Sermon on the Mount - Divorce

(Matthew 5:31-32)

By Mary Jane Chaignot

Categories: Biblical Teachings, Sermon on the Mount, Sermon on the Mount (Bible Study)

The next command involves divorce.
Jesus says, “Anyone who divorces his wife causes her to commit adultery and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”
For the Jewish people there was such a thing as the Mosaic bill of divorce (See Deut. 24:1-4). It requires that the man who wants the divorce has to give his wife a document that allows her to remarry.
Its purpose is to prevent men from just walking away from their wives, who are then damaged goods, who have no place in society, no stability, no security, no anything.
This document allows the wife to remarry, to get into a new family, to have a place. It also prevents the first husband from exerting any further claims upon her, from having any influence upon that second marriage.
Oftentimes, it was abused.
During the time of Jesus, there were basically two schools of thought on the subject of divorce. Their differences hinged upon the phrase, “some indecency” found in Deut. 24.
The school of Hillel focused on the word “some,” claiming that any reason would suffice.
The school of Shammai, however, was much more conservative and focused on the word “indecency.” The only acceptable reason for divorce is sexual infidelity.
Jesus follows the more conservative position.
Moreover, in antiquity, the husband usually commits adultery against another husband. A woman commits adultery against her husband. Men didn’t commit adultery against women.
Jesus’ words reverse that societal standard by declaring that the husband is committing adultery against her, against the woman. It declares that she is a person of full dignity, that she is not property, something to be disposed of at will. Hence, she can be the victim of adultery.
Jesus does make an exception here for sexual infidelity. In a sense, the divorce has already happened; the marriage has already been destroyed. The couple is now just making it legal.
So what happens when people divorce and want to remarry? There is nothing like a failed marriage to drive us right over to those first two “need” beatitudes.
When we stand before God poor in spirit, spiritually bankrupt, and in mourning, we have to remember the promises.
The poor in spirit inherit the earth; the mourners get comforted.
True repentance and amendment of life finds forgiveness and blessings.
That forgiveness has to be complete—with deep, deep anguish and repentance for sins.
But with such an attitude, there is forgiveness of sins and acceptance, and an opportunity of a good life, and even a new marriage.
Such a concession made to human weakness, however, does not represent the original or unconditional divine intent.

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