Saturday, October 31, 2009
The Sanctity of Marriage
(Matthew 5:31, 32)
Sometimes folks view the Sermon on the Mount as a collection of folksy sayings (as in the Beatitudes) that Jesus taught to bring comfort to the masses. Even a cursory examination of the content of the message indicates exactly the opposite. Though beginning with the benign Beatitudes, Jesus quickly addressed the more touchy issues of life. And He stepped on some toes.
Divorce is a very sensitive issue for some people. When divorce occurs, there is usually a victim—the spouse who didn’t want the divorce. There is also a sin, the sin of divorce. Make no mistake about it: God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16—“putting away” is an archaic term for divorce). Divorce is not the will of God; reconciliation is (see 5:23-25). Reconciliation, however, doesn’t always happen. For legal reasons, divorce was permitted, but it is never recommended.
With those basic facts in mind, it is best to never consider divorce. Even in the extreme case of adultery where divorce is an option, God’s preference is always reconciliation. The concept of “no fault” divorce is foreign to the Scriptures. Even if you’re unhappy, you should tough it out for the sake of the kids and obedience to God.
Divorce happens, but it is not the best choice. Society has made it common; Christianity should make it rare. And, if you’re marriage is under strain, you should do everything you can to save it and never even consider divorce. Just decide that divorce is not an option. Once that’s off the table, you will be forced to be creative in your efforts of reconciliation. And, with God’s help, they just might work!
