AIM Mail (495)

AIM Mail (495)
Devotion By Dr. T. Jacob Thomas
Gurukul-UTC Joint Staff Meeting 15.03.2003

Mt 19.1-9; Mk 10.1-12


1. The context is a discussion on marriage and divorce. The disciple’s terrible option is not to marry as it involves lot of difficult issues. Jesus accepts a variety of options. First he has said marriage is the purpose of God in creation. Man and woman together fulfill God’s purpose in this world. Our contextual ethics must be evaluated in the light of creation ethics- the purpose of God in creation. Contextual faith, theology religion, ethics, acceptable in particular historical cultural context should not confine us to narrow, parochial views
2. Divorce was not the question addressed to Jesus, but the ground for divorce. There was a tension between the school of Shammai which allowed divorce only on the grounds of sexual immorality and the school of Hillel, which sanctioned divorce on the most trivial grounds? Jesus interpretation of the will of God in creation has in its background the Malachian interpretation of Gen 2.24. Malachi 2.16 deals with the issue of mixed marriage between Jews and gentiles, especially with the Samaritans (See, J.M.Myers The World of the Restoration 98). Malachi’s ministry probably occurred just prior to that of Ezra and Nehemiah in the first part of the fifth century when mixed marriages and divorce were serious problems. Malachi did not base his argument on Deuteronomy 24 as later Ezra and Nehemiah did but on Genesis 1-2. Malachi 2;16 calls for faithfulness between husbands and wives irrespective of their ethnic background and economic interests. J. M. Myers suggests that the husbands were marrying Samaritan women in order to reclaim the land which they had before the exile. Later they may divorce them on various pretexts.

3 The Mosaic legislation in Deut 24:1-4 was authoritative to the Pharisees. Jesus here points out to the older Genesis tradition as did Malachi in deciding their ethics. Jesus says that Genesis tradition takes precedence over Ezra-Nehemiah tradition of interpreting Moses. Both traditions are Mosaic and should be interpreted in a universal creation context though particular, situational interpretations are allowed, some sort interim or realistic ethics. These Mosaic allowances are given on account of the sinfulness of the people as a secondary and temporary measure. The phrase “from the beginning” (ajpÆ ajrch‘»), used by Jesus is a deliberate recalling of the context in which Mosaic allowance of divorce was permitted. Jesus responds by admitting that Moses “permitted” rather than “commanded.” Marriage is grounded in a covenant between the husband and wife and Yahweh; and God intended for a man and his wife to be one flesh irrespective of caste, color, or religion.
4. Jesus also rejects the popular notion that Adam as the originator of human species by restating that “ a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife” and not the other way practiced in patriarchal societies. In the postmodern glocalized (global-local dialectical) context scriptural interpretation must be based on the hermeneutical circle of Contemporary-Creation-Eschatological axiom. Particular denominational text must be reread with reference to creation. Scientific understanding of the nature of the world must have a place in interpretation of particular text. The present religion wise interpretation of reality and ethics must be taken as allowance given because of the hardness of the heart of particular people in particular situation. It has no permanent relevance.


5. God’ s will for the future supercedes even the creation ethics. Future demands more obedience than to the created order. The place given by Jesus to eunuchs , non-gender persons, literal as well as metaphorical, also reflects the priority of the kingdom over the present time frame. God created man and woman, but in Christ’s new creation there is no male or female (Gal. 3:28). In the created order, human freedom is limited, in Christ we are freed for freedom in truth and spirit. In the created order the tree of life is guarded, in the new heaven and new earth, tree of life is accessible to every one, water of life is flowing to every one. In the future order marriage between men and women is replaced by the marriage between God and humans. The kingdom thus can take priority over the scripture.



6. God is not bound by scriptures. Cf. Matthew 22 .24 Jesus replied, “Your problem is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God. 25 For when the dead rise, they won’t be married. They will be like the angels in heaven.
The specific problem they raised, moreover, was based on the failure to realize the newness that the resurrection age will bring.
Theological vocation includes liberating God from the past to the power of God to create future, God of Abraham as well as Isaac and Jacob. God is our God and much more.