Readings: Ezekiel 16:1-15.60-63, Is. 12:2-6, Matt. 19:3-12
Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia
WHAT DID JESUS SAY ABOUT DIVORCE IN MARRIAGE?
The idea of secularism and individualism in our society today has placed in the minds of the youths a distorted image of what marriage and family life truly represent in society. This is because many young people today find themselves in a condition of radical instability and look for people to help them answer the fundamental questions of life. Today, there are different notions and understandings of marriage, especially among the youth. Marriage is seen as a business in which anybody can engage or disengage at any time.
Marriage among the youths of today is a thing of choice and contract which is suitable only when it serves their interest. Commitment, sacrifice and partnerships of whole life are far from their understanding of what marriage truly represents. The fact remains that Marriage is the basis of every human family and, indeed, the basic cell of every community.
Little wonder in our Gospel passage today when the Pharisees engaged Jesus on the notion of divorce in marriage and its controversy. Jesus referred them to the fundamental principle of marriage when he said, Have you not read that the creator from the beginning made them male and female and that he said: This is why a man must leave father and mother, and cling to his wife, and the two become one body? They are no longer two, therefore, but one body. So then, what God has united, man must not divide.’
Addressing the issue of divorce, Jesus said ‘It was because you were so unteachable that’s why Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but it was not like this from the beginning. Now I say this to you: the man who divorces his wife, except for unchastity, marries another, is guilty of adultery. And he who marries a divorced wife commits adultery.
Here, Jesus emphasized the real intention of God about marriage and celibacy, that they are two forms of life that help us to value human sexuality as a gift from God. He ruled out divorce by placing men and women on the same level; no longer could a man opt to divorce his wife, except for extreme unchastity. Today, there are lots of problems in families due to a lack of understanding of what marriage truly means.
It is quite interesting to realize that social, economic and political factors were major determinants that shape the youth’s present understanding of marriage, as we see the youths giving importance to changing trends in marriage such as single parent, inter-caste marriage, living in relationship or cohabitation, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender marriages, etc. Hence, marriage for them is more of a social phenomenon than a spiritual covenant and physical companionship.
Meanwhile, today, prophet Ezekiel, in our first reading, reminds us that right from conception, God gave us life; at birth, he protected us, then we were stark naked, and he spread the corner of his cloak over us to cover our nakedness. Now we are old enough for love. He showed us love and adorned us with beauty, ornaments, silver and gold, and then he made a covenant with us to be our Groom and we, his lovely bride.
But we abandoned and divorced him by trusting in our beauty and gifts which he has given us and using them to play the harlot and lavished our harlotries on things of this passing world that take us away from God’s purpose for us. Yet God still remembers the covenant he made with us, he is not ashamed to forgive us. All he wants is for us to come back to him now that we are still alive for he is a merciful and faithful husband who loves us his bride.
Dear friends, today we are called to embrace the will of God and his teaching concerning family life and the issue of divorce. We should not let the trending ideas of disordered personalities in our world mislead us. Rather, we should value and respect the sanctity of marriage. We should hold on to the true meaning of marriage, which has to do with love, covenant, commitment, trust, sacrifice and partnership of a whole lifetime.
LET US PRAY: Lord God, we have always failed to listen and follow your teaching. As a result, there are lots of problems in our families due to a lack of understanding of what marriage truly means. As we listen to your teaching today, help us to value our vocation, whether marriage or celibate life and to constantly struggle to fix the problems in our families; we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.
