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Mark 10:1–12 (ESV)
1 And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them. 2 And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” 5 And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. 6 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7 ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” 10 And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11 And he said to 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.”
This is a tough passage to write about as the passage touches on a raw and complicated nerve of our culture and human emotion. The fact that it’s included in scripture and is a hard saying, well, that lends credibility to the Scriptures and Christian faith. The Bible doesn’t shy away from the tough stuff or soften its sayings to be more attractive.
This passage is about divorce, and Jesus is getting at a few things in His conversation with the Pharisees. At that time, the culture took marriage lightly. (Sounds a little too much like our culture today). The reason Moses had said that a certificate of divorce was required, was to protect the woman so that she could hope to remarry. But the problem is that divorces were granted for just about any reason in ancient culture.
Keep in mind that Mark wants us to know that the Pharisees were testing Jesus in this question about divorce (Matthew’s Gospel records the same encounter with some additional details (Matthew 19.1-9). We’re told that Jesus had returned to a region in Judea. That’s an important detail. Most likely, Jesus was in a place that was under the authority of Herod Antipas. (Remember, Antipas had married Herodias, his brother’s wife. John the Baptist had strongly criticized Herod for the marriage. As a result, Herod had imprisoned and later beheaded John).
So here, the Pharisees are laying a trap for Jesus. What they were really asking was if Jesus thought that Herod Antipas was justified in divorcing his wife and marrying his brother’s wife. If Jesus said “yes,” the Pharisees could accuse Him of compromising on the authority of the Law. If Jesus said “no,” then the Pharisees could report to Herod that Jesus opposed him, and they could also tell the crowds that Jesus was contradicting what Moses had established.
Knowing this helps us understand the answer that Jesus gives the Pharisees. Jesus affirmed marriage and how amazing it is and the awesome mystery of marriage, and in doing so Jesus pushed the Pharisees to recover God’s will for marriage.
In Matthew’s Gospel, we get the added detail that the Pharisees are asking if it’s ok to divorce one’s wife for “any cause” (Matt. 19.3). However, Jesus isn't interested in arguing exceptions.
The Pharisees are looking for loopholes, but Jesus points to God’s will; two becoming one flesh and we’re not supposed to mess with that union (also implied is the admonition against pre-marital sex. Sex is uniting as one flesh).
What’s incredible is that the image of marriage is something that runs throughout scripture. It’s used to describe our relationship with the Lord in many ways. Jesus reminds the Pharisees that from the beginning of creation (Genesis 1.27) God has created people this way; created as male and female and created in the image of God. And in the very last book in the Bible, in Revelation, the imagery of marriage is drawn upon again with Jesus being the bridegroom and those who have entrusted their lives to Christ are seen as His bride (Revelation 19). It’s serious stuff and it reveals God’s plan and intention for us to have the very best in and through a relationship with Him.
You might find that hard to wrestle with and may be asking, “What are we to do with this today?” The discussion of marriage and divorce is part of the larger picture regarding discipleship and our unique call as missional disciples of Christ. The question that Jesus raised in this specific discussion regarding marriage and divorce was whether we look for what’s permissible or look to commit ourselves to live our lives for Christ in every way.
We must remember that Jesus never wants to be a part of our lives. He won’t settle for just a part. He wants it all. Are you willing to trust Jesus with everything? Or are you looking to reduce your faith to a set of rules and regulations with loopholes for what’s permissible? Can you imagine treating the person you love in that way - always looking for loopholes and for what’s permissible in your relationship so that you can do what you want to do? Or would you rather love that person with your whole heart?
Good stuff.
God bless you and know that you are constantly in my prayers!
Scott
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