The Law, the Prophets and the Kingdom
March 7, 2020
Commentary
The Pharisees who had been listening to Jesus professed to trust God, but they measured life by wealth and possessions (vv. 14-15). In fact they considered their wealth to be a sign of God’s approval. I’m afraid many professing Christians today are making the same mistake. With their lips they honor the Lord; but with their wealth, they live like the world. Until the coming of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ, the only message Old Testament saints had was the law of Moses and the prophets (vv. 16- 17). The Pharisees prided themselves in their obedience to this law, but they refused to accept the Savior of whom Moses wrote about.
We do not know for sure why Jesus switches to the subject of divorce and remarriage at this point when His basic discussion has been on the use of money. Maybe it is because money plays such a big part in the marriage relationship. Money problems play a major part in over eighty percent of the divorces.
Jesus teaching on divorce corrected the lax interpretation of Deuteronomy 24 by these Jews. This was where Moses"permitted" divorce because of the “hardness of the people’s hearts.” No exceptions are given to the matters of divorce in this passage or in Mark 10:11, and it allows no provision for divorce or remarriage to a divorced person. In fact it says that “whosoever marries her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery” (v. 18). This is a far cry from what is being taught and practiced among many Christians and from many pulpits today.
Application
It is important that I have taught and continue to teach my family that marriage is for life, and divorce and remarriage are wrong. This is not a popular teaching in our society but is so needed.
Luke 16:14– 18 (NET)
14 The Pharisees (who loved money) heard all this and ridiculed him. 15 But Jesus said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in men’s eyes, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly prized among men is utterly detestable in God’s sight.
16 “The law and the prophets were in force until John; since then, the good news of the kingdom of God has been proclaimed, and everyone is urged to enter it. 17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tiny stroke of a letter in the law to become void.
18 “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery, and the one who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.
Illustration: Statistics on Divorced Peope Who Remarry
Insurance statistics point out these trends: Most divorced persons who remarry do so within a few years after the dissolution of their last marriage. According to the experience in New York State, about three-tenths remarry the year the divorce is granted, about one-half within the space of two years, and three-fourths before the lapse of five years. However, remarriages do occur even after 20 years, but these account for only 1 or 2 percent of the total divorced who remarry. About 40% of those who divorce and remarry may have their second marriage again end in divorce. (Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations – 2739).