The pharisees and all those who relate to God and others through a rigid legal structure can only see the rigors of the Law. They become so legalistic that they lose a true relation with God and neighbor. The pharisees tried to trap Jesus with a question about the legitimacy of divorce. If Jesus responds that divorce is fine, he would seem cold-hearted to all the women. If Jesus says simply that divorce is not permitted, they could say he is against the Law of God. As usual Jesus does not respond in the expected way. Rather than speak about the Law, Jesus returns to the moment of creation and God’s heart and intention in the moment of creation. Jesus very clearly says that God’s intention at the time of creation was the communion of man and women as one. Anything else comes from our hard-headedness and not from God.
This is more than just a simple teaching against divorce. Jesus calls couples to live out God’s intention at the time of creation. Today’s first reading shows how Israel learned to live with confidence in God’s care for them. Israel lived harvesting and taking advantage of a life they never planned or harvested. Their capacity to live well came from the providence of God and their capacity to surrender to God’s will, their capacity to renounce their hard headedness.
When the disciples are shocked at this message Jesus says clearly that not all can understand it. Once again Jesus mentions creation as he says that only some can understand what this is about. So, it is important for each person to know how God created that person. Every created person has a vocation for the good of the Reign of God.
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