Matthew 19:1-12
1When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. 2Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.3Some 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,5and 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'? 6So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."
7"Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?"
8Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."
10The disciples said to him, "If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry."
11Jesus replied, "Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. 12For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it."
"Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?" Jesus clearly explains that it is unlawful to divorce except for marital unfaithfulness. It's very heart-breaking that the divorce rate in America is currently at 50%, but not surprising. In our society, divorce seems to be the answer to all our marital problems. In light of our previous post, it's so common for us to avoid our problems or handle it the wrong way rather than dealing with them the right way. I see how the way we handle problems or offenses affects our relationship with another, and in this case our spouse. As a newlywed, I am confronted with so many different issues with my husband that I didn't realize was going to even been an issue. Many of these issues could have led to divorce if we were not considerate of each other's feelings and thoughts. Just trying to consider the other person before yourself can really make all the difference. Possibly save you from even entertaining the thought of divorce. May the idea of marriage be more than just feelings of love, but rather a commitment you make to one another.
2 comments:
Esther, thanks for your post. Once again I realized that the relationship of marriage which God created is meant to last and is meant to be more than "feelings" as you put it. You know, even outside of marriage, relationships come and go. Only with marriage there are many aspects of binding as it starts and a severing as it ends. It makes me think that perhaps people go into it so lightly and end it so casually because they don't know God and what God intended marriage to be. Come to think of it, marriage is a God given institution which the secular world enter into to their dismay. I wonder if this happens in other parts of society or religion.
thanks for a wonderful reflection, esther. Jesus's teaching about marriage is so profound, especially when we come to understand marriage as two people who "are no longer two, but one". when you and your other are made one and you act selfishly and hurtfully against the other, you are in essence really hurting yourself. divorce in this sense is like an amputation, one that never really heals.
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