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00:00:01 Over the years, a number of popular songs 00:00:04 have romanticized divorce. 00:00:08 But anyone who has personally experienced 00:00:11 the pain and trauma associated with divorce 00:00:15 knows that it couldn’t have been part of Jehovah’s original purpose. 00:00:20 And, in fact, the Scriptures indicate 00:00:23 that when Jehovah performed 00:00:25 the first marriage of Adam and Eve, 00:00:29 He intended for it to be a permanent arrangement. 00:00:33 After all, it was a match made in heaven, 00:00:37 so to speak. 00:00:38 Jehovah created the man, 00:00:40 and then He created the perfect complement —Eve. 00:00:45 And had they been obedient, 00:00:47 Adam and Eve would be married today. 00:00:51 But with their disobedience came a whole range of serious problems, 00:00:56 and they impacted the marriage arrangement. 00:01:00 In what way? 00:01:02 Well, with imperfection came sin 00:01:05 and then death. 00:01:07 And death ends a marriage. 00:01:10 That’s something Jehovah never had in mind. 00:01:14 And further indicating the complications 00:01:17 and negative effects of imperfection on marriage 00:01:22 is the provision for divorce 00:01:24 found in the Mosaic Law at Deuteronomy 24:1. 00:01:29 So here’s a question: 00:01:32 Did the fact that Jehovah made a provision for divorce 00:01:34 in the Mosaic Law 00:01:36 indicate that he was relaxing his view 00:01:40 or that he had changed his thinking on marriage? 00:01:44 Well, in his words as recorded 00:01:46 at Malachi 2:16, 00:01:50 more than 1,000 years 00:01:52 after the words recorded in Deuteronomy 24, 00:01:56 we find that Jehovah had not changed his thinking. 00:02:00 He stated very simply: 00:02:02 “I hate divorce.” 00:02:06 Now, what was the situation in Malachi’s day? 00:02:10 The provision for divorce had been distorted and abused, 00:02:15 and men were divorcing their wives “on every sort of grounds,” 00:02:19 resulting in heartbreak 00:02:22 and also in reproach on Jehovah’s name. 00:02:27 “I hate divorce.” 00:02:30 We can see why Jehovah would have said those words. 00:02:34 Had the situation improved any 00:02:36 by the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry? 00:02:39 The Scriptures indicate not. 00:02:41 And interestingly, the secular historian Josephus 00:02:46 indicates that men could divorce their wives 00:02:50 on any basis whatsoever, and they did. 00:02:56 So, true to form, 00:02:58 Jesus forthrightly addressed the subject 00:03:01 at least twice in the course of his earthly ministry, 00:03:04 as recorded in the Scriptures. 00:03:06 The first occasion took place in the year 31 C.E. 00:03:11 sometime after Passover. 00:03:13 Jesus’ words are recorded in the Sermon on the Mount. 00:03:17 And there he said: ‘Everyone who divorces his wife, 00:03:22 ‘except on the grounds of sexual immorality, 00:03:25 ‘and marries another 00:03:27 commits adultery.’ 00:03:29 Jesus was raising the bar. 00:03:33 Really, when you think about it, under the Mosaic Law, 00:03:37 sexual immorality 00:03:39 (adultery) 00:03:41 was a capital offense that would have brought death. 00:03:46 So the fact that Jesus said sexual immorality 00:03:50 is the only basis for divorce 00:03:54 helps us to appreciate how seriously he and his Father view 00:03:58 the marriage arrangement. 00:04:01 Now, the second occasion 00:04:03 in which Jesus addressed the subject 00:04:06 came more than a year later —late in the year 32 C.E. 00:04:10 And that’s the account that we read about in today’s text. 00:04:14 The parallel account in Mark chapter 10 00:04:18 shares some additional insight. 00:04:20 And we want to take just a few minutes this morning 00:04:22 and analyze Jesus’ words 00:04:25 in Mark chapter 10, beginning in verse 2. 00:04:28 So we invite you to turn there. 00:04:37 At Mark 10:2, 00:04:39 the “Pharisees approached, intent on testing [Jesus], 00:04:44 “and they asked whether it was lawful 00:04:47 for a man to divorce a wife.” 00:04:50 So now the Pharisees are introducing the thought of the law, 00:04:54 but Mark reveals that Jesus 00:04:57 directed attention specifically to the Mosaic Law. 00:05:01 “What did Moses command you?” 00:05:06 And the Pharisees said: 00:05:08 “Moses allowed the writing of a certificate of dismissal 00:05:11 and divorcing her.” 00:05:13 So they conveniently remembered the “certificate of dismissal” part, 00:05:18 but they forgot that divorce was allowed 00:05:21 only for very serious matters. 00:05:26 And Matthew’s account indicates that by Jesus’ day, 00:05:30 they were divorcing “on every sort of grounds.” 00:05:34 So how did Jesus address this? 00:05:36 Well, he said to them in verse 5: 00:05:39 “Out of regard for your hard-heartedness, 00:05:41 “he wrote this commandment for you. 00:05:44 “However, from the beginning of creation 00:05:48 “[and then you’ll notice a quotation mark; 00:05:51 “so Jesus is now quoting from the Genesis account], 00:05:55 “‘He made them male and female 00:05:58 “‘[Genesis 1:27]. 00:06:00 “‘For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother, 00:06:05 “‘and the two will be one flesh 00:06:08 [Genesis 2:24].’” 00:06:14 And then Jesus adds: 00:06:15 “So that they are no longer two, but one flesh. 00:06:19 “Therefore, what God has yoked together, 00:06:22 let no man put apart.” 00:06:27 Well, the disciples were impressed 00:06:32 by this very high standard that Jesus was explaining. 00:06:37 “When they were again in the house, [they] began to question him about this.” 00:06:41 And Jesus again forthrightly makes the point: 00:06:45 “He said to them: 00:06:46 “‘Whoever divorces his wife and marries another 00:06:50 “‘commits adultery against her, 00:06:52 “‘and if ever a woman 00:06:54 “‘after divorcing her husband marries another, 00:06:57 she commits adultery.’” 00:07:01 Why do you think Jesus 00:07:04 might have insisted 00:07:06 that the Pharisees focus on Moses’ words? 00:07:12 Well, it certainly provided him an opportunity 00:07:14 to clarify the matter —didn’t it?— 00:07:17 and to restate Jehovah’s thinking 00:07:21 on the sacredness of marriage. 00:07:24 And Jesus added these words: 00:07:27 “What God has yoked together, 00:07:30 let no man put apart.” 00:07:33 So Jehovah is personally interested in each marriage. 00:07:38 And that elevates the relationship as well, doesn’t it? 00:07:43 So, what can you and I learn from Jesus’ words 00:07:46 that will help us if we’re married 00:07:50 or if we’re single and contemplating marriage? 00:07:54 Here are two points: 00:07:57 Jesus made very clear 00:08:00 that his followers would be elevated 00:08:03 and hold to Jehovah’s original standard for marriage, 00:08:08 not the corrupted standard 00:08:12 that the Jewish religious leaders promoted. 00:08:15 And by introducing this thought that Jehovah is involved, 00:08:20 he helped us to see the seriousness of the situation. 00:08:25 And the apostle Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, 00:08:28 confirmed that Christians would hold 00:08:32 to Jehovah’s original standard 00:08:35 for a man and a wife 00:08:38 and that the only valid basis for a Scriptural divorce 00:08:42 would be sexual immorality. 00:08:46 Here’s a second point: 00:08:48 Jesus put Christian men and women on equal footing, 00:08:53 morally speaking. 00:08:55 Both husband and wife would be responsible 00:08:59 for protecting their marriage 00:09:03 and for upholding the sanctity of marriage. 00:09:07 And we find Jesus’ words at Mark 10:12 00:09:11 interesting as well: 00:09:14 “If ever a woman after divorcing her husband marries another, 00:09:18 she commits adultery.” 00:09:21 Jesus makes clear 00:09:24 that a faithful servant of God 00:09:27 who is a woman 00:09:29 can divorce an adulterous husband. 00:09:33 That would have been food for thought 00:09:36 for Jewish men and women in Jesus’ day. 00:09:40 How we appreciate Jesus’ view and Jehovah’s view of marriage! 00:09:45 Here at Bethel, we have many married couples. 00:09:48 And in the congregations around the earth, 00:09:51 there are faithful men and women 00:09:54 who respect and cherish the sanctity of marriage. 00:09:59 And we’re so glad for that, 00:10:02 and we’re determined —whether married or single— 00:10:06 to uphold Jehovah’s view of the sacred marriage arrangement.
00:00:01 Over the years, a number of popular songs 00:00:04 have romanticized divorce. 00:00:08 But anyone who has personally experienced 00:00:11 the pain and trauma associated with divorce 00:00:15 knows that it couldn’t have been part of Jehovah’s original purpose. 00:00:20 And, in fact, the Scriptures indicate 00:00:23 that when Jehovah performed 00:00:25 the first marriage of Adam and Eve, 00:00:29 He intended for it to be a permanent arrangement. 00:00:33 After all, it was a match made in heaven, 00:00:37 so to speak. 00:00:38 Jehovah created the man, 00:00:40 and then He created the perfect complement —Eve. 00:00:45 And had they been obedient, 00:00:47 Adam and Eve would be married today. 00:00:51 But with their disobedience came a whole range of serious problems, 00:00:56 and they impacted the marriage arrangement. 00:01:00 In what way? 00:01:02 Well, with imperfection came sin 00:01:05 and then death. 00:01:07 And death ends a marriage. 00:01:10 That’s something Jehovah never had in mind. 00:01:14 And further indicating the complications 00:01:17 and negative effects of imperfection on marriage 00:01:22 is the provision for divorce 00:01:24 found in the Mosaic Law at Deuteronomy 24:1. 00:01:29 So here’s a question: 00:01:32 Did the fact that Jehovah made a provision for divorce 00:01:34 in the Mosaic Law 00:01:36 indicate that he was relaxing his view 00:01:40 or that he had changed his thinking on marriage? 00:01:44 Well, in his words as recorded 00:01:46 at Malachi 2:16, 00:01:50 more than 1,000 years 00:01:52 after the words recorded in Deuteronomy 24, 00:01:56 we find that Jehovah had not changed his thinking. 00:02:00 He stated very simply: 00:02:02 “I hate divorce.” 00:02:06 Now, what was the situation in Malachi’s day? 00:02:10 The provision for divorce had been distorted and abused, 00:02:15 and men were divorcing their wives “on every sort of grounds,” 00:02:19 resulting in heartbreak 00:02:22 and also in reproach on Jehovah’s name. 00:02:27 “I hate divorce.” 00:02:30 We can see why Jehovah would have said those words. 00:02:34 Had the situation improved any 00:02:36 by the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry? 00:02:39 The Scriptures indicate not. 00:02:41 And interestingly, the secular historian Josephus 00:02:46 indicates that men could divorce their wives 00:02:50 on any basis whatsoever, and they did. 00:02:56 So, true to form, 00:02:58 Jesus forthrightly addressed the subject 00:03:01 at least twice in the course of his earthly ministry, 00:03:04 as recorded in the Scriptures. 00:03:06 The first occasion took place in the year 31 C.E. 00:03:11 sometime after Passover. 00:03:13 Jesus’ words are recorded in the Sermon on the Mount. 00:03:17 And there he said: ‘Everyone who divorces his wife, 00:03:22 ‘except on the grounds of sexual immorality, 00:03:25 ‘and marries another 00:03:27 commits adultery.’ 00:03:29 Jesus was raising the bar. 00:03:33 Really, when you think about it, under the Mosaic Law, 00:03:37 sexual immorality 00:03:39 (adultery) 00:03:41 was a capital offense that would have brought death. 00:03:46 So the fact that Jesus said sexual immorality 00:03:50 is the only basis for divorce 00:03:54 helps us to appreciate how seriously he and his Father view 00:03:58 the marriage arrangement. 00:04:01 Now, the second occasion 00:04:03 in which Jesus addressed the subject 00:04:06 came more than a year later —late in the year 32 C.E. 00:04:10 And that’s the account that we read about in today’s text. 00:04:14 The parallel account in Mark chapter 10 00:04:18 shares some additional insight. 00:04:20 And we want to take just a few minutes this morning 00:04:22 and analyze Jesus’ words 00:04:25 in Mark chapter 10, beginning in verse 2. 00:04:28 So we invite you to turn there. 00:04:37 At Mark 10:2, 00:04:39 the “Pharisees approached, intent on testing [Jesus], 00:04:44 “and they asked whether it was lawful 00:04:47 for a man to divorce a wife.” 00:04:50 So now the Pharisees are introducing the thought of the law, 00:04:54 but Mark reveals that Jesus 00:04:57 directed attention specifically to the Mosaic Law. 00:05:01 “What did Moses command you?” 00:05:06 And the Pharisees said: 00:05:08 “Moses allowed the writing of a certificate of dismissal 00:05:11 and divorcing her.” 00:05:13 So they conveniently remembered the “certificate of dismissal” part, 00:05:18 but they forgot that divorce was allowed 00:05:21 only for very serious matters. 00:05:26 And Matthew’s account indicates that by Jesus’ day, 00:05:30 they were divorcing “on every sort of grounds.” 00:05:34 So how did Jesus address this? 00:05:36 Well, he said to them in verse 5: 00:05:39 “Out of regard for your hard-heartedness, 00:05:41 “he wrote this commandment for you. 00:05:44 “However, from the beginning of creation 00:05:48 “[and then you’ll notice a quotation mark; 00:05:51 “so Jesus is now quoting from the Genesis account], 00:05:55 “‘He made them male and female 00:05:58 “‘[Genesis 1:27]. 00:06:00 “‘For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother, 00:06:05 “‘and the two will be one flesh 00:06:08 [Genesis 2:24].’” 00:06:14 And then Jesus adds: 00:06:15 “So that they are no longer two, but one flesh. 00:06:19 “Therefore, what God has yoked together, 00:06:22 let no man put apart.” 00:06:27 Well, the disciples were impressed 00:06:32 by this very high standard that Jesus was explaining. 00:06:37 “When they were again in the house, [they] began to question him about this.” 00:06:41 And Jesus again forthrightly makes the point: 00:06:45 “He said to them: 00:06:46 “‘Whoever divorces his wife and marries another 00:06:50 “‘commits adultery against her, 00:06:52 “‘and if ever a woman 00:06:54 “‘after divorcing her husband marries another, 00:06:57 she commits adultery.’” 00:07:01 Why do you think Jesus 00:07:04 might have insisted 00:07:06 that the Pharisees focus on Moses’ words? 00:07:12 Well, it certainly provided him an opportunity 00:07:14 to clarify the matter —didn’t it?— 00:07:17 and to restate Jehovah’s thinking 00:07:21 on the sacredness of marriage. 00:07:24 And Jesus added these words: 00:07:27 “What God has yoked together, 00:07:30 let no man put apart.” 00:07:33 So Jehovah is personally interested in each marriage. 00:07:38 And that elevates the relationship as well, doesn’t it? 00:07:43 So, what can you and I learn from Jesus’ words 00:07:46 that will help us if we’re married 00:07:50 or if we’re single and contemplating marriage? 00:07:54 Here are two points: 00:07:57 Jesus made very clear 00:08:00 that his followers would be elevated 00:08:03 and hold to Jehovah’s original standard for marriage, 00:08:08 not the corrupted standard 00:08:12 that the Jewish religious leaders promoted. 00:08:15 And by introducing this thought that Jehovah is involved, 00:08:20 he helped us to see the seriousness of the situation. 00:08:25 And the apostle Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, 00:08:28 confirmed that Christians would hold 00:08:32 to Jehovah’s original standard 00:08:35 for a man and a wife 00:08:38 and that the only valid basis for a Scriptural divorce 00:08:42 would be sexual immorality. 00:08:46 Here’s a second point: 00:08:48 Jesus put Christian men and women on equal footing, 00:08:53 morally speaking. 00:08:55 Both husband and wife would be responsible 00:08:59 for protecting their marriage 00:09:03 and for upholding the sanctity of marriage. 00:09:07 And we find Jesus’ words at Mark 10:12 00:09:11 interesting as well: 00:09:14 “If ever a woman after divorcing her husband marries another, 00:09:18 she commits adultery.” 00:09:21 Jesus makes clear 00:09:24 that a faithful servant of God 00:09:27 who is a woman 00:09:29 can divorce an adulterous husband. 00:09:33 That would have been food for thought 00:09:36 for Jewish men and women in Jesus’ day. 00:09:40 How we appreciate Jesus’ view and Jehovah’s view of marriage! 00:09:45 Here at Bethel, we have many married couples. 00:09:48 And in the congregations around the earth, 00:09:51 there are faithful men and women 00:09:54 who respect and cherish the sanctity of marriage. 00:09:59 And we’re so glad for that, 00:10:02 and we’re determined —whether married or single— 00:10:06 to uphold Jehovah’s view of the sacred marriage arrangement.
