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Author: Stephen Weller
559 words, 3 minutes read time

Divorce Remarriage Adultery

Scripture: Mark 10:10-12; Luke 16:18

In the previous lesson it was determined that in the beginning God created male and female and that marriage would be between one man and one woman, and that it should last until death. In this lesson we will look at what happens when divorce enters the picture.

^{Mk 10:10} “And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. ¹¹ And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, ¹² and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery. ^{Lk 16:18} And he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.”’

In the previous lesson, Jesus was answering the Pharisees question about divorce as others listened. After that teaching time, Jesus and the disciples went into the house to be away from the multitude of people. In this private setting, the disciples asked Jesus to give them further instruction on divorce. He explains to them that “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.” The same is true if the wife divorces her husband and marries another. There is a third condition sited in Luke: If any man marries a woman who is divorced from her husband, then he commits adultery.

It should be noted that in Matthew 5:32 and 19:9, Jesus gives an exception that allows divorce and that is “sexual immorality.” Here in our text and in Luke 16:18, Jesus does not include that exception because the discussion was about other reasons for divorce and that there was no dispute or disagreement among Jews, or in Greek or Roman culture that adultery was a legitimate ground for divorce. Based on the context of the original question and the general understanding about sexual immorality, Jesus did not include that exclusion here.

Since God does not recognize divorce, except in the case of sexual immorality, then when a divorced person remarries, adultery would be committed because of sex outside the original marriage. According to Jesus that second marriage begins with committing adultery. Is that adultery a onetime occurrence or a continual sin?

Even though the second marriage begins in sin, it is still a marriage and is to be considered like a first marriage with the same rules applying. On the surface, divorce and remarriage seems rather harmless. You confess your sin and go on living with your new partner, but under the surface there are consequences. In the process, lives have been hurt which will require time to heal, especially for children that are involved. There may be shared rights and blended families that add a level of stress. There may be additional financial expense in terms of counseling and alimony payments.

Conclusion

With the prevailing desire for comfort and pleasure, one seeks to avoid trials that make life difficult. Conflict in marriage can be a trial that God can use for spiritual growth or it can be set aside to find comfort and pleasure with someone else. Sidestepping God’s plan to use trials to his glory in marriage is a negative reflection on modeling Christ and his Church and a lost opportunity to become more Christ-like and reflects a depreciating value of Christianity to the world.