The Teachings of Jesus in Luke: Who Has Value?

(Jesus said) Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and whoever marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery. ~ Luke 16:18

For Christ, women have an intrinsic value equal to that of men. ~ James Borland


A parishioner at one of my previous congregations came up to me once after she had seen what the gospel text was for the following Sunday. She seemed sad.

 "I hate this reading." she said. "I hate that Jesus says this about divorce."

 How many people do you know who are divorced? Maybe you are yourself? I am. And of those people, how many cringe when the subject of divorce comes up in church?

 It's easy to see why. And yet, read this verse again. Who is Jesus directing this quote to?

 The husband.

 Women in Jesus' day had no rights. They were property of their husband. Divorce could be obtained by a man leaving a women destitute. She would cease to have personhood.

 But for Jesus, women had value. They had rights. Jesus did not want them abandoned easily by a man who tired of them.

 And this flew in the face of the world around him.

 Who is it today that we see as not having value? Who is it that has rights that are trampled on?

 And how would Jesus lift up the value of those whose rights are ignored?
Prayer: Open my eyes and my heart to those you value, Lord. Even those the rest of the world ignores. Amen





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