Matthew 19 :1-12 As Jesus once again ministers grace and healing to the multitudes ... the Pharisees come to ask their questions and test Jesus. This time the question is about divorce.  "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause at all?" 

And.. once again sends them back to the Word of God.. " Have you not read, that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ' For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh.'"  Jesus always bases His answers on the Word of God.  Divorce is not God's plan or desire.  He made men and women to unite together into one unit.. one body.. a lasting bond that God Himself "joined together".  This is the Truth that God's Word proclaims. 

The Pharisees were not satisfied with that answer.. "Why then did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce and send her away?"   They twisted Moses' words.. which Jesus corrected.. Moses did not make such a command.. he "permitted" divorce "because of your hardness of heart.. "  But.. "from the beginning it has not been this way."   A "certificate of divorce" given to an innocent woman because of her husband's infidelity would free her to remarry without being guilty of adultery.  Without the certificate.. if she was just sent away.. she could not remarry.. she would be an adulteress if she did.  The certificate was for her protection.. if she was innocent.  But.. if she was the unfaithful spouse.. then she was already an adulteress and the divorce would not change anything for her.. but the innocent husband would be freed from the marriage bond.  Jesus is clear that any other reason for divorce is unacceptable. 

I'm sure the Pharisees didn't like that answer either.. for even the disciples were shook up!  "If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry." they said..  Jesus had an answer for them too. Think about never marrying.. "Not all men can accept this statement."  Some men are forced into a celibate life.. some choose it for themselves.. Jesus tells them.. "He who is able to accept this, let him accept it."   I wonder if he had a twinkle in His eye as He looked at these men..  we know Peter was already married. I don't know if any of the others were.. but I would guess some were.  Those who were not... would they be able to accept bachelorhood for the rest of their lives?  It would be interesting to know if they did. 

It seems to me that all of those questioning Jesus needed to know the truth about marriage and divorce.  As we all do.  Marriage is a sacred relationship.  Jesus was pointing out the fact that this uniting of two lives is from God.. "What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate."  Marriage is not just a casual, temporary, throw-away relationship that our world thinks it is sometimes.  They didn't understand it in Jesus's day.. and they don't understand it now. Most of us have seen.. known.. or even experienced the pain and sadness of divorce in our lives.  We pray for our children and grandchildren to have good, godly marriages. We want them to know that God has the perfect plan for them.. if they will seek Him first.. especially in the pursuit of a spouse.  O Lord, help us!

Father in heaven, we do ask for Your Word to flow into our hearts and into the lives of our children and grandchildren and every generation after us!  Let them know the power of Your love and grace in finding a wife or husband.. let them seek You first and allow You to lead them in the path of righteousness and truth. We pray for the marriages of our loved ones.. that they will be blessed.. faithful.. and godly.  Bring healing and forgiveness for those who have gone through divorce or unfaithfulness.  Bring us all to Your throne of grace, Lord God..  sanctifying us entirely.. that we may be preserved complete without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ... we pray.. for in Him nothing is impossible.. Thank You Lord..  in Jesus' Name. Amen.