Scripture Sunday: No One Should Separate

Genesis 2:18-24
18 Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner." 19 So out of the ground the LORD God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air and brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all cattle and to the birds of the air and to every animal of the field, but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. 21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was taken." 24 Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.

Mark 10:5-9
5 But Jesus said to them…  6 But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.' 7 ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate."

Hebrews 1:1-4
1 Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. 3 He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

​The unknown preacher of Hebrews begins their sermon quite boldly– God, through the Son, created all things within time, and the Son sustains them by his powerful word. By creating through the Son, God imprints part of the divine being onto everything that exists. While creation and Jesus are not “bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh,” they remain deeply interconnected. Creation reflects God’s beauty, creativity, care, nourishment, and the sustaining of life—each an imprint of the divine.

Through the Son, who is the exact imprint of God, we glimpse what is to come and what has always been. In the created world, we experience the divine, a vision of the eternal through the temporal, a foretaste of the future by experiencing the One who has always been. Everything was made through the Son and is sustained by his word. The life that creation holds is intertwined with the Son’s ongoing sustenance. “Therefore, what God has joined together, no one should separate.” This intimacy reveals a divine bond between God and creation, akin to a marriage covenant. 

In a similar way, God shares an intimate, covenantal bond with God's people. The prophets often describe Israel as an unfaithful bride when they turn to idols, forsaking the intimacy of true worship. Jesus, too, speaks of the Church as his bride, emphasizing the depth of this divine relationship. The exciting part of this intimacy is that it can deepen and grow over time. Through our faithfulness and participation, this relationship becomes richer, more meaningful, as we are drawn closer into the life-giving bond with God.

Creation bears the imprint of the Son, and the Son is the exact imprint of God. Humanity is made in God’s image, and is set apart from the rest of creation in a unique way, which is why Adam found no suitable helper among the animals. Yet, this distinction must never be used as a justification for domination or exploitation. Instead, we are called to imitate the Son, who gave himself for the life of the world.
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Our call to action is both small and great. Whether by walking in a park, tending a garden, or simply observing the life around us, these moments allow us to connect with God’s beauty and creativity, fostering a life of unceasing prayer as we notice God’s imprint in creation. We are called to reflect the self-giving love of Christ, bringing life through kindness, deeper relationships, and advocating for the vulnerable. In all these ways, our lives should reflect the divine imprint within creation and the image of God in us, allowing us to join in God’s ongoing work of sustaining and renewing the world into deeper intimacy. We can do this as co-laborers with Christ for the life of the world– with God as our Helper.


Caroline Hiler is a Seminary Intern at Creation Justice Ministries