"Divorce"

Scripture Reading & Prayer

Hello friends

Matthew 19:1–6 ESV

Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there. And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Verse 7...

Matthew 19:7–12 ESV

They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” But he said to them, “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.”

Pray...

The Lesson of Forgiveness

As we look at this hard passage - realize it comes on the heels of Jesus teaching us about forgiveness

I want to remind you of the kind of forgiveness Jesus has called us to -

Luke 17:4 (ESV)

and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

Question: Does this pertain to how to treat your spouse?

Absolutely!

What was the message we got out of the last message?

I’m going to sum it up:

God has forgiven us through our repentance to him

Therefore, we must forgive others who are truly sorry towards us

We are commanded to forgive others

Why should it not have anything to do with our marriage?

“But pastor - you don’t know my situation - you don’t know what my spouse did”

No - I don’t know your situation

All I know is that if they are truly sorry, we are to forgive them and do everything in our power to reconcile our marriage

And if the other person is truly sorry, they will do whatever it takes to reconcile, too

The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary First, Jesus Summons Disciples to Work toward God’s Ideals, His Intended Purposes for the World (19:4–6)

The School of Shammai interpreted Deuteronomy 24 as indicating that a man could divorce his wife for the cause of unfaithfulness (“any matter of indecency”); the School of Hillel understood the passage to mean that a man could divorce his wife for any cause, even burning his bread (“any matter of indecency”—m. Giṭ. 9:10; Sifre Deut. 269.1.1; cf. m. Ketub. 7:6; Jos. Ant. 4.253). In practice both schools agreed that the law often granted the man a right to divorce, regrettable as divorce was

[Perpetual sin - this is where legalism just loves to pour in and take its foothold.]

[Today’s law prevents a quick divorce

[If a quick divorce were suddenly today’s reality (like it was in the First Century) would the rate of divorce go up? Stay the same? Or go down? It would certainly go up!

[My point: don’t let the law be the main restraint for not getting a divorce. Let God’s commandment to us to be forgiving be our first restraint

Divorce and Remarriage: Biblical Principle and Pastoral Practice 1. The Right to Divorce

No judge or court was involved. A man simply had to write out a bill of divorce in his own hand and in the presence of at least two witnesses, he had to date it, and it had to be delivered to his wife—though in certain circumstances throwing it at her in a fit of anger constituted a valid delivery! (m. Git. 9.4; 8.1).

In some instances divorce was positively encouraged

AI response on our laws:

No-fault divorce: In many jurisdictions, a spouse can file for divorce without showing that the other spouse did something wrong. This is known as a no-fault divorce. However, even in these cases, the filing spouse must still follow the legal process for obtaining a divorce.

Residency requirements: Many jurisdictions have residency requirements that must be met before a divorce can be filed. For example, a spouse may need to have lived in the state or country for a certain period of time before being eligible to file for divorce there.

Waiting periods: Some jurisdictions require a waiting period between the time a divorce is filed and when it can be granted. This waiting period can range from a few months to a year or more, depending on the jurisdiction.

Property division: In most jurisdictions, property acquired during a marriage is considered marital property and must be divided equitably between the spouses in the event of a divorce. This can be a complicated process, especially if there are significant assets involved.

Child custody and support: If the couple has children, divorce proceedings will also need to address issues of child custody and support. This can be an emotional and contentious issue, and it is important to work with a skilled family law attorney to ensure the best possible outcome for all involved.

AI response about TN laws:

Residency requirements: To file for divorce in Tennessee, either you or your spouse must have lived in the state for at least six months before filing.

Grounds for divorce: Tennessee is a "no-fault" divorce state, which means that you do not need to prove that your spouse did anything wrong to obtain a divorce. However, Tennessee also allows for fault-based divorce, which can be based on factors such as adultery, cruelty, or abandonment.

Property division: In Tennessee, marital property is divided equitably, which means that it is divided fairly but not necessarily equally. Separate property, which is property that was owned by one spouse before the marriage or acquired by gift or inheritance during the marriage, is not subject to division.

Alimony: In Tennessee, alimony (also known as spousal support) may be awarded to one spouse if the other spouse has a significantly higher income or earning capacity. The amount and duration of alimony will depend on various factors, such as the length of the marriage, the standard of living during the marriage, and each spouse's financial resources.

Child custody and support: In Tennessee, child custody and support are determined based on the best interests of the child. Factors that may be considered include the child's relationship with each parent, each parent's ability to provide for the child's physical and emotional needs, and any special needs or circumstances of the child.