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What Jesus Did!

It was also said, 'Any person that divorces his wife must give her a written notice of divorce.' But I tell you that any person that divorces his wife is causing his wife to be guilty of the sin of adultery. The only reason for a person to divorce his wife is if his wife had sexual relations with another man. And any person that marries that divorced woman is guilty of the sin of adultery. - Matthew 5:31-32 (ERV)

THOUGHT:

The prophet Malachi said it forcefully, "God hates divorce!" Jesus' words here are equally emphatic. Jesus' condemnation is specifically directed to men because they were the only ones in Jewish culture in Jesus' time who could divorce a marriage partner. A woman was left with few options other than remarriage or poverty. While God hates divorce, Jesus' ministry demonstrates God's love for those broken by it (cf. John 4). In fact, God hates divorce because of the brokenness it creates in the lives of those involved and the loss of character in one or both parties that often causes divorce. Because of their love for God, husbands and wives have as their goal two key things: (1) loving each other and (2) learning faithfulness through their relationship with each other. By pursuing a loving relationship and remaining faithful sexually, they are guarding themselves against divorce and honoring God by maintaining their covenant with him and with each other. In an age where promiscuity and sexual indiscretion run rampant, we must heed the call to sexual purity and loving commitment so that divorce can be prevented and its devastation avoided.

PRAYER:

Holy and faithful God, please help me keep my heart loyal and true. I want to be a person of character. Empower me by your Spirit to stay free of sexual sin and to be faithful in the commitments I make. Holy God, if I am married, I pray that you not only keep me from divorce, but that you also lead me to a life of loving service with my marriage partner. In addition, dear Father, please strengthen and bless those that I know who are in marriage distress and ransom their marriage from impending divorce. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Related Scriptures:

You can cry and cover the Lord's altar with tears, but the Lord will not accept your gifts. The Lord will not be pleased with the things you bring to him. You ask, "Why are our gifts not accepted by the Lord?" Why? Because the Lord saw the bad things you did--he is a witness against you. He saw you cheat on your wife. You have been married to that woman since you were young. She was your girlfriend. Then you made your vows to each other--and she became your wife. {But you cheated on her}. God wants husbands and wives to become one body and one spirit. Why? So they would have holy children. So protect that spiritual unity. Don't cheat on your wife. She has been your wife from the time you were young. The Lord God of Israel says, "I hate divorce. And I hate the cruel things that men do. So protect your spiritual unity. Don't cheat on your wife." - Malachi 2:13-16

I tell you that any person that divorces his wife and marries another woman is guilty of the sin of adultery. The only reason for a person to divorce and marry again is if his first wife had sexual relations with another man." - Matthew 19:9

Now I give this command for the married people. (The command is not from me; it is from the Lord.) A wife must not leave her husband. But if a wife leaves her husband she must not marry again. Or she should go back together with her husband. Also the husband must not divorce his wife. - 1 Corinthians 7:10-11

What Jesus Did! - Shock!

If your right eye makes you sin, then take it out and throw it away. It is better to lose one part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell. If your right hand makes you sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. - Matthew 5:29-30 (ERV)

THOUGHT:

Although treated as an antiquated concept in much of Western society, sin is very much a concern to Jesus. Sin is dangerous because it harms us in our walk with God. Sin is dangerous because, through us, it can cause others to sin. Sin is dangerous because our sin directly hurts others. Sin is disastrous because it separates us from God. Jesus wanted to get his disciples' attention. He wanted us to know that sin is horrid and dangerous. So he uses language that is best described as hyperbole to shock us into realizing that we must deal with sin in our lives.

We must deal with it seriously and get rid of it.

Jesus elsewhere emphasizes that sin is what comes from the heart and causes the actions on the outside. It seems to me unwise to think he is speaking literally here since he goes to great lengths to emphasize that mere external changes don't create lasting change in us. What is needed is an internal change that works itself out into the external lifestyle. Just because God is gracious doesn't mean he takes sin lightly. We must never presume upon grace and use it as an excuse to keep falling back into the same old sinful failures. Jesus wants us to deal with the sin in our lives today.

PRAYER:

Holy and righteous Father, I do not want to take my own sin lightly. Neither do I want to let it defeat me. Please empower me to put to death the misdeeds of the body as you promised. Please help me keep from taking my sin lackadaisically. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Related Scriptures:

- Colossian 2:21-23

It is the evil things a person wants that tempt that person. His own evil desire leads him away and holds him. This desire causes sin. Then the sin grows and brings death. - James 1:14-15

But the bad things a person says with his mouth come from the way a person thinks. And these are the things that make a person wrong. All these bad things begin in a person's mind: evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual sins, stealing, lying, saying bad things against other people. - Matthew 15:18-19