The Lord's Perspective on Divorce (and Marriage)

By David & Stephen Olford

Text: “Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery” (Matthew 5:31-32).

Thought: In this section of the “Sermon on the Mount,” the Lord Jesus is interpreting the Law as the authoritative Teacher. He is declaring and explaining the righteousness that is part of His Kingdom, which needs to be pursued by His disciples. This pursuit of true Kingdom righteousness includes the forsaking of personal practices that are sinful or can lead to sin. Here Jesus addresses directly the current practice of divorce, which certainly was a “live” issue in Jesus’ day, even as it is today. With Deuteronomy 22 and 24, and such passages as Matt. 19:1-12, Mark 10: 1-12, Luke 16:18, 1 Corinthians 7: 1-40 in the background, we need to consider:

I. The Mosaic Enactment

 “…it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce’” (Matt. 5:31). If you turn back to Deuteronomy 22 and 24, you will find various legislations related to marriage, sexual immorality, and divorce. Moses, under God, enacted legislation to curb immorality and the abuse of marriage in his day. Alongside other moral issues, women were often the wrongful victims of the passions of men, treated with disdain and cruelty.

These legislations, including the one referred to by our Lord in this passage, restricted the cause of divorce and reduced the casualties of divorce. But such legislation, indeed the letter of the Law, was interpreted in different ways and was at times used wrongly by men. So, we need to observe secondly:

II. The Man-made Amendment

Our understanding of Jesus’ words here in the Sermon on the Mount can be helped by referring to Jesus’ interaction with the Pharisees on this subject in Matt. 19: 1-10. We read that “the Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?’” (Matt. 19:3). Here we see that reasons for divorce were a matter for debate in Jesus’ day. This debate is implied in the “test” that the Pharisees presented to Jesus.

The Pharisees’ question also indicates that in Jesus’ day (as in our own day), some believed that almost any cause was appropriate for a divorce. The practical result was that the women’s life became one of insecurity and fearfulness. Jesus’ teachings on marriage and divorce (both in Matt. 19 and Matt. 5) transcended the moral options of the day, and the mere letter of the Law. Jesus bypassed the current discussion of men, and went right to the meaning of marriage itself, indeed God’s original purpose for marriage. Such a perspective on marriage and divorce is behind the concise pronouncement of our Lord in Matt. 5:31-32.

III. The Master’s Pronouncement

 “…It has been said…But I say to you…” Our Lord Jesus’ pronouncement is clear and penetrating. Here are strong words that need to be heard afresh and obeyed. In Matt. 19: 1-10, which helps us to understand the text before us, Jesus presents two truths: first, the human problem, and then the divine pattern. Concerning the human problem Jesus declared, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so” (Matt. 19:8). In other words, due to hardness of heart (on the part of God’s people), regulations were introduced to curb unrighteousness and its consequences.

Despite the hardness of people’s hearts in our own day and the resulting consequences, our perspective on marriage must start “at the beginning” with God’s purpose and pattern (Matt. 19:4), rather than appealing only to divorce legislation. The Genesis account reveals God’s intended pattern and goal for marriage, which was and is that marriage should be pure and permanent (Matt. 5:32; 19:4-6, 9, 19; 1 Cor. 7:1-16, Heb.13:4). We likewise need to start “at the beginning” in our understanding of marriage and divorce.

Of course, numerous practical and pastoral issues related to divorce remain and must be addressed with biblical truth and love. We cannot deal with these issues here, including the nature and scope of the “exception clause,” or other related subjects (for example, 1 Cor. 7:1-40). We need, though, to be challenged afresh by Jesus’ perspective on divorce, which evidently was very challenging in His day as well (Matt. 19:10-12). Yes, it is possible for the marriage bond to be jeopardized, otherwise there would be no exception clause, as Matthew records it. But, certainly the thrust of Jesus’ pronouncement is that we are called as disciples to pursue permanent love in our marriage relationships, and in the “institution” of marriage. In so doing we will avoid the sins that can lead to divorce or that result from divorce. Furthermore, we can pursue the “oneness” that God desires in marriage, and by His grace can enable. This is a specific aspect of pursuing God’s righteousness in our daily lives.  

Thrust: Implicit and explicit in our Lord’s teaching on divorce is a strong affirmation of God’s purpose for marriage. This purpose of “oneness” must be valued and pursued. It is our path of righteousness and obedience to the Master.

David Olford teaches expository preaching at Union University’s
Stephen Olford Center in Memphis, Tennessee

Pulpit Helps Magazine, a ministry of AMG International, is the pastor’s one-stop-shop for tools to effectively serve a congregation. Founded in 1975 by Dr. Spiros Zodhiates, Pulpit Helps is dedicated to the mission of equipping our readers with a greater understanding of the words of Scripture so that they can adequately fulfill their calling as Christ’s ambassadors. It is to that end that we provide sermon starters, bulletin inserts, illustrations and quality articles on preaching, counseling, Christian living, and more.