Mark 10:10-12 - When God Allows Divorce

Mark 10:10-12
¹⁰ In the house the disciples began questioning Him about this again. ¹¹ And He *said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her; ¹² and if she herself divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery.”

Message: When God Allows Divorce


Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying: 

Preface -  Jesus preaches to many and teaches, as is His custom. He answers the Pharisees question on divorce and reminds them that marriage is an institution God ordains and we don't abandon it just when our feelings don't align with it. For God has joined a husband and wife together.

This passage more specifically addresses divorce. As a reminder, Jesus has mentioned that man will often harden his heart toward the institution of marriage and declare it is not workable. In today's world, all that is necessary often is irreconcilable differences. Granted, it seems often that divorce is inevitable. For many years, I felt like divorce was always unacceptable, but as I listen to people at times and there efforts to work things out, I tend to think that divorce can be justified. People sometimes enter into the matrimony lightly. I also see that people enter into the relationship with different ideals - intimacy, companionship, kids; thus, right from the beginning they are abandoning God's laws for life.

Jesus is clear in these verses that adultery results when a wife or husband marries another and yet there are allowances for divorce:

• Matthew 19:9 - And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
• I Corinthians 7:13-15 - And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. ¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy. ¹⁵ Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace.

In addition, this passage spells out what is permissible by Jesus as a union - Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her; ¹² and if she herself divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery. I think it is clear from these verses that a man and woman constitute a marriage, not a man and a man or a woman and a woman or any other combination that seemed abominable years ago but now is becoming more normal as each person's gender is up for grabs. Granted, God's forgiveness remains open to all, but each person, after surrendering themselves to the Lord should seeks to desire to surrender themselves to the will of the Lord, which may mean changing something in their lifestyle. 

Summary - Jesus continues teaching and instructing and reminds us that a marriage is between a man and a woman and when a husband or wife marries another it is adultery. 
 
Promise: Jesus reminds us here to let him define our lives, and this includes marriage. We must always come back to the scripture, realizing that this is still hard, but we owe it to ourselves as his children and followers to continue to depend on Him for strength and surrender our lives to Him. In this instance, a marriage is between a husband and a wife. And adultery is the result of marrying another unless immorality or living with an unbelieving one has occurred. Obviously, irreconcilable differences remains common and so in those cases, we must remember that God still forgives sins.

Prayer: Lord, I am reminded here of the importance of defining life by your criteria, not man's. We must always look to you, but this seems to be harder and harder as we live our lives by what seems justifiable at any given moment. Lord, thank you for forgiving sin. Help us to stay focused on You no matter what, though. I pray that people would submit and surrender to You. Help me to be a light to many in this world.