Vers. 1—12.— Marriage and divorce. Our Lord Jesus {s the great moral Legislator of humanity. His authoritative teaching applies to all classes and to all relationships of mankind. And it is to be noticed that he bases his commands and counsels both upon grounds of natural right and reason, and also upon the revealed Mosaic Law. With regard to the latter, it is observable that he professes not to destroy it, but te fulfil it—to inspire it with a new motive, and to give it a wider range; whilst he allows no authority to mere traditions and usages, but treats them simply upon their own merits.
I, Upon wat oun LorD BASES THE SANOTITY OF MARRIAGE. It is to be observed that Jesus goes back behind the old Mosaic Law, which was universally accepted among the Jews as the authoritative standard of conduct. 1. There is reference to what we should call natwral adaptation. If there is design in any arrangement or provision of nature, there is certainly design in the division of mankind (as, indeed, of other races of living beings) into two corresponding and complementary sexes. Man was made for woman, and woman for man; and the equality in numbers of male and female is evidently a natural reason both for marriage and for monogamy. 2. There is reference to the creative, historical basis of marriage. The record of Genesis is adduced, and Jesus reminds the Pharisees that marriage dated, as a matter of fact, from the begin- ning of the creation—that our first parents lived together in this relationship from their first introduction to each other until the close of life. 3. Jesus asserts marriage to be @ Divine ordinance. “‘God hath joined together” husband and wife, The Law of Moses came in with its additional provisions and sanctions; but it presumed the existence of the marriage state. God, who orders all things well, had seen that it would not be good for the man to be alone; accordingly he instituted wedded life, and hallowed it.
Il. Wuar oun Lord DEDUCES FROM THE SANOTITY OF MARRIAGE. 1. A condemna- tion of the custom of facile divorce. It was a common practice for the Jews, when dissatisfied with their wives, to put them away for very trivial reasons—even because they were not pleased with them, without any offence having been committed. They were wont to appeal to a permissive provision in their law as a warrant for acting thus. In our own times, in many countries even professedly Christian, it is too common for regue lations of great laxity to be ade regarding divorce. In some countries even incom- patibility of temper is a suflicient ground for permanent separation. Such practices are condenined by Jesus as contrary to the Divine intention regarding marriage, and as subversive of all sound .norality. As the family is the unit and the basis of all com- munities, and of all moral unity and welfare, it is of the highest importance that the sacredness of this Divine institution should be upheld, and that all practices and senti- ments which undermine it should be discountenanced and opposed. Lax views upon divorce are to be repressed, as inimical to all social welfare as well as to domestic concord. 2. A declaration that such divorce is conducive to adultery. Our Lord does not say that the remarriage of divorced persone is in all cases adulterous; but, speaking of those who are separated for trivial offences, and for any offence short of the most serious, he declares that for such persons to marry again is nothing less than adultery. They are not really and in God’s sight released from one another, and a second union is therefore unlawful. ‘“ What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put
under.” mo GECh tion: 1. Learn our Lord’s independence as an ethical and spiritual Teacher, ati his superiority to traditional and even Mosaic authority. 2. Learn his interess m
68 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK. [cn.x. 1—52.
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all our human relationships; he consecrates them by the regard of his grace and by the imposition of his Law. 3. Let Christians discountenance lax opinions and practices upon a question so vital to social and national well-being as the ordinance of marriage.
Vers. 13—16.— Christ and the children. That three of the evangelists should have recorded this incident is proof of the impression it made upon the early Christians, and of the importance they attached to it. The Son of man interested himself in all classes and conditions of humanity; and it is not strange that he should have come into direct and tender relations with the very young.
L Tue cuILpRen who were brought to Jesus, They were very young, for they are ealled “‘little children,” and they were so small as to be taken up in the arms. Jesus had himself been a child, and had passed through the stages of infancy and boyhood, so that from his own experience he could sympathize with this age and condition of human life. hese children may have been children of the house where Jesus had been staying, and of the neighbours. It should be remembered that, not long before, Jesus had taken a little child and used him as an example of simplicity and humility. We may certainly learn from this incident that no child, however young or feeble, is disregarded by our Lord Jesus. In every one he sees an immortal, God-given nature, capable of fellowship with the Creator’s mind, and of obedience to his commands,
IL THE PARENTS OF THE CHILDREN. 1. They revered and honoured Jesus them- selves, or they would not have acted thus. They would not have treated another rabbi thus. There must have been something in our Lord which attracted them and © induced them to believe that he would not repel them should they ask a favour on behalf of their little ones. 2. They brought their children to Jesus. The babes had neither knowledge nor strength to come of themselves; but their parents acted for them, Parents should regard it as their duty and privilege to bring their offspring to the Saviour. This they may do by instructing them as te who and what Jesus is, by leading them into the society of Christ’s people. 3. They had a definite purpose in bringing the children to Jesus, viz. that he should touch them and should pray for them. To tell our children of Christ is, or should be, with a view to their personal spiritual contact with him, and with a view to their enjoying both the regard of his friendship and the benefit of his intercession.