Not two

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

NOT TWO

Matt 19:1-12

19:1 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,'   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'? 6 So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not 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 marital unfaithfulness, 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." 11 Jesus replied, "Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. 12 For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it." 

NIV

This whole discourse is about the relationship within a marriage. At the conclusion this discussion between Jesus and his disciples is about those men who either by choice or at the hands of other men, are not able engage in the intimate act to father children. It would appear some men are also born impotent, unable to father children. Jesus’s explanation to his disciples about these men is in response to them coming to the conclusion that without the ability to divorce a wife, it is better not to marry in the first place. They must have also had the same kind of idea about marriage as the Pharisees had, as was the common perception among all the Jews. Moses allowed a man to write a degree of divorce for any and all reasons. This creates an atmosphere dominated by men with woman having no rights at all. Why would two people enter into marriage if they felt they could separate at any time for any reason? Although the Jews considered it was only the man’s right to send his wife away, our cultural today is based on both partners simply deciding for any and all reasons to divorce. Jesus put that whole idea to rest. He also put the whole idea of people being born other than the intended male and female persons. This purpose of having a male and female is to bear children. He puts to rest the idea that one can put another away because the two become one. He also makes is clear that marriage is in the site of God, and ordained by God. He intended for Adam to be united to Eve. One man, one woman and he joined them together. Marriage is then a joining together of a man and a woman by God. Jesus tells us that what God has joined, no man can unjoin. It seems our culture, although that phrase is used in many marriage ceremonies, pays little attention to it. We separate or unjoin many marriages today, as did the Jews in the time of Jesus. But he makes is clear this is not to be. Jesus goes on to even say that a man who puts is wife away and joins with another woman commits adultery. If we brought that truth into today, so many of us would be guilty of adultery, as there seems to be so much divorce and remarriage accepted both outside and inside the church.  How do we deal with this? Some would agree that if this divorce and remarriage occurred prior to conversion, becoming a believer, is one of those sins which was forgiven at the time of accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior. But what about when it happens after becoming a believer? Is that one of the unforgiveable sin? It is not, as blasphemy is the only unforgivable sin. Yet divorce and remarriage is not the intended way God desires for us. There arises all sorts of other problems in a divorced situation. How can we love our neighbor as ourselves when either we have divorced them or are one of the parents of a divorced child. Once we were the in-laws and loving and kind to the son or daughter-in-law, and now after they divorce we no longer are loving and kind to them. Is that the way of God? Do we shun one of the divorced? Perhaps as the disciples were concluding it might be better not to marry at all, Jesus says no, not the case. There are certain men that are not suited for marriage because of their physical condition of not being able to father children. But marriage is ordained by God, He wants a man and a woman to join together in marriage, to become one person, united together, unable to be separated. How can we separate one, unless they become two half’s, which is not a whole person. Just as we lack something within us without the Spirit dwelling within us, so it would seem Jesus is saying we are not a whole person, we are lacking something, if we are not joined together into one flesh. This is not new math, but one plus one equals one, not two.