Key Passage
Later, the followers and Jesus were in the house. The followers asked Jesus again about the question of divorce. Jesus answered, “Any person that divorces his wife and marries another woman is guilty of sin against his wife. He is guilty of the sin of adultery. And the woman that divorces her husband and marries another man is also guilty of adultery.”
— Mark 10:10-12 ERV (Read Full Text)
Key Thought
In a world which takes divorce lightly despite the carnage left in the lives of children, God reminds his people that he takes seriously the sin of divorce when it does not have a basis in your will. He views it as adultery—betrayal of the marriage covenant that was made with him. He hates it and doesn’t want it to happen among his people. Why? Is it because he wants to limit or punish or harm them? No! Is it because of the damage done to children and their faith? Can this be overcome? Yes. As far as it is possible with us, divorce must be prevented and Christian men and women must learn to make homes full of love, joy, and peace through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer
O Father, forgive us and help us. So many people in our time feel the pain of abandonment and loss because a spouse has left them. Others have grown up wondering what they did wrong because a parent abandoned them and their family. Heal our wounds. Heal our land. Pour out your Spirit and restore our love for each other in our homes. Help us, O Lord, find the way back to your grace and power so that we can be a people of solid marriages, loving families, and compassionate ministry. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Related Scriptures
God wants husbands and wives to become one body and one spirit. Why? So they would have holy children. So protect that spiritual unity. Don’t cheat on your wife. She has been your wife from the time you were young. The Lord God of Israel says, “I hate divorce. And I hate the cruel things that men do. So protect your spiritual unity. Don’t cheat on your wife.”
— Malachi 2:15-16
Now I give this command for the married people. (The command is not from me; it is from the Lord.) A wife must not leave her husband. But if a wife leaves her husband she must not marry again. Or she should go back together with her husband. Also the husband must not divorce his wife.
— 1 Corinthians 7:10-11
Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning Jesus went back to the temple area. All the people came to Jesus. Jesus sat and taught the people. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought a woman there. The woman had been caught doing the sin of adultery. These Jews forced the woman to stand before the people. They said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught having sex with a man that is not her husband. The law of Moses commands that we kill with rocks every woman that does this. What do you say we should do?” The Jews were using this question to trick Jesus. They wanted to catch Jesus saying something wrong. Then they could have a charge against him.
But Jesus kneeled down and started writing on the ground with his finger. The Jewish leaders continued to ask Jesus their question. So Jesus stood up and said, “Is there any person here that has never sinned? That person without sin can throw the first rock at this woman.” Then Jesus knelt down again and wrote on the ground. The people that heard Jesus began to leave one by one. The older men left first, and then the others. Jesus was left there alone with the woman. She was standing before him. Jesus looked up again and asked her, “Woman, all of those people are gone. None of them judged you guilty?” The woman answered, “None of them judged me, sir.” Then Jesus said, “So I also don’t judge you. You can go now, but don’t sin again.”
— John 8:1-11
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