“Let the Children Come to Me; Do Not Prevent Them, For the Kingdom of God Belongs to Such As These.”

The angels had asked me to post on the Gospel every Sunday, with love and gratitude, I surely do! Here is the Gospel of Mark with an angel guided message behind it. Mark 10:2-16

The Pharisees approached Jesus and asked,
“Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?”
They were testing him.
He said to them in reply, “What did Moses command you?”
They replied,
“Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce
and dismiss her.”
But Jesus told them,
“Because of the hardness of your hearts
he wrote you this commandment.
But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
So they are no longer two but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate.”
In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this.
He said to them,
“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another
commits adultery against her;
and if she divorces her husband and marries another,
she commits adultery.”

And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them,
but the disciples rebuked them.
When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them,
“Let the children come to me;
do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to
such as these.
Amen, I say to you,
whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child
will not enter it.”
Then he embraced them and blessed them,
placing his hands on them.

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In the first portion of today’s Gospel, Jesus addresses the Pharisees who were testing him.  -This question had been debated by several schools of thought at the time because Mosaic Law permitted divorce and views  of acceptable grounds for divorce varied considerably. Following Jewish religious and cultural thought of the time, the Pharisee inquires only about a man initiating divorce, since women were not allowed to do so. Jesus addressed their question with another question, which they quickly answered with a well rehearsed answer. Jesus roots his response, not in Moses, but in creation itself, pointing out that God’s intent is that husband and wife become one flesh , and form such a bond that they become as one living being, not a loose linkage of easily separated parts. Seeing that Jesus’ response reaches beyond interpretation of Moses to God’s purposes for mankind, the Pharisee make no response. The disciples asked him to further to understand when they were in the house.  Jesus treats each woman or man as equal in marriage, as equal rights and duties, and indirectly reinforcing his essential point that two partners are to become an unbreakable unit.- (-see Reference below-)

God’s love for us is unbreakable, immeasurable, unconditional and eternal.  Nothing could ever break or sever God’s love for us, making us one with God the Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit. It is through His love that men/women were created, and through His love that we are one with Him, until we reside with Him in the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. So should it be with us – asking God to help us make our love perfect- when we serve each other, through marriage vows, through service, through acts of love and charity-being created in His Image and Likeness. 

In the second portion of today’s reading, Jesus become indignant (which means to feel or show anger or annoyance at what is perceived as unfair treatment) because he loves children. His fondness for children clearly transcends their usefulness as images for the Kingdom of God. His love for them is genuine , as is His love for all who embrace the kingdom and sets the image of children-which is humble, sweet, loving, peaceful, meek of heart, honest, as the image for all to follow. (see Reference below)

All men were created equal, loving – created in the image and likeness of God. All are equally loved by God and it is God’s love that transcends all time and space for everyone. You were created Holy and perfect, you are loved equally and no one can break the bond of love that God has for His people. This bond, is too, unbreakable, and that is why God intended an unbreakable force- for His love cannot be measured- nor that of His Son, Jesus Christ.  The Angel Team

In Jesus Name

Reference: Workbook for Lectors, Gospel Readers, and Proclaimers of the Word 2015

Definition of indignant through Dictionary.com