Today's gospel speaks about marriage and divorce and children. The passage on marriage and divorce being sensitive must be dealt with sympathetic compassion. The passage on children is simple because children are the first victims of a broken marriage and family.

The heart-rending breakdown in marriage is a sad reality. Jesus is not indifferent to this tragedy. He is in the midst of it all offering a way that would prevent this painful situation. He affirms the sanctity and sacredness of marriage: "What God has united man must not divide." Marriage between man and woman is instituted by God. The Pharisees who bring up the question of divorce had misunderstood the Scriptures. When one misunderstands Scripture one easily misinterprets it. Jesus turns the conversation from the legal foundation for divorce to God's plan for marriage. The text cited by the Pharisees (Deut. 23:1-4) was a concession to human weakness. Marriage is rooted by God in creation (Gen.1:27; 2:24). "What God has united man must not divide." says Jesus. Could we add a corollary: What humans have wrongly united let God rightly separate?

Children are the fruits of marriage. Living on the edge of society, children had no social status and no legal rights. Therefore, welcoming those who had no honour, who were powerless, was necessary to enter the kingdom of God. God is experienced not in power but in weakness.