But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh.” vss. 6-8
Mark 10:2-12
Through the millennia, as humans figured out how men and women should interact, polygamy was a logical option, one that became the standard for much of the world, including the patriarchs of the Hebrew people. But it was the practice of monogamy that was incorporated into the laws of Judaism. There it was taught that God intended that a man and a woman be joined together as one flesh, and furthermore, that their marriage vows should be unbreakable. Now that’s a wonderful ordinance, but it was quickly discovered that this was one that required loopholes! So provisions were made for dissolving marriages–and rabbis debated for centuries just what those exceptions were. When Jesus was asked to weigh in on this, he gave a plain answer–there are no loopholes! When God joins two people together, there can be no separation. Of course his followers had a tough time with this–Matthew even adds a caveat and says unchastity is an exception. And we’ve continued to struggle. Divorce has been a huge issue for the church. The bottom line is that it is going to happen. So what then? Is it the unforgivable sin? Of course not! Divorce does bring its own hell of messiness and pain, but Jesus brings healing and grace. In him we find restoration and hope!
Thought for the Day: Why do divorces get messy?
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