Homily for Friday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time

The Pharisees often tested Jesus, as they knew His teaching usually went beyond what the Jewish law required and sometimes even undermined it.

In this instance, the Jewish leaders wanted to challenge Jesus on his faithfulness to the Jewish law regarding marriage. They suspected that Jesus' teaching would contradict the Jewish law's stance on divorce in some instances, and they were right.

Jesus' teachings on marriage were more radical than those of the Jewish law. He emphasized that men and women should commit to marriage for life, referencing the Book of Genesis to support His stance.

While it's a reality that many marriages do not last for life and relationships break down, the Gospels show that Jesus recognized and engaged with people as they were in their everyday lives.

Jesus related to people in the context of their lives, acknowledging the reality of their situations. However, he also presented God's vision for human life, including married life. He articulated this vision while still lovingly engaging with those who, for various reasons, could not attain it.

In essence, Jesus' relationship with us is twofold; He loves us as we are yet also encourages us to strive for something greater than ourselves.