It was because of the hardness of your hearts that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives. In his three or so years of active ministry, Jesus touched the lives of many people. We see this not only in the signs that he worked but also in the words that issued forth from his mouth. On a couple of occasions, he was hailed as a great teacher by those who listened to him (cf. Mark 1:22; Matthew 7:28-29; Luke 11:27). In their own words, those who were amazed at Jesus’ teaching described him as teaching with authority (authenticity). They even went ahead to suggest how Jesus’ teaching differed from that of their own teachers and scribes. And whereas there is no doubt that the authenticity of Jesus’ teaching was reflected in how his actions matched his words, it is also clear that the people were also amazed at the depth of Jesus’ teachings. Such an observation must have led to the conclusion that not only did Jesus differ from the other teachers of the law and the scribes, he also surpassed them. It was a conclusion that obviously did not amuse the religious leaders. It did not come as a surprise, therefore, when the said religious leaders embarked on a plot to “bring down” Jesus. Their plot constituted of, among other things, posing questions that were designed to trap Jesus. The Gospel passage for today presents us with one of such scenarios.
Following his teaching on the ideals of discipleship, Jesus is approached by a section of the Pharisees who wanted to know what his stance on the legitimacy of divorce. The Pharisees were aware that their law allowed for divorce, and although Mark doesn’t delve into the circumstances in which divorce was allowed, Matthew makes it clear that only marriages that were contracted in violation of the Mosaic law of consanguinity were to be declared invalid, that is, as having never occurred (cf. Matthew 5:31-32). The Pharisees were also aware that if Jesus was to remain consistent in his teaching, he would say without hesitation that divorce is not permissible. Jesus knew what the Pharisees were up to, and choosing to play along, albeit with the intention of correcting them, he tossed the question back to them: “What did Moses command you?” to which they replied, “Moses permitted for a husband to write a bill of divorce and dismiss his wife.”
Those who were witnessing the spectacle must have become keen and attentive at this moment as they waited to hear how Jesus was going to stay clear of entangling himself. No one in his/her right mind would dare go against Moses. Moses was the lawgiver. If he said it was okay to divorce, then it was okay to divorce. But Jesus didn’t seem to agree. He pointed to the Genesis creation account to disprove what they were saying: “From the beginning of creation, God intended a man and woman to come together and form a sacred institution. God did not wish for them to be apart. And so, it is wrong for a man to divorce his lawfully married wife.” In other words, to those who were brandishing Moses as THE authority in such matters, Jesus countered them by pointing to God. God is the ultimate authority in everything. If Moses says YES and God says NO, one should take the side of God. But this is not to say that Jesus was pitting Moses against God. He was not saying that Moses erred by allowing for divorce. Moses did what he had to do because of the stubbornness of his brothers and sisters: “Moses allowed you to write a bill of divorce to your wives because of the hardness of your hearts.”
The hardness of the hearts of the sons and daughters of Israel had become a cancerous wound in their covenantal relationship with God. It had become a sad setback in the living out of their responsibility as partners with God in the covenant. They were yet to realize their full potential as a people who had the Lord as their God. Their stubbornness had estranged them from God and from God's commandments. Because of the hardness of their hearts, they did not see in God’s commandments a path to fullness of life. Because of the hardness of their hearts, they regarded God’s commandments as mere interference by God in their “private” lives. Moreover, they saw the commandments of God as burdensome and deserving to be circumvented. Because of their [mis]understanding of the commands of God, most of the time, they ended up replacing God’s commandments with their own. The legislation on divorce with which they wanted to trap Jesus is just one among the many examples that can be pointed out. In challenging their stance on such matters, Jesus was inviting them to allow God to be their teacher. In reminding them that the Lord was the premier lawgiver, Jesus invited them to let God be the chief interpreter of their laws. “When in doubt, check with God first,” Jesus told them.