Sermon, Pentecost +20 (YearB)

 The Gospel this morning includes some aspects that are – for our modern ears – very uncomfortable and difficult to hear. And we jump right into the thick of it with this passage – some Pharisees testing Jesus, about divorce.

Pharisees, we recall, were a group of educated laypeople, usually scribes, who were doing their best to interpret the law of Moses. In doing so, they often questioned folks about particulars of the Torah. It generally was awkward when some Pharisees wanted to engage in theological debate.
Like today.

Because divorce, never something to aspire to, was especially harsh in the first century. It required proof of adultery, neglect, or physical abandonment. A man could arbitrarily write a certificate of divorce against his wife, which would dismiss her – what a polite euphemism for ‘casting her out’ – from the marital relation, but also from that family; and likely from her family (from shame) or distance. She had no leverage to prevent or refuse a divorce.

Women suffered economic, physical, and psychological uprooting. And their children were usually cast out with the woman, and carried shame; for it was a matrilineal society.

Parenthetically, a woman could not apply for divorce except in the most extreme circumstances; some Jewish scholars posit that a woman never could make such application.

So when Jesus responds to the Pharisees that they should refer to the teachings of Moses, he is encouraging them not only to recognise that there aren’t a lot of instances of divorce in the bible; (in fact, in Mark’s Gospel the only other mention of divorce is when John the Baptist criticises Herod for his divorce and remarriage to his sister-in-law)

But Jesus is also making a strong point that there were serious harms that came from divorce: a difficult time of division and vulnerability.
And those harms actually go against the law of Moses, and the tradition of the culture that they lived in.
For in divorce, the more vulnerable parties suffer disproportionate harm.
And Jesus has taught – the disciples, the Pharisees, the broader culture – and us! – Jesus taught the way of love. The path of compassion. The commitment of care – especially for those who need it most.

And this is where my colleague Philip Ruge-Jones points out a rather important nuance in the Gospel:
For when Jesus responds to the test, he is not suggesting that there is a one-time easy answer… He doesn’t ask what the law says about the man seeking divorce, but “What did Moses command YOU?”

These folks didn’t meet Moses, but they have studied the teaching and the tradition. They are experts to apply the written law as well as the oral tradition that had evolved.

He’s inviting them to find the most compassionate, kind, and faithful response to reduce the amount of harm that might be done. He is inviting folks to open their hearts – through the gift of blessing. Through an outpouring of grace.
Even when his disciples ask him again for more discussion about divorce, it’s helpful for us to realise that his answer speaks of care for the vulnerable, of extending compassion for all. It’s not about a legal outcome of a broken relationship; it’s about finding ways to practice respect and community.

Jesus emphasizes the dignity of all, and the way that all God has blessed us all.
We are all loved into being by the source of perfect love; we all bear the image of God.
Thus, how we treat one another should reflect not only the glory of God that has shone in our lives, but our respect and appreciation for the glory of God in the lives before us.

And it’s not always easy to apply this: when we’re dealing with conflict, when we’re in situations without clear outcomes, when we’re not sure what the future may hold. But the scriptures today take us to that place of opening our eyes and hearts to those who are experiencing vulnerability, and finding helpful ways to build community.

With Jesus, he invites the children to come to him; the children who have nothing to give him, who are in need of care.
And who are welcomed – and blessed – for God’s grace is not transactional, but beautifully abundant.

And in Job, we learn of the power of Job’s faith, where he and his family find themselves vulnerable; yet do not harden their hearts. Instead, we see Job leading his family through the example of grace and trust. He acts with integrity throughout the challenges that life puts before him.

The Psalmist speaks of their own acts and intentions, of disconnecting themselves from those who turn away from God in sin. Their prayer is one pleading for judgement, as they have been careful to avoid the life of plots and cruelty. They have acted to the best of their ability, treating those they encounter with that grace and dignity that all deserve.

And the letter to the Hebrews reminds folks of the power of Jesus; the humility of his status on earth, and the invitation that we all have to learn from him. To emulate his care and to strive to build community. “The one who sanctifies and the ones who are sanctified share one divine Father”, we’re told – and thus we, as readers of this letter, recommit ourselves to finding ways to live and love together as the whole family of God: thus becoming a space for the those who are vulnerable to be safe; and a place where we can be our true imperfect selves, confident in the grace our faith affords.

So we are called today: not to get caught up on legalistic definitions, but to be enveloped by opportunities to care, to heal, to pray, to love.
We recognise that some relationships come apart; and that we are called to respond to all with kindness.
We acknowledge that sometime the breaking of relationships can lead to a healthier environment; and we are called to respond to all with compassion.
We realise that reconciliation is difficult and ongoing work; and we are called to avoid judgement and instead offer the gift of peace.

And we are called to learn from Jesus, to restore the healing promise of love.:
To engage in the work of creating safe spaces, in the name of our Lord:
To see all our brothers and sisters as God-loved and as our kin;
To care for creation as preserving God’s masterwork
To realise that all life is divinely blessed,
and to find ways to honour the work of uplifting the vulnerable.

And we honour the truth of our own lives: for we have all struggled, and we have all journeyed in ways that bring us back, healed, renewed, and restored, to our relationship with God.
A relationship of kindness and compassion:
Of wholeness and love:
Of grace and of blessing.

May our hearts be assured of God’s eternal blessing;
And May we offer the blessing of kinship to all whom God loves.