Matthew 19:1-12

Jesus teaches about Divorce

19 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. 2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”
4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’[a] 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’[b]? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

7 “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”

8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

10 The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”
For there are different reasons why men cannot marry:some, because they were born that way, others because God made them that way—and there are others who do not marry for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this teaching let him do so.

Sermon
Verse 3-6, says that the Pharisees came to test Jesus with the question can a man divorce his wife for whatsover reason that pleases him?. Jesus replied them with the Sacred, Undiluted law of God and Nature,he said, God created them man and woman and for this reason a man will leave his mother and father and the two will become one. They are no longer two, but one. WHAT GOD HAS JOINED TOGETHER,MAN MUST NOT SEPERATE.
That is the divine law of God,that which our Heavenly Father wants us to obey.

Verse 7-9 shows a modification to the law due to the "hardness of heart" of the Jews which implies that the Jews were hard to teach, an issue which arose all through the scriptures. They continually left true worship to worship foreign gods in spite of all the miracles God performed. The modification says a man can divorce his wife only on the case of ADULTERY, any other reason will lead to adultery on his side and on the woman's side.

Verses 10-12, Jesus made an important point to note, he said, this teaching does not apply to everyone but only to those WHO GOD HAS GIVEN IT. Who then are those who God has given it to?. To the disciples who felt the message was a big burden, he made it clear that there are some men Who do will not marry, some because they are born that way, some who are made that way e.g castrated, some for the Kingdom of God hence making a case for the missionaries like St Paul (1 Cor 7:7), Priests, Rev. Sisters and some evangelists who chose not to marry. (1 Cor 7:32,38)

THE EARLY CHRISTIANS
The early Christians followed the Divine, Undiluted law of God as through the letters of St Paul. They did not divorce their spouses and could only remarry due to the death of a spouse but they were allowed to SEPERATE in threatening situations e.g Domestic violence and abuse, the separation did not allow them to have sexual relations with any other person.

1 Cor 7:10-13: For married people I have a command which is not my own but the LORD'S: a wife must not leave her husband; but if she does, she must remain single or else be reconciled to her husband; and a husband must not divorce his wife.
Vs 39: A married woman is not free as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, then she is free to be married to any man she wishes, but only if he is a Christian.
Romans 7:2-3: A married woman is bound by the Law to her husband as long as he lives; but if he dies,then she is free from the law that bound her to him. So then, if she lives with another man while her husband is alive, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is legally a free woman and does not commit adultery is she marries another man

ENDING NOTE TO MARRIED/INTENDING TO MARRY CHRISTIANS
The reason why a good number of marriages end up in divorce is because the couples made divorce an option which is in compliance of the prophecy of the end time in 2 Timothy 3 were men become lovers of themselves only.
When you have a child who is sick do you throw the child away or do you run the corners of the earth seeking treatment?.Make that child your marriage!!. A Christian marriage is a covenant which should not be broken by any man according to the divine will of God. There is no problem without a solution. Your spouse cheated on you and you want a divorce even though he/she is remorseful, Why? ,because you can't forgive. Don't thou know it should be unheard of that a Christian cannot forgive?Jesus gave us the command to forgive 70 times 7 (as much as possible), When you say the Lord's prayer,don't you pray for God to forgive you your trespasses as you forgive those who trespass against you? Do not be like the unbelievers and false Christians who go around blogs saying it is impossible to forgive a cheating spouse, DO NOT FALL FOR THE TRICKS OF SATAN. Stay away from immorality and immoral friends,do not be a channel to break your family, remember, sin begets more sin. Stay away from people who say things like "Man is polygamous by nature","A woman needs a side guy she can warm up to","somebody cannot be eating only one kind of food every day". Those might be true for heathens,non-believer,false Christians who belong to world but can never be true for True followers of Christ.
Heb 13:4 says, Marriage is to be honored by all,husbands and wives must be faithful to each other. God will judge those who are immoral and those who commit adultery.
Ensure you pray,study the Bible, eat, bath together. Always communicate with one another calmly any thing that bothers you e.g sexual issues. Husbands ought to love their wives just as they love their own bodies, a man who loves his wife loves himself(Eph 5:28),hence under no condition should you beat your wife. Wives learn to submit to your husbands as to the Lord (Eph 5:21).
After the Virgin Mary met the angel she ran straight to her cousin Elizabeth who was virtuous woman, Who do you run to when your marriage is shaky?, Blogs, friends, parents?. Every young family should have an older couple(20yrs above in marriage) who believe in the divine law of God and follow his commands,it is best if it is not your parents so they don't take sides, any issue that cannot be resolved between you two, you can take to them as they have seen it all. Ensure to place every war in the hands of God, we have a God who can raise the dead,make the blind see and the deaf hear,what more save your marriage if you believe.
Do not listen to those "Learned people" who preach divorce as freedom for just as Romans 1:22 says, they say they are wise but they are fools. They will never tell you how the kids suffer during divorce and how it can lead to adultery.
You don't meet a poor man for advice on how to get rich so in the same way know who you meet for marital counselling. Remember the vows you both made on the altar before God, for better and for worse,for richer and for poorer,in sickness and in health(both spiritual and physical) TILL DEATH DO US PART. I will end this sermon with a message to us from the book of Malachi 2:13-16, May the Peace and Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
MALACHI 2:13-16
13 Here is another thing you do. You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, weeping and groaning because he pays no attention to your offerings and doesn’t accept them with pleasure.14 You cry out, “Why doesn’t the Lord accept my worship?” I’ll tell you why! Because the Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows.

15 Didn’t the Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his.And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth. 16 “FOR I HATE DIVORCE !"SAYS THE LORD, THE GOD OF ISREAL. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.”

Cc: Lalasticlala, ishilove

Interesting

N.B :marriage in this case is not mere cohabitation but fulfilling traditional and church wedding rites according to your church principles

Nice

People need to see this especially those that have made up their mind to cheat on their spouse come what may

Firstly

JourneytoEL

you did a great Job, I personally have been blessed by this. Trust me majority won't go thru this epistle, we loosing our culture of reading lengthy articles, I urge everyone Bible believing ones to becos this is the prevailing problem we find in our society. Divorce is a No-No situation to GOD, if you decide to then remain single till death it's a vow nobody forced you to partake. In Roman's 2:16 - In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.. Be guided let the word of God the gospel be your standard of living and not your emotions or something a pastor told you from his intelligence that's not in simulacrum with the Bible.
Do have a Blessed Sunday everyone

k

JourneytoEL:
N.B :marriage in this case is not mere cohabitation but fulfilling traditional and church wedding rites according to your church principles

where in the bible did u see church wedding

K

Divorce is sth God dislike, and according to my own religion, it a marriage contract can be nullified based on a proven infidelity. But nowadays, clergyman do the opposite. Pastor Anita, Okotie etc

Nothing to add, we Christians needs more of such write-up. Shalom!

I still don’t get why Africans bother with the bible. The Europeans who sold it to you divorce at will. God said this, god said that is nothing but ways to manipulate you, keep you busy while they keep looting you dry.

Who cares what the Christian god likes or not. Humans should be happy all the time, why bother make a being who cannot show its reptilian face happy ?

Nice sermon

Interesting, inspiring and motivational

What about those who hurt their wives without been sorry?
What about those that hit their wives and have refused to change? U expect her to. Continue?

pls don't give some men more excuses to leave their marriages and divorce thier wives.....alot of stories have been cooked up by men to get an excuse for divorce....marriage is meant to be honourable. ...

if a man divorces his wife because of sexual immoralities,can the man marry another woman.

it's permitted abi..

Husband fall on me

The teaching is clear and simply....but its not for everyone..... its for those who can receive it.....

One not need marry to please anyone

Nor marry one you don't love... one you can't live with,.

May God help us

Good.teachings..and the Bible is clear on the issue of divorce

JourneytoEL:
ENDING NOTE TO MARRIED/INTENDING TO MARRY CHRISTIANS
The reason why a good number of marriages end up in divorce is because the couples made divorce an option which is in compliance of the prophecy of the end time in 2 Timothy 3 were men become lovers of themselves only.
When you have a child who is sick do you throw the child away or do you run the corners of the earth seeking treatment?.Make that child your marriage!!. A Christian marriage is a covenant which should not be broken by any man according to the divine will of God. There is no problem without a solution. Your spouse cheated on you and you want a divorce even though he/she is remorseful, Why? ,because you can't forgive. Don't thou know it should be unheard of that a Christian cannot forgive?Jesus gave us the command to forgive 70 times 7 (as much as possible), When you say the Lord's prayer,don't you pray for God to forgive you your trespasses as you forgive those who trespass against you? Do not be like the unbelievers and false Christians who go around blogs saying it is impossible to forgive a cheating spouse, DO NOT FALL FOR THE TRICKS OF SATAN. Stay away from immorality and immoral friends,do not be a channel to break your family, remember, sin begets more sin. Stay away from people who say things like "Man is polygamous by nature","A woman needs a side guy she can warm up to","somebody cannot be eating only one kind of food every day". Those might be true for heathens,non-believer,false Christians who belong to world but can never be true for True followers of Christ.
Heb 13:4 says, Marriage is to be honored by all,husbands and wives must be faithful to each other. God will judge those who are immoral and those who commit adultery.
Ensure you pray,study the Bible, eat, bath together. Always communicate with one another calmly any thing that bothers you e.g sexual issues. Husbands ought to love their wives just as they love their own bodies, a man who loves his wife loves himself(Eph 5:28),hence under no condition should you beat your wife. Wives learn to submit to your husbands as to the Lord (Eph 5:21).
After the Virgin Mary met the angel she ran straight to her cousin Elizabeth who was virtuous woman, Who do you run to when your marriage is shaky?, Blogs, friends, parents?. Every young family should have an older couple(20yrs above in marriage) who believe in the divine law of God and follow his commands,it is best if it is not your parents so they don't take sides, any issue that cannot be resolved between you two, you can take to them as they have seen it all. Ensure to place every war in the hands of God, we have a God who can raise the dead,make the blind see and the deaf hear,what more save your marriage if you believe.
Do not listen to those "Learned people" who preach divorce as freedom for just as Romans 1:22 says, they say they are wise but they are fools. They will never tell you how the kids suffer during divorce and how it can lead to adultery.
You don't meet a poor man for advice on how to get rich so in the same way know who you meet for marital counselling. Remember the vows you both made on the altar before God, for better and for worse,for richer and for poorer,in sickness and in health(both spiritual and physical) TILL DEATH DO US PART. I will end this sermon with a message to us from the book of Malachi 2:13-16, May the Peace and Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
MALACHI 2:13-16
13 Here is another thing you do. You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, weeping and groaning because he pays no attention to your offerings and doesn’t accept them with pleasure.14 You cry out, “Why doesn’t the Lord accept my worship?” I’ll tell you why! Because the Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows.

15 Didn’t the Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his.And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth. 16 “FOR I HATE DIVORCE !"SAYS THE LORD, THE GOD OF ISREAL. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.”

Cc: Lalasticlala, ishilove

MhizzAJ:
People need to see this especially those that have made up their mind to cheat on their spouse come what may

The term cheat is not tenable in biblical principal.

Secondly, the Bible does not ascribe to modernity and contemporary norms and values which change constantly.

It's not politically correct and does not equate men and women as the same.

So for instance the clause of infidelity as an option out if the hardness of heart of men. Is not vice versa in other words it's basis for men but there are no biblical principles for divorce emanated by women. The Bible is not politically correct and has different requirements on men and women.

The idea that because your husband has as you may call it cheated, gives you credence for divorce has no biblical under pinning and or substantiation.

It's important to consider not modern humanistic ideology that impacts on our perception of what we think is God's standard. But to consider the Scriptures in context and meaning as they are without conjecture and or assumption.

I'm a practicing Christian but I've never believed in that for better, for worse bull crap. Again, how can two ppl become one because they're now married? If it is so, why can't they bury them together if one eventually dies? Two ppl can never be one, never!

Though I am personally not in favour of Polygamy, it is not a SIN. Divorce and polygamy and two different things. To marry a second wife while still married to the first wife is not divorce. If you can take care of more than one wife with all the additional wahala it comes with, that's up to you but it is not a SIN.

A SIN is when you divorce your wife for frivolous reasons and leave her to suffer. However, if your wife is a serial adulterer, then you have every right to send her packing while keeping the children.

Hypocrite believers are causing mayhem in the lives of people by preaching what God did not preach. Beloved men of God all over the bible married more than one wife and God never called it divorce.

That's why you see many so called eunuchs sexually abusing little boys and girls - hypocrites.

komekn:


The term cheat is not tenable in biblical principal.

Secondly, the Bible does not ascribe to modernity and contemporary norms and values which change constantly.

It's not politically correct and does not equate men and women as the same.

So for instance the clause of infidelity as an option out if the hardness of heart of men. Is not vice versa in other words it's basis for men but there are no biblical principles for divorce emanated by women. The Bible is not politically correct and has different requirements on men and women.

The idea that because your husband has as you may call it cheated, gives you credence for divorce has no biblical under pinning and or substantiation.

It's important to consider not modern humanistic ideology that impacts on our perception of what we think is God's standard. But to consider the Scriptures in context and meaning as they are without conjecture and or assumption.

Bullshit, if her husband is a serial cheater, she has the right to get the hell out of that marriage and marry another man.

segzybeez:

if a man divorces his wife because of sexual immoralities,can the man marry another woman.

YES and YES

JourneytoEL:
N.B :marriage in this case is not mere cohabitation but fulfilling traditional and church wedding rites according to your church principles

CHURCH rites ??

Africans are lost!

I have nothing to add but May God bless you richly @OP

frosbel2:
Though I am personally not in favour of Polygamy, it is not a SIN. Divorce and polygamy and two different things. To marry a second wife while still married to the first wife is not divorce. If you can take care of more than one wife with all the additional wahala it comes with, that's up to you but it is not a SIN.

A SIN is when you divorce your wife for frivolous reasons and leave her to suffer. However, if your wife is a serial adulterer, then you have every right to send her packing while keeping the children.

Hypocrite believers are causing mayhem in the lives of people by preaching what God did not preach. Beloved men of God all over the bible married more than one wife and God never called it divorce.

That's why you see many so called eunuchs sexually abusing little boys and girls - hypocrites.

I guess every man should give his wife a contract to sign that anytime he can send her packing or marry another wife.....that will take care of arguments