As I'm reading through the gospels chronologically, I come today to the parallel passages in Matthew 19 and Mark 10 where the Pharisees ask Jesus about divorce, not really because they want to know. Being religious leaders, they would have known Malachi 2:16--
"For I hate divorce," says the LORD, the God of Israel, "and him who covers his garment with wrong," says the LORD of hosts. "So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously." Jesus explains to the Pharisees why divorce is wrong.
I know there are some difficult situations, but I also believe that most people take God's viewpoint on divorce far too casually. He has reasons for disallowing it. I was in the presence of a woman recently who was explaining to someone how many children she had--as far as I could tell, it was a half dozen or so. She didn't give a specific number, and it was difficult to keep track as she commented on them. She ended the discourse by saying, "It's confusing; we're remarried."
Many people are more than a little confused about the matter. Children are probably the most confused. God is not, and we need not be.
If divorce and/or remarriage is something you're wondering about, here's a biblical explanation written by John Piper that may help you or someone you love--"
Divorce and Remarriage: A Position Paper."
We're heading to a wedding later in the week, and one of our gifts will be a book by Gary Thomas--
Sacred Marriage: What if God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy? God has reasons for marriage, and reasons for staying married as well. Another worthwhile book is
Meant to Last by Paul Steele and Charles Ryrie. It's out of print, but you can get it from Amazon. We've given several of both of these books away. They're life-changing hope for many people.
Painting ~ The Lovers 1909, William Powell Frith 1819-1909
Wikimedia Commons public domain
