divorce

In the Gospel According to Mark 10:2–12 (NABRE), Jesus talks about divorce. Like many encounters with Jesus, this one shows the contrast between Jesus’ point of view and that of the Pharisees or even the law.

The question at hand is whether divorce is legal. The Greek word used for divorce, ἀπολύω (apoluo), literally means “set free,” and it more commonly refers to setting loose a captive rather than to ending a marriage. The underlying idea is that a person was held by some bond that has been loosed. From that legal perspective of divorce, marriage is such a bond, and divorcing is as simple as loosing it.

Jesus’ response, however, takes the idea of marriage much further. He suggests that the bond that occurs in marriage is as close as the two becoming as one flesh. As the two have become one, there no longer is any bond that can be loosed. It’s a lifetime commitment and bind. While this answer doesn’t seem to appeal to the crowds throughout the ages, it does say something extremely interesting about how God views marriage.

you also may like our study of the book of Exodus
You Shall Have No Other Gods: The Book of Exodus, a 28-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, provides an in-depth look at how significant events in biblical history that occurred thousands of years ago to descendants of Jacob remain relevant and even critical for present-day Christians to understand. The deliverance of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt and the giving of Ten Commandments are examined along with the development of Moses’ relationship to God. Click here to view a sample of the first lesson.

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