Throughout the ministry of Jesus the authorities sought to entrap him. I am sure when they heard his words on marriage in the Sermon on the Mount they figured they had him seeking to undo the words of Moses. In Matthew 19, the leaders quizzed Jesus about His views on marriage and divorce. Since most of the teachers of Jesus’ day debated the real meaning of Deuteronomy 24:1-4, Jesus quickly reminded them God had a different ideal in mind for marriage. He even reminded them the only reason Moses prescribed a certificate of divorce was due to the hardness of the people’s hearts. (Matthew 19:8)
Jesus stressed the one flesh union established by God, the permanence of marriage, and the importance of faithfulness. In light of this there are a number of principles worth considering.
- We are always to enter marriage with a commitment to see it through to the end. Our disposable society dedicated to convenience has done nothing to enhance permanence in marriage.
- We are always to do our best to work through the difficulties we encounter in marriage. Marriage does require work and an ongoing investment of our time, energy, resources, and most importantly ourselves.
- We are to remember the one flesh union is important to God. One flesh involves more than a physical relationship. It is the blending of hopes, hearts, dreams, emotions, ambitions, vocations, and every other part of our lives.
- We do know there are legitimate grounds for divorce, but even then divorce does not have to be automatic. Unfaithfulness to our marriage vows can take on several different forms such as adultery, desertion, and abusive behavior. Adultery does not mean divorce has to occur, but since marriage is built upon trust, it is difficult to restore that aspect of marriage when adultery has occurred.
- We understand God offers forgiveness for those involved in failed marriages. We realize God dislikes divorce, (Malachi 2:16) but we do know divorce is not the unpardonable sin.
- We know remarriage is a possibility following divorce. After a divorce no one should quickly jump into marriage. People need time to work through their divorce, get their feet on the ground, and their hearts whole before becoming involved in another relationship.
(Overview of Sunday evening message for February 7, 2010)