Every great and successful marriage has its humble beginning. It passes through phases to reach maturity. This too is the story of Israel and her relationship with God. Ezekiel narrates Israel’s humble origin in the land of Canaan. She was like an abandoned baby at birth. God picked her up and made her to live. She grew to maidenhood to the age of love, and God covered her nakedness. Then God said, “I pledged myself to you and entered into covenant with you and you became mine.” Her status is now elevated; God anointed her, clothe her with silk and linen, adorned her with ornament, bracelets, gold and silver, put a beautiful crown on her head and fed her with fine flour and honey. Thus, Israel became exceedingly beautiful. Surprisingly, she forgot how it all started and who brought her up but trusted in her own beauty! In her pride, Israel played the harlot with other gods but God said, “Yet I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish with you an everlasting covenant, that you may remember and be confounded...When I forgive you all that you have done."
God’s ‘marriage’ with Israel remained unbroken because of His faithfulness, though Israel broke her own side of the covenant. But instead of ‘divorcing’ her, God promised to renew the covenant. Yes, every marriage requires renewal not divorce. But the Pharisees approached Jesus with the question of divorce. They knew divorce is a contradiction to what marriage stands for. “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” they asked. Jesus’ answer tells us what causes divorce and the secret of a successful marriage.
“Have you not read that He who made them from the beginning made them male and female?” Jesus said this is why a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they become one. “What therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder.” Marriage is God’s design, but man has been struggling over the ages to redesign and wrestle it away from God’s hand. It is in marriage that our freedom of choice is mostly expressed, and at the same time, it is here that it is summoned to surrender. We are good to go when in marriage our will and choices shine out. But sooner or later, the couples discover that they have to individually and collectively surrender to God and accept each other, and their union, as God’s will. What authority is above human will and freedom? Hence, only the authority of God can unite and sustain man and woman in marriage.
Again, Jesus said that ‘hardness of heart’ leads to divorce. This is a heart that will not allow God’s word to penetrate. It is a proud and selfish heart, which exalts itself and will not yield to God. One who does not submit to the authority of God may not be able to surrender to the authority of love in marriage. That is why religions that do not accept the merciful and loving One God permit divorce and/or polygamy. The prophetic blessing from God’s ‘marriage’ and faithfulness to Israel is now instituted in our homes through Jesus Christ. God saw all He had made, and indeed it was very good (Gen 1:31). And it remains good and beautiful, growing from a painful and simple beginning to a sublime and great dynasty. May God bless your family with peace and unity + In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic
Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Friday August 14th, 2020.
Memorial of St Maximilian Mary
Kolbe.
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com
