My Walk Through the Book of Matthew by Annette Godtland

Marriage Is Sacred and Binding (Matthew 5:31-32)

31"Furthermore it has been said, "Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' 32But 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 is divorced commits adultery.

I have a tough time with this text because I have too many friends who have been divorced, many of whom have remarried, that I can't think of them as therefore committing adultery. First of all, it is not for me to judge them. So whether or not they are committing adultery should make no difference for me. But I wish I understood this verse a little better when I see friends struggling with whether or not to divorce.

Here is a little research I did to see if it would help me to better understand today's text:

When Jesus says "it has been said", footnotes in my Bible say He is referring to Deuteronomy 24:
1When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. 2And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife. 3And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife; 4Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

What Jesus said in today's verse is very different than what was written in Deuteronomy. Was He trying to make a statement about divorce overall? Or was He just trying to explain how the divorce certificate in Deuteronomy was not sufficient to remove responsibility of adultery? Deuteronomy says a man could divorce his wife if he has found some uncleanness in her. Jesus says only sexual immorality is justifiable for a man to divorce his wife. Deuteronomy said she could marry again, but the first husband may not take her back if her second marriage ends. Jesus said she could not marry again and a man is not to marry a divorced woman, in either case it would be adultery.

God gave us the ten commandments to live by. The sixth commandment is "Thou shalt not commit adultery". In Luther's Small Catechism, Luther defines this commandment as "We are to fear and love God so that in matters of sex our words and conduct are pure and honorable, and husband and wife love and respect each other."

But today's text isn't about what adultery is, but how divorce causes adultery, though it says divorce is OK in the case of sexual immorality. A footnote in my Bible for today's text defines sexual immorality as "any deviation from the clearly defined biblical standards for sexual activity (for example, homosexuality, adultery, fornication, and prostitution)" A footnote in the Bible Gateway where I copy my scripture from as I work on this study says the text should read as sexual immorality or as fornication. My dictionary defines fornication as "sexual intercourse between a man and a woman not married to each other" and defines adultery as "sexual intercourse between a married person and one other than the lawful spouse".

But if Jesus was only trying to contrast what was written in Deuteronomy, then it makes me wonder a little more about marriage and divorce of that culture. So much of what I read in the Bible concerning marriage and divorce are from the man's perspective. A man takes a wife, in many places I read that a man has taken many wives, a man has concubines, a man divorces a wife, and other than as Jesus is explaining now, it seems that it is always the woman they are accusing of committing the adultery. It seems like marriage and divorce were a man's prerogative, and adultery was a woman's sin. When it talks of a man giving his wife a certificate of divorce, was that considered sufficient, regardless whether the woman wanted the divorce or not? It seems the woman had no choice in the matter. Is Jesus mostly talking of the case where a man gives his wife a certificate of divorce and she didn't want a divorce? This text is right after the text about adultery in the heart. It says if a man gives his wife a certificate of divorce he is causing her to commit adultery. Does this mean adultery in the heart because she didn't want the divorce and is still wishing to be with her husband? Is Jesus saying that the only case where it is OK to divorce a wife who doesn't want to be divorced is in the case of sexual immorality? Is Jesus saying that if someone marries a woman who didn't want the divorce, they commit adultery because in her heart she is still married to her previous husband? I know I am stretching the interpretation here in my questions, but Jesus started this text regarding the certificates of divorce men give their wives. If He is simply trying to address that issue, then the next statement could be taken only in that context.

I know that Jesus loves us all, but I have seen some very bad marriages, and I have a difficult time understanding how Jesus would be against the dissolution of such marriages. No, I don't think a divorce ought to be entered into lightly. It is a breakup of something sacred they tried to build. But then I don't think marriages ought to be entered into lightly either. See my discussion in my Walk Through the Book of Mark.

As you can tell from my discussion of the topic both here and in my Walk through the Book of Mark, I want to believe that divorce in some cases is OK. So far the only words in the Gospel on the subject all indicate that anyone who marries after divorce is committing adultery. If that is all I am able to find in the words of Jesus, I may have to change my view on the subject. I can only hope as I continue to study the Bible and the words of Jesus that I will find more information that will help me in my understanding. I wish no one ever had to divorce, for marriage can be a very beautiful and wonderful thing. But we need to turn to Jesus for guidance in everything we do. Including His thoughts on divorce.