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The Gospel of Matthew

Divorce

Chapter 19: 1-12

After teaching about humility, solution of offences and forgiveness between brethren (Jews at that time, believers now), the Lord continued His way toward Jerusalem, with His disciples. Avoiding passing through Samaria, He crossed the Jordan River and entered Judea by its eastern margin.

Large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there. Let us note that He was not searching for crowds, but had compassion of those who came after Him, and healed them: hundreds or even thousands of people.

Some Pharisees also came to Him to test Him. As on other occasions, they asked a tricky question, because the subject was controversial, and the people were much divided about it. A group followed the opinion of Rabbi Hillel, according to whom a man could divorce his wife for any reason, or because he has acquired an aversion to her. Others were from another school, that of Shammai, which maintained the illegality of divorce, except in cases of adultery. Any reply from the Lord Jesus would contradict one of these two opposing opinions.

The Lord Jesus did not refer Himself to the opinion of any party, but in His reply, He first addressed the divine foundation of marriage. From this, we obtain the first principle: in the beginning, God made one man and one woman, so that their posterity would learn the original divine intention for each man to have only one wife (and vice versa): see Genesis 1:27, 2:21-24.

The bonds of matrimony were to be so strong, that they would separate man from his father and his mother to form a unit with his wife. It is as if they were glued with a very strong glue, for this is the original meaning of the word translated into English as "joined". The spouses would be "one flesh". That is, the two were united by marriage into one person, both legally as in sentiment, interests and affections. They would do everything together.

According to the argument of the Lord Jesus (who was the author of creation), taking into account that:

1. From the very beginning, God made only one man and one woman to belong to each other.

2. The two were united so intimately as to become one person.

they cannot be separated any more unless it is by the authority of God: for example, the death of one with the survival of the other. Nobody, therefore, must separate what God has joined.

Consequently, a man is not permitted to undo his marriage for whatever reason. By declaring this, the Lord Jesus confirmed the understanding of the school of Shammai, not through a discussion of its arguments, but upon the teaching of the Word of God, so using His great wisdom.

However, the Pharisees were not satisfied: If this was the determinant principle, how did Moses admit divorce, by ordering a man to give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away? Read Deuteronomy 24:1-4.

It is to be observed that when God established that principle to Adam and Eve, they were innocent: Sin had not yet marred their existence. After they disobeyed God, and as a result were expelled from His presence, the initial perfection was tainted. Sin in all its forms then arose: murder, lies, moral corruption, etc.

God gave His law through Moses, after removing the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt, among other things in order to instruct them in His ways and to show the sins in which they were involved. Although the principles of conduct that God established in it are righteous and immutable, He knows that humankind is unable to reach its perfection. So the Lord Jesus then admitted that the law made a concession regarding divorce "because of the hardness of their hearts", “but from the beginning it was not so”.   

It was a temporary concession, because of the need to meet a situation of fact. The regulation, requiring the issue of an official letter of divorce, gave independence to the divorced wife so she could marry again. After that, her first husband could never take her back in marriage, even if she married again and the second husband died first. The letter was better than being sent away, unable to remarry.

It was also useful to prevent the husband simply expelling his wife from home, in a fit of rage. It was necessary to draw up a legal document, probably in front of a scribe, and he would have time to reflect better, knowing that there would be a big risk of losing his wife forever.

The Lord Jesus now introduced a limitation to the clause of the law concerning divorce: “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery” (Chapter 5:31).

This is the law of His Kingdom, which surpasses that of Moses. The Law of Moses was forgiving, but the divine principle was re-established forever in the Kingdom of God: in the Kingdom of God, only sexual immorality of the wife allows divorce by the husband. Any further marriage, when there is divorce without this legitimate reason, is adultery.

We live now in a world in which men have granted women the same rights, duties and obligations that were exclusively theirs until two centuries ago.

With their conquest, women are now in the same position as men with regard to divorce, and, save for better judgment, it is only fair to consider that the commandment applies equally to women. The defrauded spouse, whether husband or wife, may divorce the spouse guilty of sexual immorality and marry again.

The disciples saw their rights restricted with this change, such as now being exposed to endure an unpleasant woman, and expressed the view that, in this case, it would be better not to get married. The Lord understood the sentiment, but commented that not all men can refrain from marrying, like eunuchs (actually, Eve was given to Adam because God knew he needed a companion, and his descendants also need one, with few exceptions due to special circumstances).

Being single can be advantageous in certain circumstances, such as in times of persecution and trials, and for a full dedication to the Lord's work. We have the example of Paul, and he wished everyone could be free as he, to devote himself entirely to the ministry in the circumstances in which he lived (1 Corinthians 7: 1,7,9,26).

The Lord stated, however, that some men could accept being unmarried (the meaning of "eunuch" here is that of a person - man or woman - devoid of sensuality), but only those to whom it is given:

1. Some are just born with that quality, and can live very well without a spouse.

2. Others were made that way by the cruelty of men (for punishment or for special service).

3. Still others make eunuchs of themselves through voluntary abstinence in order to serve better the Kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus ended by saying: "He who is able to accept it, let him accept it”. Such a quality cannot be enforced. Each must judge for himself if he can accept being single for life. If he can, then he is free to do it.

Finally, marriage is a divine institution, but it is not an obligation. Those who get married must live together until death parts them. Those who do not marry, being believers, will have more time to serve the Lord, without family encumbrances, although they will be missing some practical experience of married life.

 

R David Jones

 

 

 

 

1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.

2 And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there.

 

3 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?"

 

 

 

4 And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE,'

 

5 and said, 'FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH' ?

 

 

 

 

 

6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."

 

 

 

7 They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?"

 

 

 

 

8 He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 His disciples said to Him, "If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11 But He said to them, "All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given:
12 For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it."

Gospel of Matthew chapter 19, verses 1 to 12