NO CRYING AT MY FUNERAL

NO CRYING AT MY FUNERAL

Friday, February 11, 2011

NO MATTER WHAT ANYONE TELLS YOU, HERE'S WHAT JESUS SAYS

Lately, I have had a lot of discussion about marriage and the Catholic "intransigence" regarding the eternal bond of the sacrament of Matrimony.  As it turns out, the "intransigence" is not as tough as Jesus would have it.  I invite you to the following study, shortened in order that you may stay awake all the way through.
Let me start by quoting two key passages from Matthew's Gospel.
Matthew 5:31-32
31 "It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.' 32  But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery."
Matthew 19:3 -11
4 Some Pharisees approached him, and tested him, saying, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?" 5  He said in reply, "Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? 6  So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate."  7  They said to him, "Then why did Moses command that the man give the woman a bill of divorce and dismiss (her)?"  8   He said to them, "Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.
9 I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries another commits adultery."  10 [His] disciples said to him, "If that is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry."
11 He answered, "Not all can accept [this] word, but only those to whom that is granted."

I begin this note to you by reminding you:
Never read the Bible verse by verse

When it comes to marriage, Jesus never contradicts himself, not even in Matthew.  Jesus repeatedly says that marriage is indissoluble.  It is forever and He reminds the Pharisees of the creation of woman in Genesis.
Since you are stuck on Matt. 19;9, read the whole thing and see that Jesus says "...marries another commits adultery."  He doesn't ever give the man the freedom to remarry, ever.  He gives him the right to "put his wife away" ["dismiss her"] but never gives the man the right to take another.  Never.
That is why if you continue reading and have the strength and courage to go all the way to Matt. 19;10 you hear the very disciples of Jesus make the comment, " "If that is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry."  Gird your loins now, and go all the way to verse 11: ""Not all can accept [this] word, but only those to whom that is granted."
In other words, "many are called, but few are chosen." (Matt. 22;14)  Also, "Jesus then said to the Twelve, 'Do you also want to leave?'" (John 6;67)
In short, the "story" of Matthew 19 is that marriage can never be dissolved. The bed can be divided but the bond can never be broken.
That is the teaching of the Gospel.  That is the teaching of the Catholic Church.
Now this will take away any doubt that you have had about not crying at my funeral.

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