What Jesus Said About Divorce - Part 2

Christian we know that marriage is visual regard because he uses that the show was cross slope for the church is also how we know that divorce whose house is gone. Jeremiah returns to the confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees with a loaded question about the conclusion of his message. Jesus said about his diaper will thank you for joining us today were going to wrap up what we started yesterday.

People asked me why are you talking about this and the only reason I can tell you I'm talking about it because it's next in the Bible. That's what we have to approach the Scripture. I been so interested recently to be reminded again of the importance of judges being originalists.

You know that's what I want to be.

I want to be an originalist when it comes to the Scripture. I want to have the same attitude toward the word of God that a Supreme Court judge should have, to the law and that is tell you what the Bible says not what I would like it to say, tell you what it meant when it was written, not what it has been interpreted to say. Since then, come to the very best possible way of understanding what Jesus meant when he said these things. That's the meaning we should take from it. That's what it means to be a true expositor of the word of God is to be an originalist and that means when you come across things that are difficult to talk about where you realize there's a possibility you might be offensive to someone while you don't really want to do that and it's not your purpose. You don't jump over it because it's tough because it's in the Bible so that we study it and learn it and benefit from it and we allow it to inform our lives and how we act. So here we are today with part two of what Jesus said about divorce and I want to get right into it right now so it's Mark chapter 10 verses one through 12.

Let's convene our study from yesterday.

If you followed our discussion carefully. You know that Mark has allowed for no exception. In his answer, but he has presented the permanence and perfection and purity of marriage and the general unacceptability of divorce from the standpoint of heaven. Mark does not look at the other side of the issue that we are imperfect people living in a sinful environment, but Matthew does consider that other side and it is a mistake to isolate Mark's teaching from Matthew's teaching because they go together. Mark and Matthew do not contradict each other.

Matthew expands upon Mark's teaching. Now we need to read Matthew's account of Jesus words kit includes some words that Mark did not include in his answer in Matthew 19, nine we read Jesus answer to the disciples and I say to you, whoever divorces his wife except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery, and whoever marries her who was divorced commits adultery in Mark's gospel. There are no exceptions, but Matthew records everything that Jesus said that day and reminds us that in the whole issue of marriage and divorce, there is at least one exception, according to Matthew. And that is the exception of sexual immorality. Jesus said that again in the book of Matthew when he gave his sermon on the Mount is recorded in chapter 5. Let me read that to you. Furthermore, it has been said, whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce but I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a woman who was divorced commits adultery. Listen carefully. Matthew Mark and Luke all record this interchange that Jesus had with his disciples in the house but only Matthew's account includes the exception clause, the Lord Jesus Christ listen to me permitted divorce and remarriage on one ground and one ground only marital unfaithfulness and he permitted it. He did not command it. So this is what Jesus had to say about marriage and divorce and what shall we say, as we reflect upon this in our own lives and in our church and in our families. If I would ask this question today. How many of you have divorce in your family, your extended family or your close friends.

Every single hand would be lifted up so it's important for us to know what God thinks about this and I want you to listen carefully because there is hope and compassion and love in all of these words, but you need to know what they mean so here's what I would like to say to you that K according to the word of God. Marriage is permanent and God hates divorce, the permanency of marriage has been the theme of our Scripture today. God's intention for our marriages as they last until they are ended by death, Romans 17 says for the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband God's ideal plan is one man for one woman for life by the way, that takes care of a lot of other social issues with dealing with today. God did not change his mind about marriage after the fall of man. Some people say we, the marriage thing was back in the early chapters of the book of Genesis. But after the fall, God changed his mind. Well let me take you from the earliest verses of the Old Testament to some of the last verses of the Old Testament, let's fast-forward from Genesis and Deuteronomy all the way to the last book in the Old Testament the book of Malachi.

Malachi is preaching to Israel because they have stopped following the law of God, and they have fallen into rebellion against God, and Malachi was sent to the people of Israel to preach to them if you want to read some in-your-face sermons read the book of Malachi, I mean he didn't say this is going to be compassionate.

He just got in the face with an here's what Malachi said to them in chapter 2 verses 14 and following, why has God abandoned us.

You cry I tell you why is because the Lord has senior treachery and divorcing your wives who have been faithful to you through the years. The companions you promise to care for and keep you were united to your wife by the Lord and God's wise plan when you married the two of you became one person in his sight.

And what does he want godly children from your union. Therefore, guard your passions. Keep faith with the wife of your youth for the Lord God of Israel says he hates divorce not don't run out of the service before I tell you what he means he doesn't hate divorced people, all of us. If were honest if we know anything about divorce, we should hate divorced to in spite of what they say. Today divorce isn't something anybody ever wants to experience nobody goes into marriage sooner, but I hope this margins in the divorce. Nobody does that whenever we echo the words of Malachi about God's hatred of divorce. Some people misunderstand that to mean that God hates people who were divorced.

Nothing could be further from the truth, either about God or about any of us to represent God, but I also want you to know that the word of God has some instructions for us here so we can find their way back. If we can you say why does God hate divorce. I could let you stand up and give testimony. Many of you in this room. God hates divorce because he knows the pain that is in it.

God hates divorce because he doesn't want children been shuffled back and forth between two families.

God hates divorce because he sees the pain of memories that are broken and shared lives that no longer can be shared. God hates divorce because no matter what we may try our divorce can never make our marriage go away marriage that can be dissolved in the courts cannot be so easily dissolved in life. Divorce me in the covenant between two partners, but it does not end the relationship. One commentator has written the craziest thing about marriage is that one cannot get divorced. We just do not seem to make it out of intimate relationships. It is obviously possible to divide up property and decide not to live together anymore. But it is impossible to go back to being single divorces, leaving a part of self behind like a rabbit who gnaws off his Paul to get out of the trap. God hates divorce, not because he hates us because he loves us and he doesn't want us to have back pain. That's why the plan is so clear in the Scripture why God says this is what I want. This is how you can know the greatest intimate joy in your life. So marriage is permanent and God hates divorce, but here's the second thing we need to take away from this divorce is permitted for two reasons.

Jesus told us about one and Paul will tell us about the other. The first one we've already run into divorce is permitted for sexual immorality. Matthew 532 but I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery.

Matthew 19 nine and I say to you, whoever divorces his wife except for sexual immorality.

Listen carefully. The Bible does not say that when there is immorality on the part of a marriage partner that divorce is commanded does not say that it says simply that it is permitted in the Bible does not imply that this immorality is necessarily a one time occurrence. I believe our Lord is referring to continue repeated unrepented unfaithfulness so that there is a marriage work. One of the partners continues to violate the marriage covenant over and over again with no repentance.

I believe that's primarily what the Lord Jesus is talking about here. There are many incidents where there has been an incident of infidelity and the person who has committed the sin has repented of that sin asked forgiveness, and over a period of time in healing that marriage is bonded back together that couple has gone on to note the joy that God meant for them to have.

So don't take the permission for divorce on the basis of morality to mean a commandment God is not commanding you, you can still make it work in your marriage if you are serious about it and there is no sin that God cannot forgive and that needs to be understood. The first reason the Bible gives for divorce, sexual immorality, here's one that you may not know about and the second one is desertion when reading these words from first Corinthians chapter 7 if any brother has a wife who does not believe in. She is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her and the woman who has a husband who does not believe he is willing to live with her letter not divorce him for the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. But if the unbeliever departs letting depart.

A brother or sister is not under bondage in such cases.

But God has called us to peace. Paul's writing a letter to the church in Corinth which was a very, very wicked city. Some people were getting born again through the message of the gospel for the unborn again and he looked around and realized they were not married to somebody was born again. They were leaving, Paul wrote this to say don't do that you have to do that if you stay in the marriage.

The very fact that you're Christian you going to sanctify that house. In other words, you bring the presence of Christ into your home and even one person who has Christ in his heart brings the presence of Christ into the home. But then Paul went on to say, but if your unbelieving partner decides they no longer want to live with you and they depart, then you have the right of divorce because you were divorced because of your faith in Jesus Christ. It's very specific. Suppose a woman starts to attend one of our women's Bible studies and she discovers what it means to be truly Christian and she gives her heart to Christ and she's genuinely transformed and when her husband finds out that she's become a follower of Jesus Christ becomes very unhappy with her and he never wanted to be married to one of those Christians in the first place, and so she continues to be a gracious loving wife to her husband and continues to love and respect him as the head of the family and then one day he comes home from work and he says to her room and I want to be married with you anymore, I'm leaving and he walks out. The Bible says that if that happens, and he refuses to return and support his family. That woman has the right, ultimately divorce divorce for the desertion by an unbelieving partner in a relationship where there is a believing partner is permitted by God.

But once again it is permitted is not commanded you are not ever commanded in the Bible, get a divorce. Divorce is a concession, not an intention. Thirdly, remarriage is possible for those who have been divorced.

You may think that's kind of strange but when I was growing up in the church.

It was very common to hear of someone who had been divorced, who had been told they had a bit of the right to be divorced but they could never be married, but if a person is biblically justified in getting a divorce and he or she is biblically justified in getting remarried. The whole purpose of a certificate of divorce was for remarriage when we study this passage in Mark about divorce. We should recognize that Jesus was not speaking here to those who had experienced the brokenness of the marriage failure was responding to a test question of the Pharisees. What he might have said the people in the throes of divorce. We can only surmise by what he said to the woman caught in adultery and to the Samaritan woman who had five husband and was living with a man who was not her husband. If you want to know what Jesus thinks about all of that read those two stories. The principle of redemption governed Jesus ministry to people receive more than one chance to start a new after denying his Lord with curses and one might infer that others who commit different kinds of sins. Also second chances with the Lord somebody say well my marriage is done undone. Not necessarily. You have a wonderful redemptive God always love the passage in the book of Jonah and the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time. You know God is the God of second chances and third chances and if it were true, none of us would have a chance, a man got is a gracious, loving God is the force that these are just some guidelines.

Salvation is pivotal in understanding your situation in first Corinthians 717 20 and 24 we read but as God has distributed to each one as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called. What if you came to Christ in your 50s and behind you in your past life before you knew Christ you had one or two maybe three marriages and now you are a believer follower of Christ. Wonderful new wife and you sit in your house one day you read the passages on divorce and your thinking.

I wonder if we should be together here in this chapter that is almost exclusively about marriage and divorce. Paul gives a principal that reminds us that when we are found and redeemed by the Lord.

We are to stay in whatever situation we are in some cases why understand what God says about divorce and I just became a Christian, someone to do what they did in Corinth, to go get rid of my husband or get rid of my wife no Bible says stay in the calling in which you were called and asked God to take wherever you are in that calling and sanctified, and make it the best for his glory. That's the principle of the word of God as I understand, and then here's the last thing this will really shock you marriage is primarily about discipleship during our study in Mark I hope you noticed that discipleship is at the core. Jesus is called his disciples to place their lives last and serve and sacrifice for the good of others. According to Jesus marriage is about discipleship about following him about reflecting his character and his priorities in your relationship with your spouse some directions for questions, let me do this quickly. Number one. Thank God for your marriage, don't take it for granted are sitting here today thinking on, but I'm glad I came today on Brendan.

The stuff is in my life and my marriage. Don't get cocky about it. You know always been a time in a marriage relationship. When people thought this could never happen to me in a good marriage is red like you sure you tell your spouse today before the days over how much you love her or him and be sure you tell God how grateful you are for your marriage because marriage is the greatest thing on earth that you can ever experience, and it's a gift from God. Don't forget that the spirit of gratitude in your heart about your marriage number two.

Don't judge those who are struggling or have already experienced divorce. In his book my utmost for his highest. Oswald Chambers writes this about judging.

He says in Matthew 7122 needs to be considered judge not that you be not judged them with what judgment you judge, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you and then he makes this comment in his devotion misstatement is not some haphazard theory, but it is an eternal law of God.

Whatever judgment you give will be the way you are judged.

If you have been shrewd in finding out the shortcomings and others.

Remember that will be exactly how you will be measured. The way you pay is the way life pays you back all of us would like to stand before God and say, my God judge me as I have judged others in our culture and our church and our family in the neighborhood.

We have many who in different places in their marriage than we are dong judged them love them not called ever to judge them. You are called to love them and minister to them so your business, how it happened or why just love them, don't judge them. Number three if you marriage is developing stress fractures Help or I can't emphasize this enough. Some of you going to tell me there's no way in the world you take your wife or your husband and go to some strange office and sit down across from the stranger and telomere problems.

All right, you can go to another office, sit down at a desk with a lawyer at her side and another glory of your side and divide up your stuff. You have a choice when you marriage is hurting and you know you can't deal with the issues. Don't wait until it's too late, go and get help and God for your marriage, don't take it for granted. Don't judge those who are struggling. You have already experienced a divorce if you marriage is developing stress fractures get help if you plan to get married. Pray a lot pray a lot.

Most divorces start before the ceremony believe the crazy reason some people give for getting married everybody.

My class is getting married while everybody you guys maybe getting a divorce is not good thing, followed by your class outside of your salvation. Marriage is the most important decision you will ever make.

Treated carefully, prayerfully and slowly do everything you can to understand each other than make a commitment. Marriages that start no hurry often and in a hurry. Be patient, be prayerful and last. If you being unfaithful to your spouse. It now today put an end to it. Do it so that it can never happen again. Whatever that means your marriage is far more important than you know and it cannot survive your unfaithfulness over a period of time. Whatever you're doing.

That's not honoring to your marriage, put a stop to it. Know the Bible says that marriage is the only relationship there is that God could use to illustrate how much he loves the church. The Bible says that marriage is the perfect illustration of Christ's love for the church of the Bible says we are to love our wives, husbands, as Christ loved the church. The reason that relationship is so special is because intimacy and marriage is like the intimacy we should have with Christ is the church listen carefully, Jesus is the bridegroom and the church is the bride. Aren't you glad he hasn't divorced us and he has every right because every been unfaithful to him that we have. But here's what the Scripture says, because we have been unfaithful. He still remains faithful to us and he loves you and he loves me no matter where you are in your walk with the Lord. I say this again. You may have been uncomfortable about this because were you are in your relationship, but if you put your life back together after the hood of the divorce.

You know, it surely wouldn't be your desire for your children to have to go through that. I hope that if you know what God's plan is you can help guide and direct them that you have a book that will give you instruction. This is a book of conviction, and a book of compassion looks nonslip to either side. We need truth and grace. If we have truth without grace.

Nobody cares if we have grace without truth doesn't make any difference.

We need truth and grace. Jesus spoke with truth and grace is my prayer that you received the message today in that same way friends near the beginning of the ministry of Jesus. He made a statement that at the time may not seem to be all that challenging but he said if we search the Scriptures we will find out that they testify of him and you remember the story of the two disciples that were walking on the road to Emmaus after the resurrection of Jesus and how when Jesus came alongside of them begin to talk with them.

He began to teach them about himself from the Old Testament is Jesus in the Old Testament. Some people say we should divorce ourselves from the Old Testament and just starting the new, but the Old Testament is the preparation for everything in the new and the new is the explanation of everything in the old and it's all about one thing, it's all about one person. It's about Jesus sure to join us tomorrow right here on the script station. The message you just heard originated from Shadow Mountain Community Church with Dr. David Jeremiah serves as senior pastor is not have Turning Point keeps you spiritually strong like to point out the I 38 San Diego, CA 92163 or visit our website at David Jeremiah.old/radio real copy of the Bible finding Jesus in every book in the Bible for gift of any amount you can purchase the Jeremiah study Bible and the English standard version, new international version and the new King James version with hopeful notes and articles by Dr. Jeremiah visit David Jeremiah auto/radio data on Gary hopefully join us tomorrow as we continue the series search of the Savior is here on Turning Point. Jeremiah taking time to listen to all