The Sermon on the MountNäide

Divorce

The Law of Moses stipulated that in order to divorce, it was necessary to draw up a certificate of divorce to avoid hasty separations. This protection of the weaker partner was interpreted as a justification for divorce rather than as a concession. Jesus mentions adultery in this context as a consequence of failed marriages.

Send away: lit. "untie from", means loose from marriage vows. The Old Testament verse quoted (Deuteronomy 24:1) contained two important phrases:

• becomes displeasing
• something indecent about her

In Jesus' time, there were two rabbinical schools of thought on divorce. The first, which was based on Hillel's teaching, stressed the importance of the first sentence, allowing divorce even for trivial reasons, while the other, held by the followers of Shammai, underlined the second sentence and admitted divorce only for infidelity before or after marriage.

Jesus also speaks of divorce in other places (Matthew 19:1-12; Mark 10:1-12; Luke 16:18). The teaching of these passages can be summarized as follows:

• God's original plan was "one flesh, for life"
• Divorce is always an exception, a concession, and not a rule
• Remarriage is equivalent to adultery.
• Only in Matthew do we find "the exception clause": except for sexual immorality (Matthew 19:9). This clause can have three meanings:

1) Sexual intercourse before marriage

2) Continued and aggravated adultery

3) Marriage within the "forbidden degrees" of the Law of Moses (see Leviticus 18)

For Jesus, the “exception” could lead to separation, but not to remarriage. Jesus' disciples understood this well, exclaiming that if this were the case, it would be better not to get married! Jesus' answer to this was that God gives us the ability to live according to His Word (Matthew 19:10,11).

• Are you married?
• If so, ask the Lord for help to make your marriage work.
• If you're not married yet, ask the Lord for guidance in finding a believing spouse with whom you can spend the remainder of your life with His help.