This is why a man leaves his father and mother, and the two become one flesh. They are no longer two, therefore, but one flesh. So then, what God has united, human beings must not divide.’
Mark 10: 2-16
Jesus’s response invites us to pause and reflect on the deeper nature of unity, love, and commitment. He speaks of the union between husband and wife as being “one flesh.” This is a call to transcend separateness. Marriage, in this context, is not merely a legal contract, but a deep spiritual union, the two, inseparable. It is a unity that reflects a greater oneness that mirrors the interconnectedness we experience in deep spiritual meditation—the oneness of all life, bound together by divine love.
This does not mean that marriage is easy. There is the tension between the ideal of the union and the lived challenges that threaten it. Marriage also goes through the cycle of relationships where romance can quickly turn into disillusionment, but when we realise that love is not a feeling but a decision, we can experience the joy of forgiveness. We look beyond momentary conflicts, and work towards healing and reconciliation whenever possible.
Yet, we also recognize that some relationships are too damaged to repair, and while Jesus condemns divorce, there is need for compassion toward those who are unable to continue together.