What God has joined together

Read Matthew 5:31-32

.

The next illustration of this greater righteousness (5:20) addresses attitudes to divorce current at that time. This is a painful subject for any who’ve experienced it. So it’s important to recognise that what Jesus teaches is because of the need to defend a high view of marriage, which would protect Jewish wives against the divorce-whims of their husbands.

.

These verses should be read with Matthew 19:3-9 with its topical question of whether a man could divorce his wife “for any and every reason” (19:3) provided “a certificate of divorce” was given (19:7). Jesus shifted the thinking back to the meaning of marriage, insisting that God instituted it “at the beginning” and that through the sexual union of male and female the two are joined together in a way that is intended to be inseparable (19:5-6).

.

Moses had permitted (not commanded) divorce knowing that sometimes it cannot be avoided because of our fallen human nature. But the only truly valid ground for divorce should be when adultery has itself broken the sexual union of marriage. Even then, because of the sacredness of marriage, every effort should be made first for forgiveness and reconciliation.