Matthew 19 :1  12 Jesus Teaching on Divorce.

Jesus is enroute to Jerusalem and Calvary. 19:1   -  20:34

Mat 19:1  When Jesus had finished these discourses, He removed from Galilee and came into that part of Judaea which lay beyond the Jordan.

Mat 19:2  And a vast multitude followed him, and He cured them there.

Mat 19:3  Then came some of the Pharisees to Him to put Him to the proof by the question, "Has a man a right to divorce his wife whenever he chooses?"

Mat 19:4  "Have you not read," He replied, "that He who made them 'MADE THEM' from the beginning 'MALE AND FEMALE,

Mat 19:5  AND SAID, FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE UNITED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BE ONE'?

Mat 19:6  Thus they are no longer two, but 'one'! What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."

Mat 19:7  "Why then," said they, "did Moses command the husband to give her 'a written notice of divorce,' and so put her away?"

Mat 19:8  "Moses," He replied, "in consideration of the hardness of your nature permitted you to put away your wives, but it has not been so from the beginning.

Mat 19:9  And I tell you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except her unfaithfulness, and marries another woman, commits adultery."

Mat 19:10  "If this is the case with a man in relation to his wife," said the disciples to Him, "it is better not to marry."

Mat 19:11  "It is not every man," He replied, "who can receive this teaching, but only those on whom the grace has been bestowed.

Mat 19:12  There are men who from their birth have been disabled from marriage, others who have been so disabled by men, and others who have disabled themselves for the sake of the Kingdom of the Heavens. He who is able to receive this, let him receive it." WNT

Introduction

Jesus has finishing his ministry of healing and teaching in Galilee and now his narrative moves towards a climax in Jerusalem. As he went Jesus continued teaching about Divorce, Little Children, the Danger of Riches…. etc.. He told the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, predicted His own death again and healed two blind men near Jericho. Luke explains this part of Jesus Life in more detail in Luke 9:51 - 19:44. Jesus was teaching His Disciples in preparation for the Completion of His Mission on earth.

Divorce

Now Jesus deals with this important subject again. He had briefly mentioned it in Matthew 5:

Mat 5:31  "It was also said, 'IF ANY MAN PUTS AWAY HIS WIFE, LET HIM GIVE HER A WRITTEN NOTICE OF DIVORCE.' Mat 5:32  But I tell you that every man who puts away his wife except on the ground of unfaithfulness causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries her when so divorced commits adultery.

Jesus shows that it is not enough to just keep the letter of the law because the law allowed divorce.

He wants us to reflect on what the Law actually means and to think about the Sanctity of Marriage

Jesus because Divorce was possible did not mean that it should be sought after. He shows that divorce is a desperate last resort.

Mat 19:1  When Jesus had finished these discourses, He removed from Galilee and came into that part of Judaea which lay beyond the Jordan.WNT

Mat 19:1  And it happened, when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came into the borders of Judea beyond Jordan. MKJV

Notes

And it happened,..... (and it came to pass) This marks the transition from one section of Jesus Life to another in the narrative. He had left Galilee and went to Judea beyond the Jordan

<--Beyond the Jordan. maybe Perea.

Mat 19:2  And a vast multitude followed him, and He cured them there.

Notes

And a vast multitude followed him,..Even in this isolated desert area large crowds followed Him.

and He cured them,  that is he healed their sick. Everywhere He went He healed. He is the HEALING SAVIOUR.

Mat 19:3  Then came some of the Pharisees to Him to put Him to the proof by the question, "Has a man a right to divorce his wife whenever he chooses?"

Notes

MKJV Mat 19:3  And the Pharisees came to Him, tempting Him and saying to Him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?

They were just tempting Jesus not looking for a real answer. They tried to trap Him in what He said so that they could accuse Him

Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?

In Judaism a man can divorce his wife but a woman has no such privilege. She may petition a court and they might direct the man to divorce her. The man was given the right by the provision of the law in Deut 24:1 - 4

They wanted to know on what grounds a man could Divorce his wife..

“On any and every ground”; JB ; “on whatever pretext”;  Moule “ on any and every cause”

The Big question in the Rabbinic School was the meaning of Deuteronomy 24:1 “because he has found some indecency in her.” What does Indecency mean in this passage  probably Adultery. The strict Shammai School said this was the only reason for divorce. But the penalty for adultery was death. Deut 22:22.Others like Akiba said it meant  “she finds no favour in his eyes

Thus we see that the Subject of Divorce was a veritable minefield..L.M. p. 480

Jesus Answer about Divorce

Mat 19:4  "Have you not read," He replied, "that He who made them 'MADE THEM' from the beginning 'MALE AND FEMALE,

Notes

Jesus referred to the Creation of male and female. He did not agree with the Rabbis but used the argument that the Older the text the more weight it carried. he went back to the Original Creation of Adam and Eve.

"Have you not read," He replied, "that He who made them 'MADE THEM' from the beginning 'MALE AND FEMALE,

A learned Church Father, Chrysostom, suggests “ Ifit had been His Will in the beginning that he put this one away, and bring in another, when he had made one man, He would have formed many women.”

Leon Morris adds; “Our sexuality is of Divine ordinance; it is intended to be exercised in a MONOGAMOUS RELATIONSHIP”. Monogamy (/məˈnɒɡəmi/ mə-nog-ə-mee) is a form of relationship in which an individual has only one partner during his or her lifetime...Wikipedia.com

Mat 19:5  AND SAID, FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE UNITED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BE ONE'?

Mat 19:5  and said, For this cause a man shall leave father and mother and shall cling to his wife, and the two of them shall be one flesh?

Notes

For this cause - Being created for this very purpose; that they might glorify their Maker in a matrimonial connection. A man shall leave (καταλειψαι, wholly give up) both father and mother - the matrimonial union being more intimate and binding than even paternal or filial affection; - and shall be closely united, προσκολληθησεται, shall be firmly cemented to his wife. A beautiful metaphor, which most forcibly intimates that nothing but death can separate them: as a well-glued board will break sooner in the whole wood, than in the glued joint. So also the Hebrew word דבק  debak implies.

And they twain shall be one flesh? - Not only meaning, that they should be considered as one body, but also as two souls in one body, with a complete union of interests, and an indissoluble partnership of life and fortune, comfort and support, desires and inclinations, joys and sorrows. Farther, it appears to me, that the words in Gen_2:24, לבסר אחד  lebasar achad, for one flesh, which our Lord literally translates, mean also, that children, compounded as it were of both, should be the product of the matrimonial connection. Thus, they two (man and woman) shall be for the producing of one flesh, the very same kind of human creature with themselves. See the note on Gen_2:24.

Mat 19:6  Thus they are no longer two, but 'one'! What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."

Notes

Wherefore they are no more twain,.... They were two before marriage, but now no more so; not but that they remain two distinct persons,

but one flesh; or, as the Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions read, "one body": hence the wife is to beloved by the husband as his own body, as himself, as his own flesh, Eph_5:28.

what therefore God hath joined together; or, by the first institution of marriage, has declared to be so closely united together, as to be, as it were, one flesh, and one body, as husband and wife are;

let no man put asunder; break the bond of union, dissolve the relation, and separate them from each other, for every trivial thing, upon any slight occasion, or for anything; but what is hereafter mentioned. The sense is, that the bond of marriage being made by God himself, is so sacred and inviolable, as that it ought not to be dissolved by any man; not by the husband himself, or any other for him; nor by any state or government, by any prince or potentate, by any legislator whatever; no, not by Moses himself, who is, at least, included, if not chiefly designed here, though not named, to avoid offence: and God and man being opposed in this passage, shows, that marriage is an institution and appointment of God, and therefore not to be changed and altered by man……...J.Gill

To be Continued