[Jesus] said to them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts, Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.”

Mark’s version of this passage on divorce is even stricter than what we find in Matthew. Matthew allows for an exception, as does Paul. However, all passages remind us of God’s ultimate desire: that people not divorce each other. Matthew clarifies that “some Pharisees approached Jesus and tested him….” They were asking which reasons legitimated divorce. Jesus’ response is from Genesis 2:24, which gives us the primary will of the creator. Jesus wants to underline the principle that God’s creative will unites man and woman in the first place, and he desires that they remain one.

Jesus’ response appears to contradict the Law of Moses, which is open to the possibility of granting a writ of divorce. Jesus reminded the Pharisees to justify his response: “If Moses gave this possibility, it is because you were so hardhearted.” The same might be said of many of us today. It seems evident that Jesus clearly says that there should be no divorces. That is the ideal.

Nevertheless, we find numerous reasons to justify divorce today. We also see that we do not write divorced people off as living in a state of sin. The possibility of entering into the Kingdom is always open to them.

We also see how easy it is for us to look for reasons to water down many of the teachings of Jesus. Each time we celebrate Mass, we are invited to join with one who was completely open to the will of God in his life. Can we, like him, always strive to put God’s ultimate desire first in our lives?

Let Us Pray:

O God, create in me a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit. Grant that I may strive to your will, O God.