The Bible: Liberating or Oppressing?
- davidwperk
- Feb 12
- 5 min read
Devotional Reflection, Wednesday, February 12, 2025
The week of the fifth Sunday after Epiphany
The Rev. David W. Perkins, Th.D.
Key phrases for reflection from today’s reading:
6But from the beginning of creation, “God made them male and female.” 7“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8and the two shall become one flesh.” So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.’
. . . . .
13 People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. 14But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. 15Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’ 16And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.
You will find the full text of this Gospel reading at the end of this reflection.
Daily Office Lectionary Readings: (BCP, 946)
AM Psalm 97, 99, [100]; PM Psalm 94, [95]
2 Samuel 14:1-20; Acts 21:1-14; Mark 10:1-16
Today we celebrate the Feast of Charles F. Andrews. (See below.)
David’s Reflections
Today’s Gospel has Jesus addressing the plight of two oppressed groups in Palestine, women and children. Women had no legal standing in the courts. Men could divorce their wives but wives did not have that option. A scriptural precedent in Deuteronomy 24 was used to reinforce that practice.
Jesus rejected the Deuteronomy passage as a foundation and took the questioners back to the creation stories. There, Jesus taught, God created both male and female and charged them both with the care of creation, thus inferring an equality nonexistent in his cultural/religious milieu. And, Jesus shocked his hearers by saying that the divorcing and remarrying husband was committing adultery against his wife. His fellow Jews understood adultery in very narrow terms that did not include the possibility that a man could commit adultery against his own wife.
From this disputed passage, we can conclude at least two things about Jesus. He regarded the superficial dissolution of marriage as a reflection of human hardness of heart and as a depreciation of the most basic relationship established by God in creation. Second, Jesus’ novel teaching advocated for women and elevated them to a place of equality.
Children were, like women, vulnerable and powerless and incapable of defending themselves. Jesus became indignant with those of his followers who tried to limit their access to hm. He blessed, not those who tried to bring the children, but the children themselves. These children could not defend themselves against the hindering disciples. They had no achievement or status that commended them.
We each must approach God without trusting in our status or history to commend us. Jesus here reminds us of how God receives us, like little children, treasuring us as we do a newborn, full of promise and possibility but with no history of performance or obedience to commend them to us. To attempt otherwise will hinder God’s love from flowing to us. It will be a futile attempt at self salvation.
The church has erred in reading Jesus’ teaching here, especially by perverting his teaching about marriage into rigid laws that actually oppress people rather than majoring on the principles Jesus enunciated that undergird lifelong monogamous marriage, principles that level the status of husband and wife. And we’ve said precious little to those who have failed marriage covenants about God’s unique compassion and forgiving love in response to failure.
In proof texting and treating the divorce passages apart from their historical setting, Jesus’ values and compassion often get lost in the fog of regulations regarding divorce and remarriage. We obscure Jesus’ mountain peaks of teaching about the ultimate worth of those whom society and organized religion might prefer to disempower and dehumanize, women and children. We have weaponized the biblical texts in ways that oppress and wound.
Some in the church have used the same interpretive method to argue for slavery, to relegate women to the back of the bus in the church and to condemn homosexuals. Patching together texts from various contexts without serious regard for their setting in the larger biblical record and their unique cultural settings, what we call proof texting, dishonors the biblical text and reads our contemporary cultural biases back into the biblical record.
We would do well to embrace Jesus' values here, his humanizing of and treasuring of women and children. In so doing, we would reverse that proof text process and find our cultural biases challenged. We would bring to bear Jesus' values on our own culture, one rife with human trafficking, forced labor, and child pornography, one that exploits women and children and dehumanizes them. We would experience God’s love flowing more freely into our lives than if we hindered that love through self elevating and striving for divine favor.
Collect of the Day, Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
Set us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins, and give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP, 216)
Today we celebrate the Feast of Charles F. Andrews, priest and “friend of the poor” in India (died 5 Apr 1940 CE).
Collect of the Feast of Charles F. Andrews
Gracious God, you called Charles Freer Andrews to show forth your salvation to the poor: By your Holy Spirit inspire in us a tender concern, a passionate justice, and an active love for all people, that there may be one Body and one Spirit in Jesus Christ, our Savior; who with you and the same Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
A Collect for Grace
Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, 100)
For stewardship of creation
O merciful Creator, your hand is open wide to satisfy the needs of every living creature: Make us always thankful for your loving providence; and grant that we, remembering the account that we must one day give, may be faithful stewards of your good gifts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (BCP, 259)
A Prayer for Light
O Lord God Almighty, as you have taught us to call the evening, the morning, and the noonday one day; and have made the sun to know its going down: Dispel the darkness of our hearts, that by your brightness we may know you to be the true God and eternal light, living and reigning for ever and ever. Amen. (BCP, 110)
A Collect for Mission
Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen. (BCP, 101)
Daily Prayer Offices in The Book of Common Prayer
Morning Prayer, Rite 2, page 75, Book of Common Prayer
Noonday Prayer, p. 103, Book of Common Prayer
Order of Worship for Evening (Vespers), p. 109, Book of Common Prayer
Evening Prayer, Rite 2, page 115, Book of Common Prayer
Compline (Night Prayer), Page 127, Book of Common Prayer
Daily Devotionals, page 136, Book of Common Prayer
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