Sermon Braindump #217 Mark 10:2-16
Summary
TLDRIn this sermon breakdown, Pastor Scott Baio reflects on Mark 10:2-16, addressing the difficult topic of divorce. He discusses the discomfort many feel when tackling this passage due to the judgment and pain it has caused in past interpretations. Pastor Baio emphasizes Jesus' challenge to the patriarchal norms of his time, advocating for equality between men and women. He also connects the text to the brokenness in relationships, highlighting the hope found in God's ability to create new life from painful situations. The video aims to offer compassionate insight into a complex and challenging scripture.
Takeaways
- đ The video host, Scott Baio, is an ELCA pastor in Southwest Iowa, and this video is part of his weekly sermon breakdown series.
- đ The main reason for the video is to help both himself and viewers reflect on the week's assigned scripture and offer insights.
- đ The text for this particular Sunday, October 7, 2018, is from Mark 10:2-16, which deals with the sensitive topic of divorce.
- âïž The speaker acknowledges that this passage is difficult to preach on due to its history of being used in judgmental and hurtful ways, especially toward those who have experienced divorce.
- đ§ The Pharisees' question about divorce was an attempt to test Jesus, but Jesus responds by pointing to the hardness of human hearts as the reason for Moses' allowance of divorce.
- đ« Jesus challenges the patriarchal norms of his time by placing women on equal footing with men, a radical move in a male-dominated society.
- đ The theme of vulnerability and marginalization runs through the passage, with both women and children being particularly vulnerable groups in Jesus' time.
- đ Divorce is described as the death of a relationship, a painful and messy process, even if it may sometimes be the best option.
- đ The message of hope in the gospel is that God brings new life out of brokenness, and this is central to how the speaker will approach the sermon.
- đŹ The video invites viewers to engage with the content by leaving comments, allowing for further discussion and reflection on the sermon topic.
Q & A
What is the main purpose of the 'Sermon Breakdown' videos according to the speaker?
-The main purpose of the 'Sermon Breakdown' videos is to help the speaker process and reflect on the sermon preparation while providing viewers with different insights on the assigned biblical text.
Why does the speaker dislike preaching on the text from Mark 10:2-16?
-The speaker dislikes preaching on Mark 10:2-16 because it discusses divorce, a topic that has been used to make hurtful, judgmental comments toward divorced individuals. The speaker is aware of the pain it causes some people in the congregation who have gone through divorce.
How does the speaker describe the Phariseesâ intentions when questioning Jesus about divorce?
-The speaker suggests that the Pharisees were trying to test Jesus by asking him a question about divorce in order to discredit him or get him into political trouble.
How does Jesus challenge the patriarchal system in the text according to the speaker?
-Jesus challenges the patriarchal system by putting women on equal footing with men. In the societal context of that time, men had more power in matters like divorce, and Jesusâ response undermines that imbalance.
What connection does the speaker make between children and vulnerable people in the biblical text?
-The speaker notes that Jesus often refers to 'little ones' as representing vulnerable people, such as children, who lacked power and influence in society. The divorce text and Jesusâ blessing of children highlight his care for the marginalized.
What does the speaker suggest about relationships in the 'Kingdom of God'?
-The speaker suggests that relationships in the Kingdom of God will be healthy and mutually beneficial, and there will be no need for divorce, as relationships will no longer experience brokenness.
Why does the speaker consider divorce to be a 'death of a relationship'?
-The speaker views divorce as the death of a relationship because it signifies the breakdown of a bond between two people. Even when divorce is the right or best thing, it is still painful, messy, and causes hurt.
How does the speaker connect the theme of brokenness to the gospel message?
-The speaker connects the theme of brokenness to the gospel by emphasizing that God can create new life out of death. Even when relationships are broken, God's promise is greater, and He ultimately has the final word.
What role does the speaker believe fear and self-doubt play in the context of this passage?
-The speaker believes that fear and self-doubt, such as feelings of not being good enough or deserving of love, are lies that God is bigger than. Godâs promise of grace and redemption overcomes these doubts.
How does the speaker interpret the phrase 'because of your hardness of heart' in Jesusâ response to the Pharisees?
-The speaker interprets 'because of your hardness of heart' as Jesus pointing to the brokenness of humanity. The allowance of divorce in the law was a response to human flaws, not necessarily an endorsement of it as the right thing.
Outlines
đ„ Introduction and Context of the Video
Scott Baio, an ELCA pastor from Southwest Iowa, introduces himself and explains the purpose of these weekly sermon breakdown videos. He uses them to reflect on his own sermon preparation and offer viewers insight into the assigned gospel text. This week's topic is from Mark 10:2-16, which includes the challenging subject of divorce. Scott acknowledges his discomfort with this passage due to the judgment it often brings upon divorced individuals. However, since it is part of the reading, he feels compelled to address it and provide thoughtful commentary.
đ Examining Mark 10:2-16 - Divorce and Vulnerable Groups
Scott begins to discuss the assigned passage, which includes Pharisees questioning Jesus about the legality of divorce. He notes that Jesus challenges the patriarchal norms of the time by elevating women's rights in marriage, giving them equal standing with men. He connects the mention of children in the latter part of the passage to the idea of the vulnerable and marginalized in society, suggesting that Jesus advocates for equal treatment and dignity for all, including women and children.
đ Challenging Traditional Interpretations
Scott continues exploring the context of the gospel passage, highlighting Jesus' challenge to the societal norms surrounding divorce. He mentions that in Jesus' time, men held all the power in divorce, and Jesus' words pushed against that system, advocating for equality. He finds a hopeful element in Jesus' challenge to the status quo, envisioning relationships in the Kingdom of Heaven as harmonious and mutually beneficial. Scott reflects on the broader implications of humanity being created for relationships, and how this gospel passage underscores the importance of equality and partnership.
đ The Brokenness of Divorce and the Role of the Gospel
Scott discusses divorce as the death of a relationship, recognizing that while it may sometimes be the right or best decision, it is still inherently painful. He emphasizes that brokenness, both in individual relationships and in the world at large, is a reality. However, he reminds viewers that God creates new life out of death, offering hope amid suffering. He acknowledges the internal struggles people face, such as feelings of failure or unworthiness, and asserts that God's promise of redemption is greater than those lies. Scott wraps up by encouraging viewers to find hope in God's promise and ends with an invitation for further discussion.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄDivorce
đĄPharisees
đĄPatriarchy
đĄHardness of Heart
đĄKingdom of God
đĄGenesis
đĄChildren
đĄAdultery
đĄBrokenness
đĄGospel
Highlights
Introduction of the sermon series 'Sermon Breakdown,' presented weekly by Scott Baio, an ELCA pastor from Southwest Iowa.
The purpose of the videos is twofold: first, to process the sermon preparation, and second, to provide viewers with insights on the week's assigned text.
The focus of the October 7th, 2018 sermon is on Mark 10:2-16, specifically addressing the controversial topic of divorce.
Baio expresses his personal discomfort with the divorce text, recognizing how it has historically been used to hurt and judge those who have experienced divorce.
The text from Mark 10:2-16 discusses Pharisees testing Jesus with a question on divorce, to which Jesus responds by citing Moses' commandment on the hardness of human hearts.
Jesus challenges the patriarchal structure of the time by putting women on equal footing with men in terms of divorce and relationships.
Baio highlights how children and marginalized groups, like women, were often vulnerable in Jesus' time, and the passage reflects Jesus' challenge to societal norms.
The divorce text's connection with the recurring theme of 'little ones' in Mark, who symbolize vulnerability and powerlessness in society.
Jesus references Genesis to affirm the idea of equality in relationships, emphasizing mutual benefit rather than domination.
Baio notes that the concept of 'helper' in Genesis is often misinterpreted; the original Hebrew refers to a counterpart or partner, not a subservient figure.
Divorce, according to Baio, represents the death of a relationship, which is always painful, even if it is the best choice in some situations.
Baio emphasizes the broader theme of human brokenness and how it manifests in relationships and societal structures.
The gospel message offers hope, affirming that God brings new life out of death, and that brokenness does not get the last word.
Baio encourages viewers to reject harmful internal doubts and fears, trusting in God's promises, even when it doesn't feel evident.
He concludes by inviting viewers to share their thoughts and comments, promoting continued conversation and engagement with the text.
Transcripts
hello and welcome to another episode of
sermon breakdown my name is scott baio
and i'm an ELC a pastor in southwest
Iowa and I resent these videos every
week for a couple different reasons
first of which to take my brain on a
motor background work from the course
the week and moving the process of
writing and preparing the sermon that I
preached my cognition for the weekend
that's the first and second is just a
little given your time to come and check
out this video to gain some different
inside in the assigned text for the week
so that is why I do these this
particular Sunday October 7th 2018 I
almost at 19 there currently I'm
thinking ahead
this is the 20th Sunday after Pentecost
and our gospel lesson comes out of Mark
chapter 10 verses 2 through 16
disclaimer it's the divorce text
arguably one of the least favorite
passages out of the sine complexion this
revised common lectionary or for people
to preach on or at least for this person
to preach on I do not like this text I
do not enjoy when this text comes up
because I know what this text has been
used for in terms of hurtful judgmental
comments or judgments or whatever we
want to say towards people who have been
divorced in the past and not a fan I
know what this does to some of my people
who have shared things with me from
their own lives their own experience
it's just it's not a fun text but the
disclaimer that you got to put out there
is that when it comes up you got to talk
about it I was talking with some
colleagues earlier this week and the way
that our bulletin is formatted here in
my congregation it's printed so even if
I don't read it the people will look and
see and they'll wonder why isn't he
reading that and we'll see what it is so
the second we start reading this I think
there are some if not everyone but there
are definitely some who instantly have a
sermon in their minds and it's probably
not a good one so all right that being
said I'm going to dive into it again
it's mark 10 verses
three-sixteen some Pharisees came and to
test Jesus they asked is a lawful for a
man to divorce his wife we answered them
what did Moses command you they said
Moses allowed a man to write a
certificate of dismissal beeping voice
ER jesus said to them because of your
hardness of heart he wrote this
commandment for you before the beginning
of creation God made them male and
female
but 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 and 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 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 disciple spoke
sternly to them when Jesus saw this he
was indignant and said to them let the
little children come to me and do not
stop them for it is what 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 bless them all right a quick
thought about the back half is it seems
at first glance that these are two very
very very different passages they don't
seemingly have nothing to do with each
other we've been in a period of Mark's
Gospel now pass through chapters 8 9 10
where this recurring theme of the little
ones keeps coming up and in the case of
children in this case often times it
seems to be children but sometimes Jesus
switches up and says these little ones
it seems to be the vulnerable the ones
who may be vulnerable is the best work
those who are unable they don't have the
power they don't have the influence they
don't have the ability whatever for
whatever reason they're the ones that
are marginalized and they have no choice
now in Jesus day children definitely fit
that mold women also felt that mode and
and therein i think lies a connection
with this divorce text now i'm going to
go back and talk about that a little bit
but i want to say it right here up front
that
what Jesus is doing here the way he's
responding is actually challenging the
patriarchy from what research I've done
from what we can tell about divorce in
the first century at least within the
Jewish culture was it was all in the
men's court that the man could depending
on who you talk to could basically issue
a certificate of divorce to his wife for
whatever reason it felt like now I've
also read that there's some debate about
that that even in Jesus day there was
this isn't the right terminology but for
lack of a better word a liberal versus
conservative view on what's acceptable
within the realm of divorce or reasoning
behind it and possibly that's why the
Pharisees are bringing this up because
they want Jesus taking public stance so
they can discredit him and make him sit
lose face or or try and save face and
lose face with others or get into a
political hot water but anywho so then
the power sat with demand and that in
the terms of like damages caused by
adultery that that's not against the
woman but it's against the next husband
or that the damages of or the offense
caused by adultery is against the
husband so the woman apparently doesn't
even figure into this equation and Jesus
is challenging that with what he says
that basically if we look at it closely
it seems that Jesus is putting putting
women on equal footing with men here and
and that was that was a challenge within
the society and yet as as difficult as
this text is maybe that's a little
glimmer or a little grain that we need
to hold on to is that Jesus is still
challenging the system that there are
some who should be placed above others
that there are some who have power or
sway over others and that there are some
who are subservient to others that in
the kingdom of God or in the kingdom of
heaven or whatever terminology you want
to lose things are going to be different
I read one thing yesterday
that also kind of resonated in this
whole discussion that that when Jesus
brings up Genesis and the whole the
whole marriage thing that they will
become one flesh what he's basically
saying is the indication of
relationships in the Kingdom of Heaven
in the idea in the when when whenever
that is in the age to come that there
will be no need for divorce that
marriages will are not marriages that
relationships will be healthy and will
be will share in the mutually the mutual
benefit of one another I can't help but
think about this whole thing
in terms of relationship that that if we
go back to the beginning God formed
humanity to be in relationship with one
another both men and women bear the
divine image we give that in the first
account of creation and in the second
account of creation the man is around
the mud dude for the mud person a Dom or
Adam and we hear it is not good for the
man to be alone I will create the way
ours is our English translation comes on
this I will create a partner that's his
helper not I hired a professor to talk
about this not a real great translation
it's I will create a counterpart and and
the word for helper which my Hebrew is
horrible so I'm not gonna try and tell
you it is the word for helper it's
usually given to God or if we think
about the Septuagint which is the Greek
translation of the Hebrew Bible that
it's the helper is the Paraclete the the
spirit the advocate or whatever that so
I will give a counterpart to be in
partnership to be to be together to be
in this so helpers not the greatest word
with our are subservient connotation
okay
so there's all of this going into it but
that
that humanity is designed if you wanna
use that word but Humanity is is made
that's created we our existence is tied
up in relationship relationship with God
relationship with one another
relationship with the world that we
share and yet there is brokenness and
and and I think that comes all the way
back around to when this question is
posed to Jesus in the first place it's a
weird question and we hear that the
Pharisees are trying to test it like
they know the answer to this question is
lawful for a man to divorce his wife and
Jesus like what Moses say and then they
talk about what Moses said which is in
itself is an odd situation because it
references back to Deuteronomy 24 I
think like 1 to 4 and in those four
verses where it talks about issue
certificate of divorce it's actually if
you read through the whole thing it's a
man issues a certificate of divorce and
releases his wife and she goes and gets
married to another guy and he issues a
certificate of divorce it's not lawful
for then the first husband to then try
and marry her again that's the whole
thing if we can read a little bit
farther so it's kinda like what and as
Jesus says it's because of your hardness
apart it's because of the brokenness
that already exists in the world that
that this was made lawful to do doesn't
necessarily mean it's the right thing
and here's the point that I feel like I
think I've made before when it comes to
divorce the divorce is the death of a
relationship whether or not it's the
right thing whether or not it's the best
thing it's still not a good thing
because it is the death of a
relationship and and therefore it's
painful and it's hard and it's messy and
people get hurt within it and people in
proximity are hurt by it and children
who are part of it are hurt by it in the
the death of the breakdown of a
relationship is never a good thing even
if it is still the best thing and this
this point
towards the brokenness of this world and
I think that's where I'm gonna go with
this with this sermon honestly it's I'm
not there yet I don't know exactly
there's a lot happening here but we
remember the promise of the gospel
within this is that we have a God who
can and does create new life out of
death and that that these signs of the
brokenness of our world both the
brokenness that lies within us and the
brokenness of our reality in general
those things don't get the last word the
God does always God does even when it
doesn't feel like it you've been in
those times when that voice in the back
of our head says you deserve this or
you're not good enough for this or
you're not worthy or whatever those
stupid things say that we're all we all
hear those doubts those fears those
questions those those those the fear
that you should have done more you
should have worked harder or you're a
failure because of this all of those
those lies God is bigger and the promise
is bigger even in the times when one
doesn't feel like this is I'm going to
cut this off because now it's time to
write and and try and find a way to
proclaim the gospel into a painful
situation you know thoughts questions
comments by all means throws down the
comment section we contain the
conversation that way otherwise I would
give a blessed week we will catch you
next time
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