What did Jesus really say about divorce?

(Note: The lectionary, in case you’re not up with the church lingo, is the set of Bible passages that are prescribed to be read in a given church on a given Sunday. If a congregation follows the 3-year cycle of the lectionary, the people will hear a pretty balanced representation of the whole Bible during that time).

So – my beef with the lectionary committee this week has to do with three very difficult scripture readings assigned for this World Communion Sunday: one from Job (dealing with the why of human suffering), and two readings that have to deal with the topic of marriage and divorce (from Genesis and from Mark).

I chose the one about divorce as my sermon text this week. (Mark 10:2-6)

I only have about 8-10 minutes, since this is a communion Sunday.

I like a challenge….

Like to know which direction I’m going with it? (Like to suggest a direction?)

Hint: the sermon title is: “Disposable People”.

You will get a great head start if you read about why divorce was such a big deal for Jesus by doing a bit of advanced study. (And if you click in there, DO indeed read down to the fine print.)

How did the practice of divorce differ in Jesus time and culture? How is it similar? Could Jesus’ teaching on this subject be characterized as “feminist”? Why is the teaching about children follow on immediately afterward?

Study, pray, let me know if you have any insights – but danger, they may be added to the soup!

Have a great week – and see you Sunday.

Jeff