Funny Coincidence b/n Daily & Sunday Lectionaries

So, I went to two clergy Bible studies Tuesday (one Ecumenical, one Episcopal) on this Sunday's readings (Proper 22). We talked a lot about this Sunday's Gospel, Mark 10:2-9. Both groups devoted a good deal of energy and attention to the pastoral concerns that such a Gospel about divorce raises in a Church setting.

We were all clearly uncomfortable with this Gospel in some way or another. It is certainly one of the "harder" sayings about divorce in the New Testament, much less forgiving than Matthean version of this saying (which allows for divorce prompted by "unchastity"); Paul gives even more latitude in his advice to the Corinthians.

We had legitimate pastoral, even theological points to raise. Many in our congegations may have remarried after bad marriages, and found real mutual support and lasting love with their new partners. Then again, others may have remained in abusive relationships based on this very Gospel passage. I remarked that, although Jesus can condemn the "hardness of heart" that led the men in patriarchal ancient Israel to "put away" their wives, it is actually softness of heart (that is, pastoral concern) that prompts such allowances in the Church today.

[Or, to take the point one further: Jesus is condemning hardness of heart here. Isn't it ironic that in the Church, we usually react to divorce with more hardness of heart? Sadly, we don't really know what to "do" with divorces in our parishes, how to be loving with these people during what is probably one of the hardest times of their lives? Too often, the response they meet with is a tacit shunning by the community.]

Well, anyway, on to the funny coincidence part of this little rant:

Wouldn't you know, that very Tuesday's first Daily Office reading [Hosea 4:1-11a] comes down pretty hard on priests who "have forgotten the law of the Lord" and "feed on the sin of my people."

Now, I do not think that anyone in our Lectionary groups wants to make allowances for divorce merely to be easy or coddle people; and we are certainly not involved in the sort of idolatry that Hosea uses "adultery" as a metaphor for! However, I could not help but feel a little indicted by Hosea's stark declaration: "It will be like people, like priest." Certainly, the Church does bend in many ways to the winds of culture. This may be the result of pastoral concern, or our study of the harmony of the messages we find in scripture, or theological discernment-- but we should always take care not merely to follow the Spirit of this Age.

Let us recall that, as we bend, we should only do so with fear and trembling.