Joined Together

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Opening Prayer

Heavenly Father, take me by surprise today with a word for me from Your Word.

Read Matthew 19:1-15

^[1] When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. ^[2] Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there. ^[3] 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.” ^[10] The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.” ^[11] Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. ^[12] For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others-and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.” ^[13] Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. ^[14] Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” ^[15] When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

Meditate

“God created marriage. No government subcommittee envisioned it. No social organization developed it. Marriage was conceived and born in the mind of God” (Max Lucado).

Think Further

Divorce is no new issue. It was a concern for the Pharisees (3) and before them the prophets (Mal. 2:14-16). Long before them, Moses had faced it as well (Deut. 24:1-4). Jesus goes back further, however, to first principles. Do we do that or do we tend to look for simple solutions? It’s not too surprising if we do: people’s lives and happiness are at stake. For that very reason the deeper principles need to be faced. Before unmarrying we need to understand marrying.

The question is a test. Could a man (note, not a woman) divorce for just any reason, or only in certain circumstances? This was a live issue for the Pharisees. Two rabbis, Shammai and Hillel, represented the two sides. The crux was the phrase “something indecent” (Deut. 24:1); did it refer to adultery alone or to less serious things as well? Depending on Jesus’ answer, they could box him as a conservative (“traditionalist” in today’s media speak) or a liberal. His argument shocks even his disciples (8-10). He goes further: marriage is not a right; it’s not for everyone (11-12). That probably did nothing to reduce the shock. Marriage is not simply a human arrangement to be changed at will (4-6). When two people are married, God is involved (whether they recognize it or not) and they are “joined [literally “glued”] together.” However, just as Moses permitted (not “commanded,” 7-8) divorce in certain circumstances, so Jesus recognizes an imperfect world (9).

Applying this teaching with compassion in today’s complex world is a challenge, so it’s worth noting that Matthew doesn’t record it in isolation. It follows Jesus’ teaching about forgiveness (Matt. 18:21-35) and is followed by another reminder about the importance of protecting children (13-14; cf. Matt. 18:1-9). It’s so easy for divorce to be the first resort rather than the last.

Apply

What insights from today’s reading and commentary surprised you? If you are not married, what can you do to help strengthen others’ marriages?

Closing prayer

Father, marriages are under assault, from within and without. Protect and strengthen Christian marriages so that they will be a strong witness to the world.

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