For the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost, the Epistle from Hebrews 2:1-13 (14-18) and the Gospel from Mark 10:2-16 are important and meaningful in distinctive ways. The Epistle or Second Lesson from Hebrews 2 focuses on the revelation of God in Jesus Christ. It stresses the unique role of Christ and the way that He transcends previous revelation.
The Gospel from Mark 10 assumes the authority of Christ and discusses His teachings about marriage and about children. In Mark 10:2-12, Jesus rejects divorce as contrary to God's intention for marriage. Whatever real and practical human factors lead to divorce, sin is involved, and in some degree, some sinfulness is usually involved on both sides. The specifics are numberless, but the point is that every believer needs to take the divine intention of marriage seriously from the beginning. In many cases, the initial sin may be marrying unwisely without proper understandings, expectations, attitudes and commitments. In other cases, people forget their original intentions, stray from divine grace, and develop hardened hearts toward one another. Regardless of the circumstances, every divorce should lead to appropriate repentance and a desire for renewal through divine grace.
In the latter portion of the Gospel, Mark 10: 13-16, Jesus addresses the value of children. Although affected by human sin from birth, little children are relatively innocent and trusting. Before tarnished and corrupted by the surrounding world, they can believe implicitly and belong to God. Adults need to nourish rather than hinder children in their spiritual and moral growth. Although we must grow up and become more mature in certain ways, we also need to learn to be more humble and trusting like little children.
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