“The Question of Marriage and Divorce”
Matthew 19:1-15
“The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?’” [Matthew 18:15]
This is one of those questions that is pertinent to our day. Maybe not so much in the world because the world does seem to divorce “for just any reason.” “Irreconcilable differences” is the term they use. But that simply means “for just any reason.” The real question, however, is in the church among religious folk like us. What does the Bible say about marriage and divorce? Well, Matthew 19:1-10 is a key Scripture on that question, and the answer are the very words of Jesus.
Notice that the question came from religious leaders, but also notice that they were not really interested in our Lord’s answer. They were simply trying to trap Jesus so they could deny Him and do their own thing. Know anyone like that?
Now, in that day there were two major opinions on divorce that stemmed from different interpretations on Deut 24:1-4. Rabbi Shammai held that “some uncleanness in her” [Deut 24:1] meant marital unfaithfulness and so divorce could only be exercised when adultery was involved. Rabbi Hillel on the other hand emphasized the prior clause, “and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes.” Hillel interpreted that as allowing a man to divorce his wife if she did anything he disliked – “even if she burned his dinner.”
Obviously, Jesus sided with the conservative Shammai, but notice His important reference to Creation before sin entered the world. And that was the key addition to Jesus’ answer. God’s original design for marriage never included divorce. Only marriage is in God’s Creation.
“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” [Matt 19:5-6]
Jesus went on to say that it was because “the hardness of your hearts” that Moses permitted divorce, “but from the beginning it was not so.” [Matt 19:8]. It reveals the great divide between the letter of the Law and its Spirit and intent. When the latter is fulfilled, the former is also. But it doesn’t work the other way around. Understanding that dynamic is the pivotal key to receiving God’s counsel on marriage and divorce.
In our marriages, we must look to Creation, when marriage was designed. It was handcrafted by our Lord before sin entered the world. The joining of two into one was created by God, and we should continually look to when God did this in our own marriages.
Continue looking to what God has joined together, and it will keep you focused on growing together.
