Wednesday 20th March
Read Matthew 5:31-32
“‘It has been said, “Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.” 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” (NIVUK)
Jesus points out that the prevailing interpretation of the divorce laws actively promotes adultery. To grasp His argument it is worth reading His fuller explanation recorded later in Matthew.
“Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?’
4 ‘Haven’t you read,’ he replied, ‘that at the beginning the Creator “made them male and female,” 5 and said, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh”? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.’
7 ‘Why then,’ they asked, ‘did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?’
8 Jesus replied, ‘Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.’” (Matthew 19:3-9) (NIVUK)
The end-point of His argument is the same, but the grounds for it are explained in more detail. Jesus grounds it in the very nature of marriage, an insoluble union created by God Himself. It is fascinating how readily the human heart turns into a command (v7) what was always intended as a reluctant concession (v8).
Are there other areas in your life where you create a law to live by rather than seek the path of wisdom and life?
