24 Jul Mark 24: Marriage and divorce

Mark 10:1-16

And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them. ² And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” ³ He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” ⁴ They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” ⁵ And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. ⁶ But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ⁷ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, ⁸ and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. ⁹ What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

¹⁰ And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. ¹¹ And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, ¹² and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

¹³ And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴ But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. ¹⁵ Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” ¹⁶ And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

Marriage and divorce. Does any of you feel nervous for your unmarried pastor? Let me acknowledge from the very beginning that this might be a sensitive topic for some of you. You might be divorced or considering a divorce, your parents might be divorced, or someone very close to you might go through a divorce. There are a few things in life more painful than a divorce. When you go through a divorce, the pain is often tainted by the ugliness of sin and moral outrage. It involves long years in the settlement and adjustment. It also brings a massive sense of failure and guilt. It is as if you are wearing a heavy big necklace with the letter “D” everywhere you go. It is extremely heartbreaking and frustrating. Yet the divorce rate in marriage is about 50%. And we would think that Christian marriage would fare a lot better. But it doesn’t. The divorce rate among Christians is about 30%. That means for every ten Christian weddings that we attend, three ends in divorce. This is very concerning.

Today, we live in a culture that makes it very easy to get a divorce. If you want to get a divorce, all you have to do is filled out a form of irreconcilable differences. It is relatively cheap, and you can easily do it through your phone. And the fact that we live in a culture that promotes self-fulfilment also does not help. Let me read you a quote from a popular secular book on divorce. “You must accept the reality that in today’s multifaceted world it is especially easy for two persons to grow apart. Letting go of your marriage – if it is no longer fulfilling – can be the most successful thing you have ever done. Getting a divorce can be a positive, problem-solving, growth-oriented step. It can be a personal triumph.” Did you hear that? They say that if your marriage is no longer fulfilling, the best thing you can do is to walk away from it. And this happens not only outside the church but also in the church. Many self-professing Christians use the argument, “God wants me to be happy”, to justify divorce. They say, “Surely it is not God’s will for me to be unhappy in my marriage. Surely God wants me to be happy and not miserable. And the only way for me to be happy is to walk away from my marriage.” Have you heard that before? And every time I hear people say that it reminds me of Proverbs 14:12 – There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. We have this tendency to think that we are smarter than God. That our ways are better than God’s way. And it feels right when we do it. It feels good. And yet it leads to death. Because get this. Only God’s way leads to life and obedience to God’s way is more important than personal happiness.

Tonight, we will learn God’s way regarding marriage and divorce. And if it is up to me, I would not choose to preach from this passage. I am nervous for myself. I was tempted to make Edrick preach this passage. But I don’t have the heart to do it. The beauty of preaching expository sermons is I don’t get to pick and choose what I want to preach. I simply preach whatever is written in the passage. And some of you might think that this passage does not apply to you. But I think otherwise. It is very important for every individual in this church, whether you are happily married, struggling in marriage, divorced, or single, to know what the Bible has to say about marriage and divorce. Because I am convinced that many people in the church do not know how to relate to people who are considering divorce or have been divorced. As a result, those who are struggling in marriage and those who are divorced often feel alone in the church or maybe even ashamed. And that is not okay. We need to fix that. And the best way to do it is to let the word of God shape the way we think about marriage and divorce. I want our church to be a community of truth and grace. I want us to uphold the truth and apply the healing power of God’s grace at the same time. I want our church to be a safe place for those who are struggling with marriage and divorce. I want our church to be #HomeForTheImperfect. So tonight, we are not interested in what our culture says about marriage and divorce. We want to ask the question, what does God say about marriage and divorce? Because God’s word is the truth, and it has the power to heal the hurting at the same time.

So, let’s get into the passage. I have four points to my sermon: The test; The explanation; The answer; The way.

The test

Mark 10:1-4 – And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them. ² And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” ³ He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” ⁴ They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.”

At this time, Jesus’ ministry in Galilee is over and he moves into the region of Judea. He is getting closer and closer to Jerusalem. Jerusalem is Jesus’ final destination before the cross. And wherever he goes, he always teaches the gospel to the crowds. And the Pharisees use this opportunity to ask Jesus a very controversial question. And they are not asking this question because they seek a genuine answer. Mark tells us that they want to test Jesus. In other words, it is a trap. As a pastor, I often received questions from people. For example, in Basic Christianity, we always have time for question and answer at the end of each session. And some of the questions are very hard. But I enjoy answering those questions because they are genuine questions. But now and then, there are people on social media who ask me questions not because they want to know the answer, but because they want to prove me wrong. And let me tell you, they are a pain in the butt. I wish I can know beforehand which ones are genuine questions and which are not. So, I can ignore those that are not. But Jesus knows that this is a trap question. The Pharisees have a secret agenda. By asking this question, they are putting Jesus in a political trap and theological trap. Their question is, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

Why is this question a political trap? Do you remember what happened to John the Baptist? John the Baptist was put in prison because he spoke out against Herod Antipas’s divorce and remarriage. John ended up dead because of it. So, if Jesus say that it is not lawful for a man to divorce his wife, Jesus’ answer would go straight to Herod, and Jesus might suffer the same fate as John the Baptist. That’s the political trap. On the other hand, this question is also a theological trap. Look at what Jesus says. He asks them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” Now, this might surprise some of you. You think that the Bible is always against divorce. But Moses permitted people to get a divorce. Deuteronomy 24:1 – 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… You can read the rest on your own. The point is that Moses permitted divorce in the case of “some indecency.”

Here is the problem. What did Moses mean by “some indecency”? It is very ambiguous. And at the time of Jesus, there are two dominant schools of thought: Rabbi Shammai and Rabbi Hillel. Rabbi Shammai said that indecency meant only ‘sexual indecency.’ It means that Moses was allowing divorce only in cases where sexual infidelity and marital unfaithfulness had occurred. On the other side, Rabbi Hillel said indecency meant anything you didn’t like about your wife. Maybe she kept burning the omelette and had indecent cooking skills. Maybe she laughed out very loud in public and had indecent behaviour. Maybe she talked back to your mother and had indecent manner. And if that’s the case you could divorce her. Think about it. Wives, your husband could divorce you for speaking wrong words to your mother-in-law. And I am not exaggerating. We have a record of him saying, “If your wife consistently burns the bread, divorce her. If you fall out of love with her, divorce her. If you fall in love with someone else, divorce her.” So, you could get a divorce on any ground. It’s that easy. And which school do you think was the prevailing one? Most of the Jews in Jesus’ days are on the side of Rabbi Hillel. But either way, the Pharisees want Jesus to take a side. And whichever side Jesus takes, it will make him unpopular with the other side. This is the trap. So, the Pharisees think that they have Jesus cornered. But they have no idea what’s coming for them. It is never a good idea to use the word of God to test and trap the Son of God. Pay attention to Jesus’ explanation of Moses’ answer.

The explanation

Mark 10:5-9 – ⁵ And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. ⁶ But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ⁷ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, ⁸ and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. ⁹ What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Jesus pretty much drops the bomb. He says that the law that the Pharisees used to justify divorce testifies not of God’s heart but the hardness of their hearts. God has tolerated and regulated divorce not because it was his intention but because of sin. In other words, get this. Divorce is not a command but a divine concession because of sin. Let me explain. There is a distinction between command in the law and concession from the law. A command in the law expresses God’s heart. It reveals God’s heart and desire. A concession from the law is something God allows in a society of sinful people in order to keep peace in society. If there is no sin, there is no divorce. But because everyone is sinful, there are times that divorce is permitted. The divorce law is a law of concession and not God’s intention. So, Jesus is saying to the Pharisees, “You have totally missed the point of what Moses was saying. Divorce is not a reflection of God’s heart for his people. Moses permitted divorce because of your sins.” Jesus then tells them about God’s original intention of marriage. And this is very important. Because in answering the question of divorce, we can’t just focus on whether it is permissible or not. We don’t learn how to drive by following instructions on what to do when we crash into another car or when someone breaks your passenger windscreen. We learn how to drive by mastering the fundamentals of driving. Listen. The exceptional measure when a marriage falls apart should not be our focus. Our focus needs to be on discovering God’s original intention of marriage.

Do you know that there has never been a society found that did not have marriage? Isn’t interesting? Do you know why? Because Jesus tells us that marriage is not a human’s invention. What Jesus does is he quotes the book of Genesis. The Pharisees try to pit Jesus against Moses. And Jesus is like, “Okay, you want to use Moses’ law against me? Let me bring you back to the order of creation. Let me show you how it is from the very beginning.” And Jesus tells them that God is the one who invented and established marriage from the beginning of creation. There are a lot of people who have tried their hardest to get rid of marriage, but they are not successful. We can’t get rid of marriage because it is not our invention. And if marriage is God’s invention, we cannot tinker with marriage. We can’t just do anything we want with marriage. We must submit to God’s design for marriage.

There are four things that God says about marriage in these verses. First, marriage is exclusive. It involves a husband and a wife. Not a husband and a husband or a wife and a wife. It involves a male and a female. It is heterosexual and not homosexual. Another sermon for another time. Second, marriage is separative. Marriage separates children from parents. So, parents, let’s say you have a wonderful daughter that you love very much. You are very happy together. You go on holiday together. You are inseparable. And one day, a guy shows up in your daughter’s life and what comes next is painful. No matter how nice the guy is, when he puts a ring on her finger, he is basically saying, “I want to separate your family. I want to take your daughter, live with her, sleep with her, and have children with her.” And you’re like, “What? You can’t do that with my baby girl. She is ours. How dare you?” Marriage is separative. And maybe part of the reason for messed-up marriages is because the separation never happens. The man is a mommy’s boy, or the woman always relies on her parents for help. It’s not going to work. Another sermon for another time.

Third, marriage is covenantal. The man is to hold fast to his wife. It means that you not only make a promise for the present but also for the future. You make a vow with one another. And the vow is not based on feelings. You don’t say, “For better, worse, richer, poorer, sickness, health, as long as I have a feeling for you.” You don’t say that. You say, “For better, worse, richer, poorer, sickness, health, till death do us part.” Marriage is a covenant. Fourth, marriage is a union. In a marriage, you are no longer two but one flesh. Your lives are intertwined in such a way that everything about you becomes one. Your families become one. Your happiness become one. Your bank accounts become one. Your emotional lives become one. And this culminates in sex where your bodies become one. This is why sex outside of marriage has a devastating effect on you. Because you go against God’s order of creation, and it never goes well. Again, another sermon for another time. And these four things about marriage are true for everyone, whether they are Christians or non-Christians.

However, for Christians, there is more at stake in your marriage than God’s order of creation. If you are married and you are a Christian, God is using your marriage to paint a glorious picture for the world to see. Your marriage points to something much greater than you. Listen to how Paul says it in Ephesians 5:31-32 – ³¹ “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” ³² This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. Did you hear what Paul say? Husbands and wives, your marriage is not just about you. Get this. The ultimate meaning of Christian marriage is the representation of the covenantal love between Christ and his church. Marriage among Christians is mainly meant to tell the truth about the gospel. Husbands, realize what is at stake here. The way you love your wife is representing Jesus to a watching world. If you are harsh with your wife, you show the world that Jesus is harsh with us. If you ignore your wife’s needs, you show the world that Jesus ignores our needs. If you are unfaithful to your wife, you show the world that Jesus is unfaithful to us. Do you realize that? Similarly, wives. The way you follow your husband is showing the world what it means to follow Jesus. If you disrespect your husband, you show the world that Jesus is not worthy of respect. If you do not pursue your husband, you show the world that Jesus is not worth pursuing. If you are unfaithful to your husband, you show the world that Jesus is not satisfying. Do you realize that? Your marriage is the display of the gospel. Husbands, when people see how you sacrificially love your wife, it creates amazement in them. Wives, when people see how you respect and gladly submit to your husband’s leadership, it creates wonder in them. Your marriage is a living illustration of the gospel to people around you. Jesus is saying to the watching world, “You want to know how I love my bride, look at Christian marriage. Look at Christian marriage and you will see the gospel.” There is so much at stake in Christian marriage.

And look at Jesus’ conclusion on marriage. Mark 10:9 – What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate. The union of marriage is something that God does. And this is true not only for Christians but for everyone. Your marriage might be solemnized by a human priest, a pastor, or justice of peace etc. Whoever legalizes the union, they are secondary to the main actor. God is the one who joined you together in marriage. And if God has joined the man and woman in a marriage, then no one has the right to separate what he has joined. Marriage is permanent and forever. This is Jesus’ simple and straightforward explanation. End of sermon. Let’s pray. But apparently, it is not that simple. In a minute, we are about to look at the exceptive clause. But before we go there, we need to let sink into our hearts and minds that God hates divorce. He says so himself in the book of Malachi. He hates the causes of divorce and the consequences of divorce. Listen. For Christians to walk away from their marriage for another relationship is distorting the love between Christ and his church. Divorce is a distortion of the gospel. Therefore, our first responsibility as Christians is to do whatever we can to sustain marriages. There is so much at stake in your marriage. The gospel is at stake. The covenantal love of Christ is at stake. And your children’s well-being is at stake. Do not take divorce lightly. So now, the next question is, “Does God allow divorce?” That’s the question the Pharisees asked Jesus. Jesus has explained to them God’s original blueprint for marriage, but he has not answered the divorce question. So, let’s look at his answer.

The answer

Mark 10:10-12 – ¹⁰ And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. ¹¹ And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, ¹² and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Knowing that Jesus has not answered the question, the disciples ask him again. This time, Jesus gives a definitive answer. “If you divorce your spouse and marry another, you commit adultery.” It seems straightforward right? “Okay, if you must get a divorce, then do it. But the consequence is you must remain single for the rest of your life. If you marry another person, you commit adultery.” But remember that Scripture must interpret Scripture. When we read Matthew’s account on the same conversation, we find the exceptive clause. Matthew 19:9 – And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery. So, Matthew’s account writes that divorce on account of sexual immorality is permitted. It is a valid reason for divorce. Why is sexual immorality a valid reason for a divorce? Because the one-flesh union and covenant have been violated. What God has joined together has been broken by marital unfaithfulness. It will never be the same again. And so, sexual immorality made divorce permissible. Note, permissible, not prescribed. Jesus permitted divorce on the account of sexual immorality, not command it. Our first concern must always be with repentance, forgiveness, restoration, and reconciliation when possible. The path of reconciliation is possibly the hardest, but it is probably the best path.

Now, I must tell you that not everyone who loves Jesus and loves the Bible agrees with me on this. There are many God-loving pastors who teach that divorce is not permissible for any reason. And John Piper is one of them. So, yes, I disagree with John Piper. Some of you are thinking, “I can disagree with Piper? I didn’t know that. I thought it was a sin to disagree with Piper.” But it is okay. I made my peace with it. Piper points out that the fact that Mark’s and Luke’s account does not have the exceptive clause, seems to suggest that Matthew is putting the exceptive clause for other reasons. But I don’t think so. John Stott puts it this way. “It seems far more likely that its absence from Mark and Luke is due not to their ignorance of it but to their acceptance of it as something taken for granted. After all, under the Mosaic law adultery was punishable by death… so nobody would have questioned that marital unfaithfulness was a just ground for divorce.” In the Old Testament, the consequence of adultery was stoning to death. But in Jesus’ days, they don’t have the right to execute people. So, divorce has become the substitute for stoning. The Jews know that divorce on the account of marital unfaithfulness is permissible.

Later on, the apostle Paul will add another exception to divorce. We are not going to study it in detail tonight. I will just point it out to you. You can read it in 1 Corinthians 7. In this passage, Paul talks about desertion by an unbelieving spouse. So, if you are married to an unbeliever, and then you become a believer, and your spouse is like, “Babe, you changed. You used to be cool and wild. But since you started all this “Yet not I but through Christ in me” and “Amazing grace that saved a wretch like me,” I can’t stand you anymore. I’m leaving you.” Paul says that when an unbelieving spouse initiated and insisted on a divorce, you should say, “Let it go, let it go. This marriage won’t hold me back anymore.” And in this context, the believing spouse is free to remarry. And this includes abuse in marriage. For far too long, many Christians have tolerated abuse in marriage. But this is a violation of God’s intention for marriage. Let me be crystal clear. Abuse is sinful and absolutely intolerable in marriage. No spouse or child should be in a home with someone who endangered their safety. If you are in an abusive relationship, seek help. Let the church know. We will help you the best we can. We must take abuse seriously. If a spouse is unrepentant and continues to abuse, it is a clear sign that he or she is not a follower of Jesus. And what he or she does is an act of abandoning the spouse, which is a valid reason for divorce. So, there are two valid grounds for divorce: sexual immorality and desertion by an unbelieving spouse. And where God grants permission for divorce, he grants permission for remarriage. If there is no biblical ground for divorce, then remarriage is adulterous. And by the way, you don’t have to agree with my position. My concern is not that you agree with me. My concern is that you study the Bible, come to an understanding, and live in obedience to it.

We live in a sinful world where God’s good design is filled with brokenness and sometimes that brokenness is not repairable in this world. And divorcees, hear me. You are not a second-class Christian because of it. I am sorry if a lot of time the church makes you feel like one, but you are not. Divorce is not an unpardonable sin. The grace of God can turn your mess into a beautiful story. That’s what the gospel is. But I also must say to all of us that divorce is a misrepresentation of the gospel. It is a breaking of a covenant and we should not treat it lightly. We should treat divorce like an amputation. There are times when an amputation is necessary to save lives, but it should be the last option. A good doctor would not say, “You have a sprained ankle? Amputate. Broken wrist? Amputate. Sore shoulder? Cut it off.” A doctor who does that will be out of practice very soon. Amputation is the last thing that we do. We only do it only when it is life-threatening. The same with divorce. There are lots of variable factors that need to be taken into consideration before we make that decision. And here is my encouragement. If you are struggling, ask for help before it is too late. God gave you the church and community to walk with you through it. You don’t have to go through it alone. We can help you make a wise decision. Involves the church early in the process. Don’t wait until it is too late to seek help. And for Christians, if we are so self-righteous and look down on divorcees, here is what I want us to consider. In Jeremiah 3, God gives Israel a certificate of divorce. In other words, God calls himself a divorcee. This means that if we don’t want to have anything to do with divorced people, we are basically saying we are too good for God. Because God is not afraid to call himself a divorced person. And look at what happens next. It seems like it is a random story of Jesus and little children that has nothing to do with marriage and divorce. But I don’t think so.

The way

Mark 10:13-16 – ¹³ And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴ But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. ¹⁵ Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” ¹⁶ And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

It is not a coincidence that a story about children follows teaching on marriage and divorce. In those days, children are not treated with respect and affection. Children are of little importance, and they have no contribution to society. And it happens that some parents want to bring their children to Jesus so that Jesus might touch and bless them. It’s like today. Many Christian parents want Jesus to bless their children. And they do so by dedicating their children in front of the church, having the pastor pray blessings over the children, take a picture together, and post it on Instagram. But when the parents try to do that, instead of helping the parents to get their children to Jesus, the disciples rebuke them. So, they are not just saying, “I am sorry, Jesus is busy. Can you come again tomorrow?” They are saying, “Who do you think you are? Who do you think Jesus is? He is the Messiah. He is on saving the world in three years project. He has no time for your children.” And when Jesus sees it, he is indignant. Jesus is aroused to anger toward the disciples. Pay attention to what he says.

Mark 10:14 – But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. What is the lesson here? Jesus loves little children and so we should be nice and welcome little children as well. Amen? Yes, Jesus loves little children but that is not the point that Jesus is making. Note what he says. He does not say, “for to the little children belong the kingdom of God.” He says, “for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” And look at verse 15. Mark 10:15 – Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it. What is Jesus saying? I don’t know about you, but I have heard many sermons on this passage in the past. And they said, “In order to receive the kingdom of God, we need to be like a child. What does it mean to be like a child? Well, a child is cute, cuddly, innocent, and trusty. So, if you can become a little more cute, cuddly, innocent, and trusty, you can enter the kingdom of God.” But here is the thing. Have you been around little children? Some of them might be cute and cuddly, but none are not innocent. If you think children are innocent, I dare you to join Sunday school ministry for a week. And you will find 101 reasons why you are wrong. So, this is not what Jesus is saying.

What Jesus is pointing to is not the qualities of children but the characteristic of children. Think about it. Children are small. They are weak. They are helpless. They are at the bottom of the social order. They have no contribution. They are needy, dependent, insufficient, and powerless. They need their parents for every little thing. They need their parents to give them food and change their nappies. They are absolutely helpless on their own. And Jesus says, “to such people belongs the kingdom of God.” Such people as what? People who are needy, people who are helpless, people who cannot do anything on their own, people of no importance. People who know they cannot merit the kingdom of God on their own, people who know they can only receive the kingdom of God like a child, are the ones who shall enter the kingdom of God. In other words, we cannot achieve the kingdom of God. We can only receive it as a free gift. To receive the kingdom of God like a child is to have absolutely nothing to bring. We come with an empty hand. We come with neediness rather than merit. And until we understand this, we don’t understand the gospel. The gospel humbles our pride.

The question is, will we humble ourselves like a child who depends on God for everything? Will we come with an empty hand before God and trust his every word? By default, we don’t want anybody to tell us what to do with our lives. We don’t want anyone to tell us what to do with our marriage, our sexuality, or our decisions. We think we are smart enough to decide for ourselves. But Jesus tells us the kingdom of God belongs to those who are helpless and dependent on God to direct their lives. We can only enter the kingdom of God in the weakness of a child. Will we trust God’s blueprint for marriage? Will we trust what he says about marriage and divorce? Will we trust his way? Or will we insist on our own ways that seem right to us but lead to death?

Let me close with this. The reason why God takes marriage covenant seriously is that God is very serious about his covenant with us. And this is good news for every Christian. It does not matter if you are divorced and had broken your covenant with your spouse. The good news of the gospel is when you put your faith in Jesus, Jesus will never ever break his covenant with you. He will never forsake you. He will never abandon you. He will never abuse you. He will always love you. He will always take you back when you wander. He is always patient with you. He always cares for you, provides for you, and protects you. And not only that, but he also delights in you. It does not matter how many times you have been married, if you repent and trust Jesus, Jesus took the punishment of you breaking the covenant with him on the cross. He paid for it. And he made you his bride. And he will not fail to present you as holy, righteous, and blameless before God.

And if you think that your life is beyond redemption, I want you to consider King David. Tim Keller puts it this way. David started his relationship with Bathsheba in the most awful conditions. David had an affair with her and killed her husband. He started his marriage in deep sin. But when he confessed and repented, God blessed his marriage with Bathsheba. Yes, there were consequences of sin that David had to pay. David and Bathsheba lost their firstborn. But at the same time, it was out of their marriage that Solomon came. And out of Solomon, came Jesus. What a grace. It is unbelievable that God would take a marriage that started awfully like that and put it in the genealogy of Jesus. What does that mean, other than God is trying to tell us, “I love redeeming the worst situations. I love to bless the hardest cases. Try me. Come to me. And I will show you that my grace is too good to be true, but it is true. I will never ever cast out those who come to me in repentance.” Let’s pray.

Discussion questions:

1. What are some common reasons for divorce among both Christians and non-Christians? What is the common denominator of all those reasons?
2. Look at the four things God says about marriage (exclusive; separative; covenantal; union). What happens when we neglect each of them?
3. Why does God hate divorce?
4. “There are two valid grounds for divorce: sexual immorality and desertion by an unbelieving spouse. If there is no biblical ground for divorce, then remarriage is adulterous.” Is there anything about this statement that stands out for you? Why?
5. What does it mean to receive the kingdom of God like a child?
6. Why the fact that God takes covenant seriously is good news for us?