Matthew 19:3-12
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.”
Related Text:
Deuteronomy 24:1-4
Mark 10:2-12
1 Corinthians 7:10-13
-
Big Time Stuff
Divorce can be devastating. Most likely, you have a friend or at least know a person who has gone through, or is currently going through the pain of a divorce. For the kids, it isn’t easy to live with the pain, loss, guilt, and frustration that goes along with having your family separated. It can be very confusing.
Divorce wasn’t God’s intention when He gave us marriage. His intention was for the husband to love his wife sacrificially and for the wife to love her husband submissively. It is a perfect union of love and respect.
But we know that not every marriage doesn’t last. Even though God doesn’t like divorce, He understands the deep pain associated with it. If you have been affected by divorce, ask God to comfort you. Your pain won’t quickly disappear, but be assured that you aren’t alone, and you don’t have to go through it by yourself. Whether you’re the one who has gone through a divorce, or whether your parents are divorced, or whether someone in your family has gone through a divorce, pray for them. Put your pain and your frustration and even your anger aside for a moment, and pray for those involved. As God for strength and the opportunity t help those who are experiencing this painful situation.
