The law of Love

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

THE LAW OF LOVE

Matt 5:31-32

31 "It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.'   32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.

NIV

Here again we have a difficult teaching especially in our day and age with the commonality of divorces and remarriages. This is not just common among the non-believers, but also within the community of believers. How do we deal with this? What about those who were divorced and remarried prior to coming to Christ? This almost sounds as though this situation is an unforgivable sin. Either committing or causing one to commit adultery, considering what he just said before about how lust in the heart being adultery, it is a very serious situation. Perhaps we do need a little context here. The culture in which Jesus was teaching this principle had really gone astray from the original law which they had been given.

Deut 24:1-4

24:1 If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, 2 and if after she leaves his house she becomes the wife of another man, 3 and her second husband dislikes her and writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, or if he dies, 4 then her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled. That would be detestable in the eyes of the LORD. Do not bring sin upon the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.

NIV

Within the existing law of the time of Christ, the Israelite men could simply write a divorce decree if for any reason he found his wife unpleasing to him. This word indecent implies improper behavior which leaves a great deal up to interpretation as to what would be considered improper behavior. This could mean she was a bad cook, or she spoke up to much, or tried to boss her husband around, or would not do everything as he said or wanted either in the household duties or the bed. This was entirely up to him with no one to be accountable to for writing this decree. It had become so common, this practice was being abused, so Jesus set a higher standard. But what about our lives today? We do not live under the law, but under the higher standard Jesus set out with these words. The divorce rate in our country is about forty to fifty percent. Of course there are a plethora of factors which go into factoring that percentage rate. Yet the numbers are there and what they do not factor in is the large number of couples who co-habitat without a legal marriage certificate and then in a sense divorce, or end the co-habitation to find another to live with. Yet the point still remains. How do we actually deal with this? This cannot be a finger pointing experience for any who have neither ever married or married and never ever divorced. The fact is this does happen and no one, except the couple, knows the true reason for such legal actions, and in all reality, it is no one’s business except the couple who have dissolved their marriage through divorce. Certainly we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and thus are unable or unqualified to cast the first stone. Yet the standard is there, just as all the other standards for Christian living are there which many, if not all, fail in one or another, or even multiple ones. So we attempt to find some way to legalize this divorce and remarriage situation in the church. For some denominations it disqualifies a person from being a deacon or elder in that church, sighting the requirements laid out in Timothy about being the husband of but one wife. This view is without the proper interpretation of that text. When it is examined it give qualifications of the man, then of his wife, then is states this man should be married to this certain type of woman, not a singular woman. In reality a single man could never serve as deacon or elder or for that matter pastor or priest, he must be married to a certain type of woman. This just shows us how off mankind has gotten from the true sense of the scriptures. So how can we justly interpret these words of Christ about divorce and remarriage?  It is not something we should take lightly. He does give approval for a divorce with the one reason of infidelity, or in the original text, harlotry. This again should be a secret matter within the confines of the marriage and not for public consumption. The fact is, when it comes to sin, we are all guilty of one of another or again in many cases multiply sins. So let us consider, if we are currently married, let us resolve to remain that way forever, unless of course the situation arises which Jesus permits it to end. Nevertheless he does not insist it to end because of infidelity. Forgiveness is a far higher calling. This also does not give way for the husband to abuse his wife, as those who practice Shari Law are in the habit of doing. The law of love overrides, as husbands are told to love their wives, as Christ loves the church. This responsibility for a successful marriage falls squarely on the man. If abuse is practiced by him, how can we expect a woman to submit? There has to be circumstances that cannot be tolerated by any believer. For those who would enter into marriage for the first time, it should be seen as an eternal one. So let us simply try our level best to live up to the way Jesus would have us live, in harmony with each other. Let us not get carried off into the common practices of the world and become one of those numbers. Love covers a multitude of sins.