Mark 10

v1-12 Jesus presents the truth about divorce.  Divorce was permitted in the law, "because of your hardness of heart", Jesus tells the Jewish leaders.  It isn't what God desires.  He established marriage in the garden of Eden... from the very beginning of time.  He said that in  marriage " the two shall become one flesh".   God Himself joins the two together.   Divorce comes from the Greek word - apoluo - to free fully, release, dismiss, let die, pardon, let go - put away; set at liberty.   To move away from or destroy, loosen, dissolve, break up.  Divorce destroys God's creation.

Yet, it was permitted - because of hard hearts.  That is an interesting Greek word too - sklerokardia - skleros means dry, hard, tough, fierce, harsh;  kardia - the heart, the feelings and thoughts; the center;
Our hearts, our thoughts and feelings become dried up; life gets sucked out of them and they become hard and tough,  like the drought plagued fields out west.  No seeds can grow,  no roots can take hold, and no fruit will be produced.  Divorce doesn't happen because we fall out of love, or because we have irreconcilable differences.  It happens because our hearts become hard and tough and dried up. And instead of fixing that problem... we let God's creation die.

The disciples have a hard time with this and question Jesus.  They also have questions about His statements in verses 13 - 31.  First, Jesus rebukes them for sending away the children - instead receiving them and calling them the ones to whom the Kingdom of God belong.  Then, He makes the statement, " How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God."
The Kingdom belongs to those who receive it like a child... but those who are wealthy, those thought to be the most "blessed" - can't even enter!  This flip-flops their entire way of thinking...

"Then who can be saved?"  they ask.

Not who - but how - is the question they needed to ask;  " With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God." 

How can hard hearts be made soft again?
How can marriages be saved?
How can we enter into God's Kingdom?
How can we even be saved?

Only with God.  Only by a God Who is infinite and eternal; Who has infinite wisdom and infinite power.. and who loves us with unfailing love;  Who shows us His perfect, unchanging mercy and grace.  He does the impossible.  It is with Him.. in faith, in fellowship, in clinging to Him with all of our hearts.. that the impossible happens.

Tozer says, " We rest in what God is".   And ..... "The testimony of faith is that, no matter how things look in this fallen  world, all God's acts are wrought in perfect wisdom." We are to, " believe actively that our Heavenly Father constantly spreads around us providential circumstances that work for our present good and our everlasting well-being.."  He wants us to trust Him... in the dark.
For He is good enough to desire our "highest welfare".  He is wise enough to plan it, powerful enough to achieve it. He is all we need.

Oh Father in heaven,  God of the impossible... God of our salvation,  You have perfectly, wonderfully, provided salvation through the death and resurrection of Your Beloved Son, Jesus.   You perfectly reconcile us to Yourself.  You perfectly opened the door to the Kingdom of Heaven, so that we can come in.  All You do is perfect.  You are all wise,  all powerful, and all knowing.  We can rest in You.
Help us to believe... to fully trust You, even in the dark.
In Jesus.. and Him only do we come and ask these things.
Amen.