Matthew 5:31-32

Matthew 5:31-32

February 18

Jim Johnson

Part of Sermon on the Mount—Jan-June 2024

Is divorce always wrong? What if I’m not happy in my marriage?

If I am divorced, can I remarry with God’s blessing?

What if I’m divorced and remarried? Am I living in adultery?

To understand Jesus’ teaching about divorce, it’s critically important to remember three things:
• Taking Scripture seriously means taking its

seriously
• Jesus did not come to abolish what the OT law teaches about divorce and remarriage but to correct a

of what it teaches (Mt 5:17)
• Living righteously is the key to experiencing the good life in God’s kingdom

“But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven! (Matthew 5:20 NLT)

We call God good and loving because he is a

The practice of divorce and remarriage according to Old Testament law

If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, and if after she leaves his house she becomes the wife of another man, and her second husband dislikes her and writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, or if he dies, then her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled.
Deuteronomy 24:1-4 NIV

• In antiquity, men held

the rights of divorce and women devastatingly had

• Remarriage by the divorced woman was not just permitted; it was

• A certificate of divorce protected a woman from her first

returning and trying to reclaim his wife and children from her new husband

• The three rights granted to a slave wife—

,

, and

—became case law, and rabbis soon applied them to all marriages
• These three rights plus sexual faithfulness became the four vows exchanged in Jewish weddings and, by default, the grounds for

• These grounds covered

and

• The offended spouse could remain in the marriage if desired but was free to leave without any

So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth. “For I hate divorce!” says the Lord, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.”
Malachi 2:15-16 NLT

• God’s will for those who are married is to keep their marriage

• God’s heart breaks for the pain and anguish that breaking marriage vows causes, especially for

Divorce Care at Preston Trail

The practice of “

” divorce in Jesus’ day

• A great debate was spurred by the meaning of the phrase “something indecent” from Deuteronomy 24:1
• Rabbi Hillel focused on the word

and taught that a man could divorce his wife for any reason that displeases him
• Rabbi Shammai focused on the word

and taught that a man could divorce his wife only when she did something that was sexually immoral
• The prevalence of what became known as an “any cause” divorce grew quickly because men saw it as a workaround for the sin of

“You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.’ But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery. (Matthew 5:31-32 NLT)

Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife for just any reason?” (Matthew 19:3 NLT)

Jesus’ teaching on divorce and remarriage affirms:

• God’s original intent for marriage can only be attained within an

commitment

“Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’” And he said, “‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.” (Matthew 19:4-6 NLT)

A

heart is the main culprit in a failed marriage

“Then why did Moses say in the law that a man could give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away?” they asked. Jesus replied, “Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended. (Matthew 19:7-8 NLT)

Legal divorce proceedings do not legitimize

And I tell you this, whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery…” (Matthew 19:9 NLT)

There are

reasons for divorce

And I tell you this, whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery—unless his wife has been unfaithful.” (Matthew 19:9 NLT)

Those who divorce their spouse for legitimate reasons are free to

I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.” (Matthew 19:9 NIV)

The underlying purpose of Jesus’ teaching is to warn his listeners that their misguided view of divorce and marriage (the ‘any cause’ divorce) is causing them to miss the life-giving intimacy God intended from the beginning

• When your relationship with God is based on keeping the

, your question ultimately becomes, “What can I get away with?”

• When your relationship with God is based on his gracious invitation to be part of his kingdom, the question is always, “What kind of person do I want to

?” …

Jesus identifies the kind of spouses who will experience a live-giving, intimate marriage

• Spouses who guards their hearts and keep them

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:31-32 NLT)

• Spouses who keep their vows even when it is extremely

What would it mean for you to be a covenant keeper right now?

Additional Notes: