27th Sunday in Ordinary Time | Year B

Posted on octubre 4, 2024 View all Gospel Reflection

“And the two of them become on flesh.” (Gen. 2:24)
With these words the first reading gives us what is the essence of marriage and the relationship
between a husband and a wife. Jesus himself repeats these words in the Gospel when he responds to
the Pharisees when they asked about divorce. In our society these days it seems like nothing lasts
forever. Even our appliances, cars and homes seem to last a lot shorter than they used to. When the
Pharisees questioned Jesus, they wanted to show one of two things. Either Jesus would contradict
Moses or he would contradict God. They wanted to show how they were so smart that they could trap
Jesus with his own words.
But Jesus turns things around and teaches both them and us an important lesson of the heart.
He says that Moses permitted divorce because of the hardness of their hearts, “but from the beginning
of creation, God made them male and female … and the two shall become one flesh.” Why is it
important to hear this lesson? Jesus certainly knew what family life was about, and I am sure he knew
from his childhood friendships that not every family is perfect. But when Jesus says that the two shall
become one flesh, he is giving us hope. He is echoing the intent of the Father that it is for the sake of
love that the man and woman are joined together for life. It is an image of the covenant of God and His
people. It is not a contract that when broken can be set aside.
A family that is united in this intimate and permanent way is one that is freed from the fashions
and passing trends of the day. It is built on something solid. Ideally as Catholics it is built on God Himself.
When God created Adam and Eve He did so as an expression of His love for us. That is why we are
referred to as being created in the image and likeness of God. We have kinship with Him. But more than
just biological kinship, we have spiritual kinship. God can be defined as pure love. And so, likewise when
a man is joined to his wife in marriage it should be grounded in love. This love is full and complete. Each
is called to love the other with their entire being. When this is truly lived out, then the difficulties of
daily life can be faced together. When this is truly lived out, then the children will see how they are also
loved as part of that family and in turn go out into the world strengthened and nourished by that love.
Without that foundation of love, then the marriage, the family and in turn our society become
mere commodities to be cast aside when another person comes along. Jesus himself came into this
world precisely to teach this. As we heard in the Letter to the Hebrews “He ‘for a little while’ was made
‘lower than angels,’ … all have one origin.” Jesus came to die and pay for our sinfulness. But more so,
Jesus came so that we might have eternal life. And by becoming a man like us in all things but sin, he
calls us brothers and sisters.
So as we reflect on how we are all one family in Christ, we should ask ourselves how do I image
Christ in my family? This week let us focus on loving others with a generous and forgiving heart. For
when we live and love in this manner, it is then that we are truly the best image of God here on earth.