Matrimony and Monasticism

"In the Beginning God created the heavens and the Earth. On the Sixth Day, he created man. Even though Adam walked and talked with God, he was lonely and could not find a suitable mate out of all creation. God took pity on Adam and created Woman and Adam named her Eve." (Genesis 1-3).

Since Eden, Mankind has always needed a companion. Despite being in the perpetual presence of the Almighty, we human beings need each other. We are like a trinity, like the Creator. We need connection to the One God, and to another human being (typically a person of the opposite sex). After Elohim created mankind, he have two edicts: "Be fruitful and multiply and subdue (put to order) the earth."(Genesis 1:28). Hence forth we were meant to find our significant other and rule with them over a part of the planet (like an apartment in New York or a farm in Ohio). Scripture is filled with the connection between man and woman, there are love stories, break ups, and lots of romantic drama. The Book of Proverbs alone discusses the joy of having "understanding wives (Proverbs 19:14), A (Proverbs 31) wife," and then there is what to watch our for like the "nagging wife who is a constant dripping (Proverbs 27:15), it is better to live on corner of a roof than with contentious wife (Proverbs 25:24)." It become obvious that this connection intended since Creation can become toxic.

There is no shortage of heartbreak in our fallen world today. Divorce is on the rise and it doesn't seem like It's going to ever stabilize. With break ups being so prevalent, I think it is worth consulting the Messiah, Jesus Christ and asking him what he thinks of it. It says in Matthew 19, "Some Pharisees came to interview him and tried to trap him into saying something that would ruin him. Do you permit divorce? They asked? Jesus responded, Don't you read the Scriptures? In them it is written that at the beginning God created man and woman and that a man should leave his father and mother and be forever untied to his wife. The two shall become one-no longer two, but one! And no man may divorce what God has joined together. The Pharisees then asked, Then why did Moses say a man may divorce his wife by merely writing her a letter of dismissal? Jesus replied. Moses did that in recognition of your hard and evil hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended. And I tell you this that anyone who divorces his wife, except for fornication, [Note: Jesus didn't mention battery or physical abuse because in the Jewish Culture a man who beat his wife would be stoned to death] and marries another commits adultery." Next the confounded Disciples asked Jesus "If that is how it is, it is better not to marry!" Jesus responded, "Not everyone can accept this statement, Only those whom God helps. Some are born without the ability to marry and some are disabled by men, and some refuse to marry for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let anyone who can accept my statement."

Here we see a shift. Jesus mentions an alternative to marriage, and that is permanent abstinence. This would become very popular movement called Monasticism, where men and women would dedicate themselves to the Lord and become chaste for eternity. Unfortunately, this difficult choice was imposed on people during the Middle Ages. Anyone who entered into the clergy had to become chaste and if they had families they had to caste them aside. Today, Monasticism survives in the Catholic Church and in many religious orders around the world. The problem with imposing this lifestyle is that Jesus himself said, "Not everyone can accept this statement." Not everyone can be celibate. For the whole world to decide to become monks would spell disaster for the human race and it would violate the command, "be fruitful and multiply." You can't multiply if you won't marry and consummate that love.

The Monastic life isn't for everyone, but there is something to being in union with just God. Typically, Monks and Nuns are depicted as crabby individuals who are depriving themselves of ecstasy over some rigid religious devotion. This is misconception. Those who marry Christ have an abundant life apart from the connection to the opposite sex. They are free to help others, delve into scripture and literature, and fallow their Lord without the stresses that come with a spouse. At the same time they do miss out on the joys of having children, rearing them, and educating the next generation. But ultimately, those who can take the call of celibacy gain something else. I have watched so many couples break up or tare each other down because of selfishness or misunderstandings. Those who are chaste avoid this pain and the snare of being in union with a toxic person. However, it is unwise to choose the Monastic life out of fear. You shouldn't run to the Cloth or the priestly loft because you fear getting trapped in bad relationship or that it won't work out for you.

I would say the majority of mankind is destined to walk this life with a partner. That the original decree in the beginning holds sway over most of the human race. However, I also believe that there are a selected few, a chosen group of people, who were born to live celebit life. These people have a gift. They don't regret not having a family, temptation to sin sexually doesn't prevail over them and they are completely fulfilled fallowing Christ. Unfortunately, the Church for a long time has believed anyone can be celibate for life and so many priests and cardinals have fallen into promiscuity because they didn't have the gift or calling to be celibate. It's not a choice, It's a calling, To impose it on people is contrary to the very precepts of God.

In the end only each individual person can decide for themselves if they feel called to live the celebit life. God's opinion on the matter is this "That the two should become one," and that "let anyone, who can, accept the statement: it is better not to marry."