One Flesh

Introduction

Jesus warns us about causing others to sin

Jesus teaches us about cutting off

Colossians 3:5 ESV

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

The Christian makes a practice of cutting off, and plucking out. It is the things we view, the places we go and the things we do that need to be put to death. Jesus warns of being thrown into hell, the unquenchable fire.

We all will be tested with salted with fire.

now moving on into chapter 10:1-12

They test Him

( The courting and The wedding) Divorce statistics

over 50 % of first time marriages will end in divorce. > 60 % of second marriages and > 73 % of third marriages

Every 13 seconds this in one divorce in America

There are 9 Divorces in the time it takes for a couple to recite their wedding vows

The average wedding reception is 5 hours (that is 1,385 divorces during the reception)

Most common reason is Lack of Commitment, Argue too much, Infidelity, Married too young, unrealistic expectations, lack of compatibility

The crowd gathers and Jesus begins to teach them.

The pharisees come in order to test him. (Explain why and how they were testing him)

Deuteronomy 24:1–4 ESV

“When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, and she departs out of his house, and if she goes and becomes another man’s wife, and the latter man hates her and writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter man dies, who took her to be his wife, then her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination before the Lord. And you shall not bring sin upon the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance.

כִּי

When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house.

כִּי

Two leading schools of thought disagreed on how to interpret the verse. The strict view of Rabbi Shammai allowed for divorce only if a wife were guilty of immorality. The more lenient view of Rabbi Hillel allowed a husband to divorce his wife for almost any reason.

Perhaps they were trying to Get Jesus arrested the same way John the baptist for protesting a divorce and marriage.

SO Jesus answers with a counter question, verse 3 what did Moses command you? He by passes the rabbinical interpretation and directs them to the scripture.

They believed Moses made a provision for divorce and they site the text in . The OT in commanded the death penalty for Adultery. By the time of Jesus the death penalty was used as much any more, rather the man would divorce the woman. (Joseph and Mary)

In verse 5 Jesus begins to set the record straight. In Moses only acknowledged the presence of divorce in Israel, he did not institute or authorize it. Jesus is going to contrast the current view of marriage against God’s view.

Because of your hardness of heart (SIN) Moses wrote of this, verse 6 has a big BUT at the beginning of the verse. Jesus give the view from creation. (verse 6)

God is the one who created Marriage by his design for his purpose. Culture does no change this fact. Divorce violates God’s creation ordinance.

Marriage is between one man and one female who in the eyes of God become one flesh. Lit

What God has joined together, no man should separate, Marriage is to be a monogamous, heterosexual permanent one-flesh relationship.

Divorce for any reason

Explain verse 10-12

Men divorcing for any reason, and the Roman view of women also divorcing.

Teach on the exception clause--- Marriage is a mutual fidelity to a lifelong union made before God.

God’s desire for a broken marriage is forgiveness and reconciliation.

Except on the grounds of sexual immorality (Porneia) Except for Sexual immorality. Refers to relentless, persistent, unrepentant life style of Sexual unfaithfulness. The term Porneia is broader than Moicheia.

in the passage Jesus obviously affirmed the permanence of Marriage

Conclusion

Marriage has a design and a designer, from the beginning. Two genders complementing each other for their benefit.

Marriage is to be permeant. Married couples should always seeking ways to improve and enhance relations with their spouses rather than wondering how they can get out of it.

If your marriage failed on other grounds, the key is to admit failure before God, repent of the sins that led to the dissolution of the marriage and vow to remain faithful to any subsequent relationship.

Jesus never commands divorce but only permits it if all attempts at reconciliation have failed. Sexual unfaithfulness undermines one of the most foundational elements of marriage, One flesh sexual exclusivity. The spiritual implication and consequences of sexual union is enormous. (Paul)

Divorce may happen but it was not meant to be, marriage is for life.