Divine Design

11/1/2015

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.”

I wonder today, having read the above, how much ancient culture influenced Moses as he wrote the Mosaic Law. I wonder why Jesus said what He said about Moses’ writing the part about divorce because of their hardness of heart. Does God make allowances for us because of our shortcomings?

Divorce is a hard thing. I know many, many people who’ve divorced. It seems there is no such thing as happy divorce. There is allowable divorce, but I don’t know of any happy ones; somebody always seems to end up holding the bag. But one thing is for sure: divorce happens.

Men and women have always had differing points of view, and those views are brought into marriage. Part of the marriage is learning how to work out those differences and live harmoniously. Sometimes, it just doesn’t work. Sexual infidelity is cause for divorce, but even that – with enough work – can be resolved. There is such a thing as forgiveness. However, divorce happens.

Jesus was simply saying to those attempting to trap Him in His words: Look, Moses wrote what he wrote because he understood human weakness; but that isn’t God’s desire and design for marriage. Jesus knew this is a fallen world and fallen people divorce. God will sort all of that out in the end.

I think about what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount about divorce as well: the adultery part and all that. I’m not sure I know what to think about that. Do divorcees who remarry remain adulterers forever? I do know those who’ve divorced and remarried whose subsequent marriages seem to be okay. Maybe the second time around has more effort put into it; the couple tries harder. I’m not sure whether trying harder is always the solution; but the grass is always the greenest where we pour the most water.

So, my initial concern about Moses’ writing is still there for me: Jesus said Moses wrote because of their hardness of heart. I think Jesus may have been pointing out there was a better way than what Moses wrote. I think Jesus was hinting that there was a better way than Judaism: Him. He is the Better Way.

Personally, I don’t have a solution for divorce, but I know Someone who does, the One who said: “Because of your hardness of heart [Moses] wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and 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.” God’s divine design is no divorce.

Father, You know and You understand; You desire that we marrieds work it out. Permanently. Divorce happens but it isn’t necessarily the end. Not being saved is the end. To stand before You without salvation is catastrophic. And permanent. Help us to focus on Your divine design and learn to live in harmony with the spouse of our youth. The grass is always greenest where we pour the most water; may our marriages honor You with that effort, amen.