Meant for Keeps. Mark 10:4-8.
They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.”And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. “But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’”Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, “and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh.
Dear Citizens of Heaven,
That Jesus has turned the tables on the Pharisees is clear. They are compelled to turn their attention to scripture.
Concession (v. 4). The Pharisees respond to Jesus, saying that Moses permitted them to divorce their wives and give them a certificate of divorce (Deuteronomy 24:1-4). They select the portion of Moses’ books (the first five books of the Old Testament) that favors their position. A common thing we tend to do as humans.
Cause (v. 5). Jesus tells them that the command they cited was a concession, brought about by their hardness of heart. When we go our rebellious way, God gives us rules to govern us, even then – not because he approves of our disobedience, but to protect us and those around us from some of the harm our rebellion is bound to cause.
Concept (Vv. 6-8). Jesus takes the Pharisees back to creation. Not just to the concession of Moses, but to God’s original intent.
Distinct (v. 6). Man and woman were clearly meant to complement each other. God meant for a woman to marry a man. This is why same-sex marriage is not acceptable to him.
Detached (v.7). A man is to leave his father and mother and be joined by his wife. The new unit is to be separate from the parents. This is also why parents should not run their children’s marriages, and a couple should avoid referencing everything to parents.
Dissolved (v. 8). The two people merge to make a new unit. While they do not lose their individuality, their lives are indivisibly one. The union of husband and wife is mystical, involving physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual aspects that cannot be simply wished away with a divorce. It is important to recognize the fact, therefore, that divorce is not God’s first choice for a solution. That is not to say that it should never happen, but let us acknowledge that our hardness of heart is what will lead us down that path.
Your Loving Pastor Chris.