Some people have the idea that the teachings of Jesus are out of date. Oh, he may have had some good thoughts back in his day, they suppose, but times are much different now. Surely we can’t expect to adhere to the teachings of a man who walked the earth nearly 2,000 years ago! Many doubt that the words of Jesus still hold any relevance for us today.

A thoughtful consideration of Scripture would prove these people wrong. For instance, let’s take a look at Mark 10, where Jesus answers a question about divorce—‘”It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. “But at the beginning of creation God made them male and female. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”’ (Mark 10:5-9).

Here Jesus addresses issues that are still discussed today.

First, he talks about creation. Molecules-to-man evolution is a theory that has hung around for some time now, even though it denies good science and lacks credible evidence. It is extremely far-fetched to believe that mankind exists today because of a vast number of highly fortunate changes over billions of years that have allowed one-celled organisms to evolve into fish, that later evolved into mammals, that later evolved into primates, that later evolved into man. Someone called this theory, “from goo to you by way of the zoo!” It is far more reasonable to believe, as does Jesus, that God created people at the beginning of creation.

Second, Jesus talks about gender. He names two—male and female. I have filled out medical forms that gave me more than two options for gender. In reality, there are only two. You are one or the other. Many people are confused about gender, either for themselves, or for others. We must be kind toward those who are confused about gender. They are created in God’s image and Jesus died for them. We must be considerate with those who are struggling to understand gender issues. But we have to agree with Jesus on the matter. God has created us either male or female, and we must either accept that, or find ourselves struggling against the truth.

Jesus also talks about marriage. Marriage has fallen into hard times today. Many want to redefine it. Others want to ignore it completely, and attempt to steal pleasures that do not belong to them. But Jesus says that marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman that creates a special bond. Within that bond, sexual activity is blessed by God. Outside of that bond, sexual activity is expressly forbidden. Jesus also points out that the marriage bond is to be a lifetime commitment. Those who don’t treat marriage with the respect that it deserves do themselves and others a great injustice.

So there you have it—creation, gender and marriage—all issues that are still being discussed today. This passage of Scripture is just one of many examples of how Jesus is still relevant today. If we want to live the best life possible, we would do well to give close examination to the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.