Bearing One Another’s Burdens (MPLS)

Hebrews 1:1–4, 2:5–12

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. But someone has testified somewhere, “What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them? You have made them for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honor, subjecting all things under their feet.” Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying, “I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters, in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.”

Mark 10:2–16

Some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. 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, let no one separate.”

Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 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.”

People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

‘Text Message’ Reflection:
From Pastor Meta Herrick Carlson

This text came up a few weeks into my pastoral internship. I spent an hour each week in text study with my supervisor and it served me well every Wednesday, but the conversation about this text was the one I still remember best.

He had been preaching for more than 30 years by this point and had come at these verses about lawfulness and divorce and what can come apart from many different angles over the years. He was stumped about what to say this time.

So we prayed and listened. We read it aloud and silently. We wondered about the ways this story made us feel frustrated, defensive, confused or sad. We went looking for the good news that would sound like good news especially to those who have experienced divorce or been harmed by the church’s reaction to their divorce.

On Friday, my supervisor called me with an idea for the sermon. He’d met with three people in the congregation who had been impacted by divorce, who wanted to share some of their story in worship. He asked if I would be willing to write a blessing to read after all three offered their words, something to honor the complexities behind the Pharisees’ simplified test and the compassion at work in Jesus’ response.

Instead of preaching with his own voice, he preached by amplifying the voices of those most impacted by the story and our interpretation of it. And by using his power this way, I heard a sermon I’ll never forget.

‘Text Message’ Reflection Questions:

• What does Jesus mean by, “Because of your hardness of heart these laws were written”?
• Can you think of some ways these verses have been used for harm instead of good?
• If you could ask Jesus a question about any law, what would you want to know?

Prayer:

God, we give you thanks for the law and its generous intent, that we would heed your commands and have life in your name. When we struggle with the letter of the law, give us grace and courage to put love for our neighbor first, trusting in the Greatest Commandment of all. Amen.