Is it Lawful For a Man to Divorce His Wife?
November 29, 2020
Commentary
These verses in Mark give us the teaching of our Lord on the subject of divorce. Jesus had left Galilee and crossed over into Judea on the east side of the Jordan River (v. 1). As crowds gathered around Him to hear Him teach, a group of Pharisees asked Him a very controversial question. “Is it lawful for a man to put away (divorce) his wife” (v. 2)? It may have been designed to get Jesus into hot water with Herod who had divorced his own wife to marry his brother’s wife. In answer, Jesus asked them what Moses had commanded, because he was considered their highest authority (v. 3). This was the equivalent of our saying, “What does the Bible say?” The Bible is always the authority, the final word. There is no evidence in scripture that God devised divorce; it was something that man devised.
Their answer was based on (Deut. 24:1) where he allowed for a bill of divorcement (v. 4). During that time divorce was already taking place among the Israelites and Moses was not encouraging divorce but seeking to discourage it in that particular situation. Therefore, Jesus explained that the reason for this concession was because of the “hardness of your heart"(v. 5). Men were divorcing their wives on almost any grounds. It even went so far that if a wife spoiled a dish of food or had a loud voice he could divorce her. Jesus went on to point out that marriage was permanently binding as pointed out in (Gen.1:27-28: and Gen.2:24) (vv. 6-9). It is meant to be absolute permanency and unity, and no Mosaic regulation involving a temporary situation could alter that. Furthermore we find in (Mal. 2:16) that God hates divorce. God hates divorce because of what causes divorce and because of what divorce causes. Jesus confirms this to his disciples (vv. 10-12).
Application
The two biggest reasons for divorce is the lack of commitment and one or both of the partners trying to change the other. Lord help me and all those in my family to never waver in commitment to our spouses and to not be guilty of trying to change the other person.
Mark 10:1– 12 (NET)
1 Then Jesus left that place and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan River. Again crowds gathered to him, and again, as was his custom, he taught them. 2 Then some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” 5 But Jesus said to them, “He wrote this commandment for you because of your hard hearts. 6 But from the beginning of creation he made them male and female. 7 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother, 8 and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
10 In the house once again, the disciples asked him about this. 11 So he told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. 12 And if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”