Monday, February 11, 2013

The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ

(Seed Sowers Christian Book Publishing House. http://www.seedsowers.com/)

Monday, February 11, 2013         I Discussed Divorce

Page 195-196         Matthew 13:53a, 19:1-12; Mark 10:1b-12; Luke 16:18

“Then Jesus left Capernaum and went down to the region of Judea and into the area east of the Jordan River” (Mark 10:1). This little tidbit is important in understanding why the Pharisees were trying to trap Jesus. This is the same region where John the Baptist preached. John challenged King Herod because the King’s wife, Herodias, had divorced the King’s brother, Phillip, so she could marry the King. John essentially charged that King Herod was unfit to be the King of Israel. The Pharisees were trying to draw Jesus into this same discussion in hopes that Jesus would meet the same fate as did his cousin John.

Jesus responds to the Pharisees, but not with the details they were hoping for. Those he saves for later when he is alone with his disciples. God’s will is peace, righteousness, justice and mercy for all human beings: children, women, and men. Jesus is saying that God’s intention is for man and woman to become one through marriage. He also notes that because of the hardheartedness of humans, this standard was often missed and that even Moses (as well as the Apostle Paul) recognized exceptions to maintaining marital unity.

It is also important to note that divorce, as the term is used in Jesus’ time can also be understood as abandonment. In a society where women were dependent on their husbands or families for support, when a man divorced his wife, it could well leave her destitute.

In the Jewish law, there was not a provision for women divorcing their husbands. For Jesus to include women as divorcing their husbands was a direct reference to King Herod’s wife, Herodias.

Implicit in Jesus’ referring to God’s intentional will for marriage is that, with the coming of the Messiah, God is providing the means for his will to be fulfilled.

“For God is working in you,

giving you the desire

and the power to do what pleases him.”

Philippians 2:13

Sē’lah

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What word or phrase in today’s reading attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  In addition to this BLOG they are distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ

(Seed Sowers Christian Book Publishing House. http://www.seedsowers.com/)

Tuesday, February 12, 2013        I Blessed the Children       

Page 196      Matthew 19:13-15; Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17