Mark 10:1-16 and Luke 18:15-17
I noticed something different in Mark’s coverage of divorce in today’s reading compared to Matthew’s in yesterday’s reading. In Mark’s gospel, Jesus allows for the wife to initiate the divorce: Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her; and if she herself divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery. (vv. 11b-12) I don’t know what to make of Jesus having the wife take the lead, but it does seem to contradict Jewish teaching back then where women seem to have few privileges and no social standing.
Two years ago when we read this passage from Mark I posted an item that Archbishop Beach had written the day before. That item is in my comments in the first link below.
Coming as a little child… My Study Bible had noted that a child’s relationship with a parent includes dependence, trust, openness, and sincerity. Two years ago I had written peace, confidence, expectation, and comfort (the second link below). So all those emotions and attributes are part of a child’s relationship to a parent – that’s what’s available to us in our relationship to God. That’s awesome!
See also: