NEED OF THE OTHER



NEED OF THE OTHER
Today is the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time. The readings of today highlight on the concept of Marriage in the human community. In the beginning God created man and felt that he needs some helper to accomplish his mission on earth and enjoy the creation. In this connection we may be pushed to think that the existence of women is to help man and not vice versa. This very idea only made man to behave as a ruler and to treat woman as an object. But if we read the following verses in the first reading. It is man who needs to leave his father and mother and be united with his wife. Thus, man has the responsibility to take care of his wife. Though in our setting, we see woman leaving her father and mother after the marriage and be united with her husband and his family, it is in no way degrade the value of woman.
In this line, the letter to the Hebrews, from where today’s second reading is taken, states that the humanity which had fallen into sin was in need of the other to be redeemed or saved. Therefore, God sent his own Son (not the created being, rather the Uncreated Being) to save the created being. This shows that our God is merciful and never wants any of his creation to be ruined. As man needs women for his existence, the whole humanity (both man and woman) need the help of the other to rise from the sinful nature and attain salvation.
As a conclusion, in the Gospel Jesus was asked about the divorce in marriage. Jesus with his all wisdom answered that it is due to the hardness of the people that Moses allowed the concept of divorce but the reality is that man and woman form one body through marriage. Yes, Jesus is restating the purpose of marriage as it was in the creation. The purpose of marriage is not just to procreate and have a pleasure. The prime concept of marriage is to have a helper in one’s life. Man takes the woman and vice versa as helpers. Here, one may ask a question if procreation is not the prime importance of marriage why can’t man have a male helper and woman have the same? This is the question which has led to the rise of Gay and Lesbianism. But the genuine answer for this problem could be derived from the letter to the Hebrews, where we see that the created being (caused being) needs a being that is other than of its own kind to grant a salvation. Thus, man needs the opposite sex to get a help and support in his life. Because, what man can’t do, could be done by woman and vice versa.  In one’s life irrespective of male and female everyone need the other as a help.

Comments