https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=57697
The gospel reading this week is another hard one to stay with, especially if you or someone you care for has been through – or is going through – the pain of divorce.
The full lectionary readings, which you can find here, give some context for the question from the Pharisees and for Jesus’ reply, but it is worth slowing down with a tricky text, and some tricky questions, to see what else emerges over time.
Here are some threads to pull on as you explore this text:
- The status of women was such that they could be divorced for displeasing their husband. Consider what that does to the power in the relationship/partnership.
- Since this is a test, what’s your sense of how Jesus answered. Did he pass or fail? And if you sense that he didn’t do either…what did he do? And how?
- Here’s an interesting way to engage with the passage: listen to it with your eyes closed and tune in to what you sense in your body. What do you notice? Where does this text land? How does your body respond? What wisdom is being offered to you here?
