“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery."
Matthew 5:31-32 (NRSVue)
It was not an easy time to be a woman, that's for sure.
According to Jewish Law, if a man found something he didn't like about his wife and lied about her, saying, "She wasn't a virgin when we married", the woman's father could spread the bed sheet from their wedding night in public to prove her innocence. If they have this proof on record, the man is not allowed to divorce her but has to remain married to her.
This doesn't sound like much of a prize for the woman!
Except that divorced women in that culture and time didn't have a lot of options for making a living or being accepted in community. Remember the Samaritan woman at the well who went all alone in the heat of the day to fetch water? She had had many husbands but it seemed few friends, likely because of her status.
So the sense that the man who slandered his wife had to remain married to her was better than the alternative.
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| This is a lot more than they used to get. |
As we consider our own context, we have more options for women today. But we also realize that single mothers are more likely to be living in poverty than two-parent families. Single mothers often work jobs that make it more difficult to help their children with their schoolwork. They may be less likely to have the time to attend teacher's meetings if problems arise.
I mention women here to the exclusion of men because of the statistical disadvantage they have over men. Jesus lifted them up with this provision against divorce.
As we move through Lent, how do we follow the example of Jesus and lift up women today? How do we encourage and offer compassionate stances? Where can we make a difference in the life of someone we know?
Prayer for the day: Gracious God, we give thanks for the people in our lives who have nurtured and cared for us. For most of us, much of our love, care and support came early on through the love of our mothers. Help us to instill confidence in all your children so that they may be able to fully respond to your call on their lives - to be the person they can become. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Photo by Nemodus photos via Flickr.com. Used under the Creative Commons license.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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