Oct 18 - Mark 10:9

Jesus said,

"Therefore what God has joined together,

let no one put asunder."

Mark 10:9

In Mark 10:6-9, Jesus points to Genesis 1 and Genesis 2, validates the Old Testament, and teaches us about marriage. He says ...

• "From the beginning ... 'God made them male and female.' In other words, men and women are different, and this was on purpose.
  
• "From the beginning ... 'God made them male and female' ... and ... one flesh." In case you didn't notice, men and women are not only different, but their bodies are also complimentary. Without being too graphic, we were designed to fit together nicely!
  
• "From the beginning ... God ..." When Jesus cites Genesis 1, we should not miss the fact that being different (and complimentary) is tied also to being fruitful and multiplying (see Gen 1:27-28). In other words, there is not only an enjoyable reason to fit together nicely, but a creative purpose to fitting together nicely too.
  
• "For this reason a man shall ... be joined to his wife." From the very first pages of scripture, our Lord says that he intends weddings, blesses marriage, and endorses procreation. In other words, he joins "male and female ... together" (Mk 10:6-8).
  
• And then he says one more big thing: "What God has joined together, let no one put asunder." In other words, don't mess with what he calls "very good" (see Gen 1:31).

Knowing now what God has put together, we are called to examine our lives and our culture and ask what puts marriage – and appropriate procreation – asunder.

• Have we ever undermined a marriage through gossip?
  
• Have we ever undermined a marriage (including our own) through adultery?
  
• Have we ever undermined a marriage (including our own) through lust (Jesus said even lusting in our hearts was adultery)?
  
• Have we ever undermined a marriage, especially our own, through anger, pride, apathy, ingratitude, or unforgiveness?
  
• Has our culture ever undermined marriage by holding up a model of sexuality that does not reflect the marital one flesh union?
  
• Has our culture ever undermined marriage by teaching us to love pleasure more than God?
  
• Has our culture ever undermined marriage by teaching us to love pleasure more than honor and commitment?
  
• Has our culture ever undermined marriage by trumpeting alternatives to marriage.
  
• Has our culture ever undermined marriage by making divorce too easy?

We are all prone to be creatures of our culture and we all tend to want to satisfy ourselves; therefore, marriages today a vulnerable. Please heed our Lord's advice: "What God has joined together, let no one put asunder."

In Christ's Love,