The Gospels often show Christ delivering remarkably concise summaries of gigantic topics. Today is one of them.
Christ is asked about divorce. He asks the questioner to describe Moses' law, that any man can write a bill of divorce. Christ then puts Moses' law in context: Because of the Jews' "hardness of heart", this is a social precept, not religious dogma. The religious dogma is that in marriage men and women become one flesh. It is as old an idea as the naming of animals. It is basic as described in Genesis. Although weaker, more vulnerable in a vicious world, woman bring no weakness to the union. They are equal on another level. And no divorce.
In a few lines, Christ supersedes Mosaic Law, asserts the primacy of Genesis and completely rewrites the understanding of women in the world.
Christ is asked about divorce. He asks the questioner to describe Moses' law, that any man can write a bill of divorce. Christ then puts Moses' law in context: Because of the Jews' "hardness of heart", this is a social precept, not religious dogma. The religious dogma is that in marriage men and women become one flesh. It is as old an idea as the naming of animals. It is basic as described in Genesis. Although weaker, more vulnerable in a vicious world, woman bring no weakness to the union. They are equal on another level. And no divorce.
In a few lines, Christ supersedes Mosaic Law, asserts the primacy of Genesis and completely rewrites the understanding of women in the world.
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