Does Jesus Permit Divorce?

Matthew 19:3-9 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 flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one 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 sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

It is important to know the context of this passage before we interpret what it means. (these points are adapted from enduringword.org)

1. The Pharisees were trying to trap Jesus.  If they could prove he taught outside of the Torah they could accuse him of being a false teacher. Their questions were not honest.

2. Marriage was a duty for Jewish men in obedience to the command to be fruitful and multiply.  If men got past the age of 20 unless they were studying in the school of law they were thought to be disobedient. 

3. Though the Jews had a high ideal for marriage, they had a low view women.  Men dismissed their wives for many reasons, often selfish.  Even the Rabbi Hillel whose teachings became part of Jewish law said, 

“A man could divorce his wife if she spoiled his dinner, if she spun, or went with unbound hair, or spoke to men in the streets, if she spoke disrespectfully of his parents in his presence, or if she was a brawling woman whose voice could be heard in the next house. Rabbi Akiba even went the length of saying…that a man could divorce his wife if he found a woman whom he liked better and considered more beautiful.” (Barclay)

4. The were two schools of thought.  Rabbi Shammai taught a strict and unpopular model. Rabbi Hillel taught a more lax and popular model.  Strict meant a literal view of Deuteronomy 24:1, the lax permitted for many more reasons as stated above. 

5. The debate hinged on the phrase "Moses permitted a man to divorce."  The exception referred to was from Deuteronomy 24:1 which stated, "When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house.

Each side knew and believed Deuteronomy 24:1; the question was, “What constitutes uncleanness?”

6. Jesus interpreted the term "uncleanness" as "sexual immorality". He uses this as the exception for divorce. We see here Jesus is actually restricting the grounds for divorce to one exception.

7. Jesus' uplifts the biblical definition of marriage, "two becoming one flesh in God's eyes." One commentator gives this explanation for these words."The idea that they shall become one flesh includes the sexual union, but also goes far beyond it. “Marriage is given, not that two people should do one thing together, but that they should do all things together.” (Barclay) “Be glued to her.” (Trapp)

8. "What God has joined together let man not separate."  The word for "joined" is the term for "yoked" which is the word for two oxen being yoked to a plough.  When the two oxen must pull together in order to in order to bring it.  This is a beautiful view of marriage each pulling together in the concerns of life.

Closing Thoughts:
It seems as though the exception Jesus makes for divorce on the grounds of sexual immorality is tied to the holy aspect of marriage which is two people becoming one in God's eyes.  The physical union between a man and women is the picture of the unity we have with each other which reflects the unity of God. It is why the Catholic church considers marriage a sacrament (which means holy thing).  Therefore to commit sexual immorality is to break this special and holy bond and appears to be the only grounds for divorce.

Staying married is God's clear intention for a husband and wife.  Two becoming one flesh in God's eyes is much more than a marriage certificate.  Marriage is a deep physical, spiritual and relational union between a man and women.  To break a marriage is to break something God has brought together.  There is always going to be pain and brokenness for those involved in a divorce including members of their families not the least of all children. But there is still forgiveness and restoration through Christ.

Marriage is under attack today and divorce rates are above 50% both in the world and in the church (though this is debated).  As we focus on God's design for marriage, what it means for Him to be a part of our marriages, maybe we can restore marriage to the way God intended it to be.