but also the mind, the heart, and the soul - everything that makes a person THAT person. And when Jesus says: “they are no longer two but one flesh” he's not referring only to sexual union… he's talking about an unbreakable bond between two people on the deepest physical, emotional, and spiritual level. Then he goes on to say…
“What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.”
Now, this is Jesus’ own solemn injunction, and it brings the understanding of marriage to a whole new level. Jesus is saying that the union of a husband and wife is no mere human convention, but a bond made with God himself.
[00:10:48] That is implied in Genesis… but obviously humanity didn't quite get the message. So here Jesus states it outright! He says that God's original plan for all of humanity, as recorded in Genesis, is still in effect and, in fact, should be the standard for all time.
[00:11:11] He wants his listeners, and that includes us guys, to understand that this is what we're made for and we should not settle for less!
[00:11:24] Then Mark goes on…
“In the house the disciples asked him again about this matter.”
In the house means a private setting, away from the crowds, which also means his disciples can ask their questions openly and Jesus can answer them plainly and thoroughly. So, Jesus answers…
“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
[00:11:58] Like so many of Jesus teachings, this turns things completely upside down. This teaching, in fact, does three things. (1) It affirms the sanctity and indissolubility of marriage. (2) It states that adultery can be committed by a husband as well as a wife, which was unheard of at that time. Remember, a wife was property. Jesus says: no, that's not right. That was never my Father's intent. And then (3) He points to the total equality of man and woman in marriage. Not that a wife belongs to her husband, but that a husband and wife belong TO EACH OTHER.
[00:12:46] Mark goes on…
“And they were bringing children to him, that he might touch them.”
Now understand it was common practice for fathers to bless their children by laying their hands upon them. So, we are told, women were bringing their children to Jesus - the man they considered to be the wonder worker - so that he could bless them. I also think it's important to consider why the passage about marriage is followed by a reference to children. In biblical times, a marriage blessed with children would represent a good life, the type of life that everyone - all married couples - aspired to. We also need to be aware that not every woman is able to conceive or carry a child to term. And in biblical times, a woman who was unable to bear children, was considered - often considered - to be cursed, and was at times ostracized. I myself experienced issues with infertility, so I know - on a very personal level - how painful that can be. But then Mark goes on to say…
“The disciples rebuked them...”
[00:14:01] Jesus’ disciples see children as a nuisance, and they don't want Jesus to be bothered.
[00:14:08] “But when Jesus saw it he was indignant...”
Now, this is the only time the word indignant appears in the Gospels. This is a very strong word, and it vividly captures Jesus’ reaction when he says to his disciples…
“Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God.”
Now I invite you to imagine what's going through the minds of the disciples at this point. These little ones - that the disciples were trying to shoo away - are the recipients of the kingdom???
[00:14:47] The kingdom is what the disciples themselves are aspiring to, and Jesus tells them that it belongs to children, to those who are often considered socially inferior or insignificant? Jesus is turning their thought processes upside down! Again! He goes on…
“Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
Again, the disciples have to be thinking – wait… what??
[00:15:19] Children have no money, no power, no status, nothing that they can use to influence God, nothing that would make them worthy. But the very lack of any of those qualities is precisely what does make them worthy! They receive the kingdom as a pure, unmerited gift.
[00:15:41] That is a lesson to us about how we should receive the kingdom: humbly… simply… as a gift we can never earn and never truly be worthy of!
[00:15:58] “And [Jesus] took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands upon them.”
Remember, this would have been the action of any earthly father, which makes this a beautiful parable in action. Jesus is showing his disciples that receiving the kingdom with humility and trust is akin to being embraced by Jesus himself!
[00:16:26] Each of us need to hear and take to heart that gentle reminder - to stop thinking we can earn our salvation or that we can ever be worthy of that gift. We can't!
[00:16:44] What we can do is adjust our own attitudes and approach God with all the trust and simplicity of a child.
[00:16:54] Before we leave the Gospel and go on to the First Reading, I want to talk a bit more about divorce because it's a very difficult subject and it deserves to be dealt with accordingly. It's important because divorce is a reality in our society today, not just in biblical times, but in our society. And divorce touches so many lives. Just about everyone either knows someone who is divorced or has been divorced themselves. And yes, a lot of marriages end up in divorce - but the statistics aren't nearly as clear cut as people think!
Over 40% of first marriages end up being dissolved, either through divorce alone or divorce followed by an annulment. And that number increases with subsequent marriages coming close to 60% for second marriages and topping 70% for third marriages.
[00:17:56] Divorce is a reality, and there are many instances when it is not only a valid solution, but even lifesaving when physical or mental abuse becomes a factor.
[00:18:11] Just as Jesus was trying to get the Pharisees to see that the heart of the issue was MARRIAGE and not divorce, we are invited to make that same realization. He is saying that to us as well. I think that too many times in our modern culture, marriage is perceived as a temporary state - as something couples can just fall into when they feel like it and end whenever it becomes difficult.
Jesus is reminding us that - NO - we're made for better things!
[00:18:45] We should not enter into marriage lightly or see it only as something temporary. We are made for sharing life and love with one special person… we are made for a lifelong commitment… we are made to take marriage seriously… and we should prepare for it accordingly.
[00:19:10] We put so much emphasis, especially in our culture today, on the wedding day. And yes, certainly it's important, but as a gateway - not as an end in itself.
[00:19:24] We need to look beyond the wedding day and focus on the life of shared joy and love that stretches out before us. And if we can't picture ourselves at 70 or 80 years old, still sleeping next to the same person and still loving them despite them snoring, or leaving the toilet seat up, or squeezing the toothpaste tube in the middle, or stealing the covers, then we need to realize that maybe we're not marrying the right person, or maybe we need to work harder on adjusting our expectations.
[00:20:06] One other thing - and I can't stress this enough - we must also recognize that there are times when a divorce may be necessary. And so, no matter what our intentions may be… we do not have the right and therefore, CANNOT judge people when they do get divorced. What we CAN do is offer support, encouragement, assistance, and friendship… but never judgment! So, the question remains, do we - as a society - view marriage as a temporary state? Or do we recognize it as a sacred union between two equal partners? And more importantly, do the two individuals that are approaching marriage see each other as equal partners that are forming an unbreakable, lifelong union with each other AND with God? Because that is how you get through the ups and downs, the good and the bad, the sickness and health, the gains and losses, the joys and sorrows, that are part of every marriage.
[00:21:23] So let's turn to our First Reading this week, which is from Genesis 2: 18-24.
[00:21:30] “The LORD God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.’ So out of the ground, the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper fit for him. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept, he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh; and the rib which the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, ‘This at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman because she was taken out of Man.’ Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.”
[00:22:47] Genesis is, of course, the first Book in the Bible - Hebrew or Christian. And it's important to remember that - as I mentioned when I talked about the Gospel - there are two different creation stories recorded in Genesis. The first is Genesis 1:1 – 2:3; that's the account of God creating everything in six days and resting on a seventh. A story that shows us that God is transcendent - meaning outside, or greater than, our limited human experience.
[00:23:21] The second is Genesis 2: 4-25; that is the account that we just heard part of… and it shows us that God is immanent - meaning close and personal.
[00:23:39] Now, theology - like every discipline - has its own vocabulary and theologians love to make up complex words - like transcendent and immanent - to obfuscate what should be a simple concept. So, what the real takeaway of these two different accounts should be - for us - is that God is BOTH! He is both transcendent and immanent. He is greater than our limited human experience AND - at the same time - personal and intimate with each and every one of us.
[00:24:13] And in this second creation story, we see the importance of relationship as Genesis leads us to the inevitable conclusion that only one human being can be a suitable partner for another. So let's dive in.
[00:24:30] “The LORD God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make a helper fit for him.’ So out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper fit for him. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man.”
Now that deep sleep veils the creation of woman in divine mystery.
[00:25:15] “And while he slept [God] took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh; and the rib which the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman”
[00:25:28] The rib from the man's side is significant. It shows that man and woman are made of the same stuff - the same flesh - and it shows that women are inherently equal to men. Women weren't made from the top of the skull - which would indicate superiority; nor were they made from the foot - which would indicate inferiority. No, no, no! Woman was made from the rib - from the side - of man which indicates equality and partnership.
[00:26:07] “[God] brought her to the man. Then the man said, ‘This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’”
[00:26:23] The man's reaction to the woman emphasizes their sameness: bone of my bones, flesh of my flesh.
[00:26:32] This is even more apparent in the original Hebrew. It's really unfortunate that you aren't following along on the printed page because it would be easier for me to explain the subtleties, but I will do my best.
[00:26:49] In the quote: “She shall be called Woman because she was taken out of Man” it is absolutely crucial to understand that woman and man here are capitalized for the first time in the Reading. No matter how many times the word man has been used - this is the first time it's capitalized. And Woman is also capitalized.
[00:27:11] Now the Hebrew word used in the quote for Man (capitalized) is ISH (i-s-h).
[00:27:22] And for Woman (capitalized) is ISHAH (i-s-h-a-h). ISH and ISHAH - you can already see the connection.
[00:27:35] One Jewish commentary I read pointed out that the word ISH does not appear until ISHAH is separated and named.
[00:27:45] “She shall be called Woman (ISHAH) because she was taken out of Man (ISH)” - that is also the first appearance of those two Hebrew words, suggesting that man and woman - made and female - cannot define themselves as fully human without the presence of both!
[00:28:11] “Therefore a man leaves his father and mother.”
[00:28:15] That phrase expresses the reality of marriage… a woman leaves her father and mother, too.
[00:28:22] “a man (or woman) leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.”
Now, I'm going to refer back to the Gospel when I said that Jesus states outright what is implied in Genesis - and this was the passage I was referring to… this is where that profound bond is established.
[00:28:44] That essential sameness, that essential unity, becomes clearer when we consider that when they (man and woman) became one flesh, they return to God's original plan - his original design - before they were separated. No longer two, but one!
[00:29:08] And referring again to the Gospel, this togetherness, this union, establishes a new existence, a new reality, as the couple then builds a life together.
[00:29:25] This was God's original plan for us!
[00:29:29] Through sin, through hardness of heart, through bad choices and bad behavior, humanity has subverted God's plan.
[00:29:40] But if we listen to him, have faith, and allow his will to guide us, we can get back on track. We are made for better things! We are made for God's goodness!
[00:30:00] One other thing before I leave this. The Book of Genesis, as is clear from the two different creation stories, is sort of a compilation. It was put together from different authors at different times. Yes, it is all attributed to one author, but it was never written solely by one author. It was written by different people. And I will use here one of my previous pastor's favorite quotes: “Everything in the Bible is true, and some of it actually happened.” We cannot look at the Book of Genesis - with the two creation stories and everything that follows - as historically accurate. It was never intended to be viewed as historically accurate. What we can do is say that it teaches us bigger lessons.
[00:30:59] If we were to say that Genesis was historically accurate, we would be throwing aside everything that science has proven to us about where life started and how it evolved. And even the Catholic Church has recognized the validity of the Theory of Evolution.
[00:31:20] The Theory of Evolution, by the way, does not say that humankind descended from apes.
[00:31:28] If you read On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin - or you study the Theory of Evolution at all - you learn that we all descended from a common ancestor. All life on earth descended from a common ancestor.
[00:31:44] So, yes, Genesis teaches us big truths, especially about the equality of man and woman, especially about the importance and the sanctity and the indissolubility of marriage. But it's not historically accurate.
[00:32:06] Our Psalm this week is Psalm 128, and the response is:
“May the Lord bless you all the days of your life.”
Now, I want to point something out here while I'm here.
[00:32:18] If you are a Catholic and you - your church - will of course, be using the NAB or the New American Bible translation, that response will sound a little different. And it will be:
“May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.”
I'll talk about that more in a minute, but I wanted to cover that while I'm here. So here are the verses.
“Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways! You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD. The LORD bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! May you see your children's children! Peace be upon Israel!”
[00:33:18] Now, this Psalm is classified as a Wisdom Psalm. It is also one of what are called the Ascent Psalms (which are Psalms 120 – 134).
[00:33:30] Now, in order to understand why they're called Ascent Psalms, I need to explain a perspective that is unique to Israel. And to do that, I will start with the perspective we have of direction here in the United States. Here in the U.S. when we say we are going up to a place, we are heading north; and we say we are going down to a place when we head south. Not so in Israel! In Israel, it is always referred to as going up to Jerusalem because the city is located on top of Mount Zion. Therefore, those Psalms that are sung or recited as part of a pilgrimage to Jerusalem are always referred to as Ascent Psalms.
[00:34:17] In this particular Psalm, we need to remember that blessed means happy. So, in the first verse, happy are they who fear the LORD - that is a fundamental and appropriate attitude towards God, especially for those on pilgrimage.
[00:34:34] Those who fear the LORD… now, fear of the Lord can also be thought of as wonder or awe. Remember, God created the universe so that's an appropriate way to look at it, is we can be in awe of his power or fear him. Those who fear the LORD will enjoy the rewards that come as a result. Peace, prosperity, and if we're lucky, children.
[00:35:01] The Psalm ends with a prayer for peace in Israel. Again, remember, this is a Psalm that is intended to be proclaimed on pilgrimage to the city of Jerusalem. So why not end with a Psalm for peace or a prayer for peace?
Now that leads us to the reading from the Letter to the Hebrews 2: 9-11.
[00:35:28] “[Brothers and Sisters:] We see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God, he might taste death for every one. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified have all one origin. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brethren.”
[00:36:15] This is the 1st of 7 passages we will hear from Hebrews over the next few weeks. The author of this letter is unknown, and the letter itself doesn't give any indication of who its author may be. It dates to the latter half of the 1st century (around 65 AD-ish) and is, without a doubt, the most theologically complex letter in the New Testament. It is often described as a sermon in written form.
[00:36:52] The basic point of the Letter to the Hebrews is that Jesus is BOTH the perfect sacrifice for sin AND the Great High Priest who offers that perfect sacrifice.
[00:37:08] In this particular passage, the author begins building his twofold logical argument by placing the emphasis on Jesus’ humanity. So…
“[Brothers and Sisters:] We see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels.
[00:37:30] There are two phrases in there that paraphrase Psalm 8. The first is “for a little while” and the second “was made lower than the angels.” Now, according to biblical tradition, angels governed the earth. So, when Jesus took on human flesh in the Incarnation, he was in some ways subject to their authority. That is why the author quotes those two lines from Psalm 8. Jesus was…
[00:38:03] “crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for every one.”
[00:38:18] In other words, Christ's humiliation - through his suffering and death on the cross - becomes the exaltation of all.
[00:38:32] “For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through suffering.”
[00:38:47] Again, Jesus leads everyone to salvation… doesn't mean we have to follow, but he leads every person to salvation. But, and this is the crucial thing, the path ALWAYS leads through the Cross. ALWAYS!
[00:39:12] “For he who sanctifies (Jesus) and those who are sanctified (all of humanity) have one origin.”
This shows Jesus’ relationship with God AND his solidarity with humankind.
[00:39:34] “That is why he is not ashamed of to call them brethren.”
[00:39:39] In other words, because of Jesus’ Incarnation, because he took on human flesh, he made us adopted sons and daughters of God – therefore, brothers and sisters to Jesus himself. Jesus’ sacrifice - his suffering and death - make it possible for all of humanity to finally and fully reflect the glory and honor God intended for us when we were created… for all of humanity!
[00:40:19] That is the fullness of God's plan for us! That is the ultimate good that we were made for! And if we follow God's will, we will never have to settle for less!
[00:40:35] We will never settle for less than that glory and honor that God intended for us to have.
[00:40:46] If you would like to reach out to me with questions or comments, send me an email at
[email protected]. Thank you for listening and until next we meet, may God shower his blessings upon you like a soft and gentle rain and may he hold you, safe and secure, in the palm of his hand.
[00:41:08] From His Word to Our Hearts is produced by SFS Audio Solutions.
[00:41:13] The content of the show was assembled by me, Sally Moriarty-Flask. Our music was composed by Jimmy Flask and is used with permission of the composer. All rights reserved. Information regarding references used in preparing the exegesis for this podcast is available upon request.
Thank you for listening and God bless.
