12/12/08

Marriage, Divorce & Remarriage in Mark: Studies In Mark, Pt. 83

When we read Mark's Gospel or any other ancient text for that matter, the fact is, there are many things that we are not privvy to. The distance between our world and theirs is immense and because of this, we misunderstand cultural norms, ethical mores, theological stances, figures of speech, social metaphors, familial practices, etc. The work of Bible readers, in many ways and on many levels, is to uncover and understand as much about these things as we can so that we bridge some of the distance between the two horizons. When it comes to Mk. 10, the section of Mark's story where marriage is in view, there is a lot going on. Attempting to reconstruct the situation, understand it, bridge the gap and read between the lines can be quite tough.

So, I want to start by reminding us that the Gospel writers were highly selective in the materials they chose to include in their respective accounts. For example, when one reads Matthew 19.3, a text quite similar to that in Mk. 10, this "selectivity" is quite noticeable. While we can see similarities, we can also see differences (which we shall attribute to "selectivity"). We notice, for example, that a difference comes at the end of both sections. In Mt. we read, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce for any reason.” and in Mk., the clause “for any reason” is absent. This, then, is where we might ask why Mark did not include the clause? Well, the answer is quite simple: Mark didn’t include it because it was already presupposed. To put it differently, he felt like he didn’t need to include it because his audiences already knew about it.

In Mk. 10.1-12, I would contend, in fact, that this happens often. Mark leaves out a whole lot because his audiences already presuppose it. Let me give you a modern-day example. Suppose one person asks another, “So, what do you think about abortion?” Really, there is more to that question that we presuppose; we supply the extra meaning. Thus, we know that when that question is asked, what is really being asked is: “So, what do you think about abortion is it right or wrong?” I would submit that when we compare Mt. and Mk. something very similar is going on—in Mk. we have a condensed version of a the longer question found in Mt. So, to get the full effect, we must find out what the people presupposed in that context (or as narrative critics would argue: "we need to find out what the readers / hearers were expected to already know").

So, let's focus on Mk. 10.1-12 at this point. In this text there are many things that are missing because Mark didn’t need to include them; he didn’t need to waste time, ink and papyrus (or whatever he was writing on at that time) on things that everyone already knew. But part of our job is to uncover those presuppositions so that we can make full sense of what’s going on. Therefore, a context-sensitive reading is what will help us fill in the gaps—like we did with the “for any reason” statement. So, we are going to try to "reconstruct" the situation as best we can. Let’s stick with verse two. In context, through reconstruction (using Mt., here, for example), verse two would read: “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason.” But in Mark’s context, there’s even a little more that is presupposed. The question they ask is based on the law as it is found in Dt. 24.1-5. In those verses, if you read them, Moses is talking about the rules for giving a valid divorce certificate. Therefore, I want to suggest tha the full question of the religious leaders would actually look something like this: “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason as long as he gives her a valid divorce certificate?”

As we’ll see, the whole episode then, is about valid and invalid divorce certificates. It’s not merely or simply about marriage, divorce or remarriage. It is foremost about the role of valid divorce certificates and their roles in valid divorces and valid remarriages. It might seem silly to us that haggling over a divorce certificate was such a big deal but nonetheless, it was. They argued over food sacrificed to demons, if the water should be warm or could, still or running when baptizing someone...among other things. They haggle over technicalities just like we do. But this was no small issue. Again, we might compare it to abortion; it was a huge issue in Jesus’ day. In fact, there were two prominent Jewish groups who talked a lot about this issue. They were known as the Schools of Hillel and Shammai. The Hillel School was more liberal while the Shammai School was more conservative (if we can use such analogies without being terribly anachronistic). If it weren’t a big issue, there would have been no need for such groups (like those pro-choice and those pro-life today).

So, they argued a lot about valid and invalid divorce certificates. The idea was, if you don’t have a valid divorce certificate, you are not free to remarry. If you have an invalid certificate and try to remarry, you commit adultery. Now, when the religious leaders ask Jesus, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason as long as he gives her a valid divorce certificate?” Jesus replies, “What did Moses command you?” If we add what is already presupposed in the conversation it is: “What did Moses command your ancestors—and by affiliation you—concerning valid/invalid divorce certificates?” As you can see, we’re getting a fuller picture by including what is already presupposed. And we might suggest that this is what (or very close to what) Jesus said or intended to say because of their reply back, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and (then) send her on her way.” Again, the conversation is really making sense; it is fuller; it is talking, in the main, about divorce certificates—not necessarily divorce!

And Jesus replies right back to them: “It was because your ancestor’s were stubborn (or hard hearted) that Moses wrote you this law about divorce certificates.” In other words, Jesus is saying that some men were being stubborn because when they violated the relationship and the wife requested the certificate of divorce so that she could be cared for by another and remarry, the man wouldn’t give it to her. So, the stubborn guy was withholding the certificate which, if she didn’t have it, prevented her from getting married again. Thus, she could not be cared for. So, Moses had to write a law commanding that if the certificate was validly requested, it must be handed over. Now, many have said that only men could write certificates. But archeological discoveries have disproved this. There have even been found ancient documents where a woman hired a scribe to write the certificate to divorce her husband.

The point is: If you don’t have a valid certificate, you can’t remarry—male or female. And if you don’t have a valid certificate and you go on with the process, you are an adulterer. You are an adulterer because you’re still married! So, at this point, I’m going to recount the presupposed, (re)constructed conversation thus far.

1. The religious leaders ask Jesus: “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason as long as he gives her a valid divorce certificate?”
2. Jesus responds: “What did Moses command your ancestors—and by affiliation you—concerning the giving of valid/invalid divorce certificates?”
3. The religious leaders reply: “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her on her way?”
4. But Jesus answers: “It was because some were stubbornly refusing to give divorce certificates in valid situations that Moses had to write a law commanding, not just permitting, the handing over of the certificates.”

So, do you see how the whole issue thus far has to do with divorce certificates? That is crucial to understanding and correctly applying this passage. The passage, up to this point, is concerned with divorce certificates. In other words, they have been focused on the negative aspect of what happens in a marriage. At this point, Jesus shifts gears; he goes from talking about the negative to talking about the positive. He’s essentially saying, “Let’s quit thinking about the bad side of marriage and talk about the good.” This is where He cites some passages from Genesis, Exodus and Deuteronomy. Now, look at the next few verses. Jesus says that in the beginning God created male and female to be together; they would leave their parents and unite. The idea was that once they united, they were not going to leave one another. Thus, Jesus is saying, “God’s plan was that marriage would be lifelong. He never wanted it to get to the point of divorce certificates. He wanted people to be faithful to one another.”

And that is really important to catch here: People are to be faithful to one another. Notice how before Jesus ever mentions God “joining” the man and woman, the man and woman “unite” themselves (I take that to mean making vows to one another). In short, they unite themselves through their vows. Then, after that, God, in a public ceremony “joins” them together. The whole image is of a Jewish wedding. The two make their vows here, with God, pictured as the rabbi (or as acting through the rabbi). After they’ve made vows, He unites them before everyone else as husband and wife. It is quite similar to our weddings today. The couple makes their vows, then the minister leads them in “I do’s” and then He “pronounces” or “joins” them together.

Right after this image, Jesus says, “So, what God joins together, let no man separate.” He’s referring to a literal man here, that is, an adulterer, someone who has committed illicit sex with one’s wife. Jesus is saying, “Don’t let that man--even though he transgressed against Me, you and your wife--destroy your marriage, in fact, don’t let any man do that; reconcile, if at all possible.” This fits with what Jesus says elsewhere: seek and employ forgiveness and reconciliation when possible.

Following this, Jesus and His crew enter a home. There, the disciples ask Him a question: “Jesus, when the religious leaders asked you about lawful divorce and you talked about valid/invalid divorce certificates, what exactly did you mean?” Jesus replies: “When I was speaking about valid/invalid divorce certificates and valid/invalid remarriage, I was saying that anyone who invalidly divorces his wife (like, the ‘for any little reason’ clause of the Hillel School) yet marries another woman, commits adultery against his wife and the same is true for a woman, if she invalidly divorces her husband or gives him an invalid divorce certificate and goes on to marry another man, she commits adultery too.”

It is here that the episode ends—on a note about divorce certificates. We would rather it have ended talking about faithfulness or something like that but it didn’t. Now, this was a lot to unpack, so, what I want to do right now is have you read these verses in your bibles one more time while I read the conversation with filled in gaps. I think this will really help us to get a better sense of what's going on here. So, start at verse 2:

1. The religious leaders ask Jesus: “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason as long as he gives her a valid divorce certificate?”
2. Jesus responds: “What did Moses command your ancestors—and by affiliation you—concerning the giving of valid/invalid divorce certificates?”
3. The religious leaders reply: “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her on her way?”
4. But Jesus answers: “It was because some were stubbornly refusing to give divorce certificates in valid situations that Moses had to write a law commanding, not just permitting, the handing over of the certificates.”
5. Jesus then moves from dwelling on the negative aspect of marriage to the positive, saying: “You dwell so much on this one thing Moses wrote but let’s go back further. In the beginning, there was no need for such a thing. He then cites Gen. 2.24 and the Exodus and Deuteronomy passages, saying: “God’s intentions were for male and female to marry and become one. God’s intentions were not for them to leave their parents, get together and then some time later, leave one another. No, God wanted them to stay together. He never wanted it to get to the point where divorce certificates were used. So, what God has joined, let no other man separate.”
6. Focusing in on the husband, Jesus continues: “You made vows and God joined you together, so, don’t let anyone mess that up. If your wife messes up and engages in an adulterous act, if neither of you want a divorce, you don’t have to get one. And it is to that end that you should strive not to get a divorce; you should not let some man separate you two.”
7. Inside the house, the disciples dwell on the negative and ask: “Jesus, when the religious leaders asked you about lawful divorce and you talked about valid/invalid divorce certificates, what did you mean?”
8. Jesus replies: “When I was speaking about valid/invalid divorce certificates and valid/invalid remarriage, I was saying that anyone who invalidly divorces his wife (like, the ‘for any little reason’ clause of the Hillel School) yet marries another woman commits adultery against her (not just her husband) and the same is true for a woman, if she invalidly divorces her husband or gives him an invalid divorce certificate and goes on to marry another man, she commits adultery too.”

I hope that you see what these verses are really about and what they’re really saying. I could offer a number of applicatory points here but I’ll offer only two. Firstly, we must do the hard work of understanding the culture in its ancient context when we’re reading it. If we don’t do that, we will really misinterpret and misapply. Secondly, these verses in Mk. show that Jesus affirmed that there were both valid and invalid grounds for divorce and remarriage. What He doesn’t do is say exactly what those grounds are. The Bible doesn’t list “all” of those either. Sometimes we have to discern what is theologically correct and morally correct in light of our beliefs overall. And that is also the hard work of discernment on our behalf.

Jesus wants to focus, though, not on divorce but on faithfulness. Faithfulness and fidelity is what He points to. For Him, divorce does not adequately reflect the nature and character of God. No, fidelity and faithfulness does and as such, that’s what we should strive after. Lastly, I think these verses reveal that for Jesus, divorce was not the unforgivable sin and neither was remarriage. In fact, we’ve already seen in Mk. 3 what the unforgivable sin is: blaspheming the Spirit of God.

*Note: I hope to do a follow-up post on Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage soon. Because this post was getting quite lengthy, I was unable to say more about marriage, divorce and remarriage in Mk. overall and I would really like to. I didn't even get the chance, for example, to talk about how Jesus being in Herodian territory in Mk. 10 might have factored into the conversation. So, look for more on this subject in the future.

2 comments:

  1. What an interesting post. I love and appreciate reading smart and subtle interpretations of the Bible - I hope you'll consider tackling some other issues, also, that are so prominent today , and that are driving Americans apart. Thanks, Rori

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  2. Rori, Thank you so much for you edifying words! I hope you keep reading Pisteuomen and interacting with me and others. This might sound silly but what other "issues" would you consider prominent and worthy of a "tackle"? Thanks again. Blessings and happy holidays to you and yours.
    -tmwh

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