Mark 10:1-16
Everyone had a trick question by which they wanted to trap Jesus. For some it was paying taxes to Caesar. For others it was marriage and the resurrection. Here, for the Pharisees, it is marriage and divorce. And part of the trap of this question appears to be an apparent contradiction in the law. Jesus begins by getting them to show that they knew what the Word said. He then points out that the hardness of heart and not marriage is a problem. Divorce is a concession to the evil of man to prevent man from propagating a greater evil. Divorce is an evil, but it is not the worst evil that can happen. For example, polygamy was an evil permitted to prevent greater evil.
The disciples’ questioning of Jesus indicates that this was more than a passing comment. The call to the highest level of holy living was a challenge to them. The call to holy living is no stranger to us, but it nevertheless is still a challenge. What is not a challenge is for the child to trust in the one they love.
The Kingdom belongs to people like little children. There is a lot about little children that is not likeable. Ask any mom with a child in the “terrible twos” or the “tantrum threes” But they have this, those they love they trust. The child with the one they love is completely confident that the one they love will take care of everything. They have no fear or doubt. That is why the Kingdom is theirs. Without doubt the one who loves God receives the Kingdom because they are willing to ask for it. The lack of Kingdom living reveals the presence of fear and doubt. It is a reflection of a lack of trust which in turn reflects a lack of love.
"Lord help me to love You more deeply and in that trust You for fully. AMEN"
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