Marriage in the Kingdom

Marriage in the Kingdom – Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 19

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.

Matthew 19:3-9 New International Version – UK (NIVUK) Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

• “Can we divorce for any reason?”
• Jesus replies…
  • “In the beginning…”
    • An exclusive relationship
    • A permanent relationship
• “Ah, but Moses said…”
  • and Jesus replies…
    • “Because you are so hard-hearted”
    • There are no winners in divorce
• Thank God it is not the unforgivable sin!