Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B October 7, 2018

First Reading
Genesis 2:18-24
God creates woman from Adam's rib.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 128:1-2,3,4-5,6
A prayer for God's blessing.

Second Reading
Hebrews 2:9-11
Christ was made perfect through suffering so that we might all be
consecrated.

Gospel Reading
Mark 10:2-16 (shorter form Mark 10:2-12)
Jesus teaches against divorce and welcomes the children.


Gospel MK 10:2-16

The Pharisees approached Jesus 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."

And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them,
but the disciples rebuked them.
When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them,
"Let the children come to me;
do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to
such as these.
Amen, I say to you,
whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child
will not enter it."
Then he embraced them and blessed them,
placing his hands on them.


Background on the Gospel Reading

Today we continue to read from the Gospel according to Mark. For the past
three Sundays, we have been hearing Mark's reports of conversations
between Jesus and his disciples. Recall that in Mark's Gospel, Jesus uses
these private moments to teach his disciples in greater detail about the
Kingdom of God. Beginning with today's Gospel, Jesus returns to Judea,
Jewish territory, and resumes his public ministry. The first verse of
chapter 10 of Mark's Gospel tells us that crowds gathered around Jesus,
and he taught them, as was his custom. Immediately, the Pharisees approach
Jesus to test him.

The Pharisees question Jesus about the lawfulness of divorce. Under
specific conditions, divorce was an accepted practice among the Jewish
people during the time of Jesus. It was regulated by the Law of Moses, as
found in Deuteronomy 24:1-5. This law only permits that a husband may
divorce his wife if he finds her to be indecent. This is the justification
that the Pharisees reference when Jesus inquires about the commandment of
Moses. In reply, Jesus quotes from the Book of Genesis and counters that
God's original intention was that men and women would become one flesh in
marriage. Jesus describes the teaching of Moses as a concession made to
God's original intention because of human stubbornness.

In private, Jesus' disciples question him further about this teaching on
divorce. It is to his disciples that Jesus lays out the implications of
his teaching by explaining that remarriage after divorce is adultery.
Jesus' teaching was more restrictive than the teaching of the Pharisees,
which permitted remarriage. Jesus further distinguished his teaching from
the cultural norms of his time by applying his words equally to men and
women. Jewish culture permitted only that a husband may divorce his wife.
Wives were not permitted to divorce their husband for any reason,
including adultery.

At first glance, the final part of today's Gospel seems unconnected to the
previous teaching about divorce. When read together, however, these
passages present a strong picture of Jesus' emphasis on the importance of
family. God intended for women and men to be joined together in marriage.
Among the purposes of marriage is the raising of children. By welcoming
children and fostering their relationship with God, parents and families
bear witness to the Kingdom of God.

At the end of today's Gospel, the people were bringing their children to
Jesus, and again Jesus' disciples show that they just don't get it. Recall
that in the Gospel for each of the past two Sundays, Jesus has taught his
disciples the value and importance of these "little ones" in the Kingdom
of God. Yet in today's Gospel, the disciples try to prevent people from
bringing their children to Jesus. Jesus reprimands his disciples and
welcomes these children. Again Jesus offers these children as an example
of the kind of complete trust and dependence upon God that ought to be the
attitude of all believers.


Family Connection

Jesus' teaching about divorce and remarriage can be a challenging one for
many people. The Church continues to uphold the strong and positive
teaching of Jesus that God intends for a man and woman to make a lifelong
commitment to one another in the Sacrament of Marriage. Many of us,
however, know people whose marriage has not been a lifelong commitment.
The example of Jesus teaches us that we are called to act with compassion
and love in our relationships with all, and especially when people are
hurting because of difficulties in their relationships. Most importantly,
we remember that when marriages thrive, it is a sign of God's grace at
work.

As you gather as a family, talk about what it means to make a promise or a
commitment to someone. Offer examples of promises that are fairly easy to
keep. Read today's Gospel, Mark 10:2-16. Talk about examples of promises
and commitments that might be more difficult to honor, like the marriage
commitment that Jesus is asked about in this Gospel. Talk about how we
need God to help us honor our commitment to love and care for each other.
Jesus teaches that we should be like children before God, trusting God's
promise to care for us and asking for his help to keep our commitments to
love and care for others. Conclude by praying together that God will give
his grace to us that we may honor our commitments to one another. Pray
together Saint Ignatius of Loyola's prayer, the Suscipe.


Sources: Loyola Press; Sunday Readings