Commentary on the Gospel of
Gender Bias
“Is it right for a husband to divorce his wife?” The gender bias is inescapable. The question carries reference only to the “right” of men to divorce their wives. There is no corollary as to the legitimacy of a wife divorcing her husband. Not even such a possibility exists in their thoughts. Contrast this with the later response of Jesus to the disciples, in which he is inclusive of both genders in his rejection of divorce. He equates both men and women in his ruling of right and wrong—precisely because, as he responded to the Pharisees, God has made human beings male and female. Even when the explicit theme of the discourse is the question of divorce, let us not lose sight of the hidden assumptions and false priorities that underlie such questions. Had there been gender equivalence in their minds, perhaps the question of divorce would not have occurred at all!
