Benld United Methodist Church

The Love of God Has No Limits- Mark 10:2-12 (13–16)
In seeking to test Jesus, the Pharisees use their knowledge as a trap. Jesus exposes
their ploy by countering their petty god with the God of mercy. Instead of getting
lost in legal word play or looking for more ways to exploit people's pain, Jesus insists
that men and women have equal access to Mosaic laws and, more importantly, God's
mercy.

Jesus redirects the question of the Pharisees to make the conversation primarily a
discussion about marriage, rather than divorce. Marriage is a gift of God's good
creation.

Bishop Will Willomon reminds us that "God brings people together. God desires that
people who, having been once brought together, ought to stay together. God is the
one who refuses to send these 'little ones' away. Instead, God is the one who receives
and embraces the little ones."

We read this passage as applying to us: that is, we ought not to divorce; we ought to
welcome little children. But Bishop Willomon suggests "maybe we are seeing here the
great difference between God and ourselves. Maybe this is a scripture about God."

We have our limits. We make promises, and with all good intentions we plan to stay
together forever. But people get sick, people disappoint, people become trapped,
addicted, distant, and estranged. Does anybody really want divorce? But we have
our limits. Sometimes we find it impossible to keep our promises. Sometimes
promises are broken for all sorts of "good" reasons.

But in today's gospel, Jesus makes clear that God is not like that. God is the one who,
from the very beginning, makes union, fosters communion and togetherness. God is
the one who brings individuals together into community.

We are of course "only human." There are limits upon our love--limits upon our
ability to stay with other people. But the love of God has no such limits. We can
attempt to separate ourselves from God, but Jesus implies here God does not
separate from us. We can come to the limits of our ability to love and to persevere in
love with others. But God does not come to the same limits.

God loves us limited human beings in a limitless divine way. We do fail in love; after
all, we are "only human." But we have a God who forgives our failures, who loves us in
spite of our limits to love in return. Today's gospel (the Good News) is that in spite of
our inabilities, our limits and failures, God is limitlessly loving and always faithful.
This love and faithfulness is what we are to make a part of our live increasingly each
day on our walk of faith. Keep praying.