Of Elections and Life

"Some Pharisees came, and to test Jesus they asked, 'Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife"

Mark 10:2

 

 

 

This Gospel text is tough, because there are many who are divorced and know that pain, and there are also a number of people who have talked about divorce or contemplated divorce.  But lets look at this text and matter in a larger perspective.  It isn't as though Jesus picked this topic out of the air and decided to address it.  Rather, the Pharisees are once again trying to put Jesus to the test.  The Pharisees came with one test after another.  Divorce is a tough subject.

 

You see in this section when Jesus talks about divorce it takes us to the broad context of how so many times he talks about the brokenness of all kinds of relationships and most profoundly the brokenness of our relationship with God.  We are reminded of when Jesus says, "why do you see the sliver in your neighbor's eye and ignore the log in your own eye."  And when he says, "as you did it to one of thee least of these you did it to me...."  When the Pharisees ask Jesus about the greatest commandment he speaks of loving God with your whole being, and a second is like it to love your neighbor as yourself.

 

Divorce represents one aspect of the brokenness of our lives, but there are a whole lot of other relationships that are equally broken.  The truth is I am not sure we are very good at relationships.  Friendships, relationships with people we work with, or relationships between parents and children, even within the church our relationships can be far from exemplary.  No we are not always very good at relationships nor do I think we are getting a whole lot better with relationships.

 

It is election eve in our country and we are suffering greatly from a profound brokenness with each other.  No matter who wins the elections working together looks rather bleak.  Maybe if we start at home in the relationships that we own most closely, with our family and friends, our neighbors and co-workers, maybe grassroots efforts of living in relationships with each other that are respectful and caring can help win over those in higher places to a kinder and gentler day.  You see in and through the cross of Christ God meets us in our brokenness and seeks to take us to a new day.