Improper Motivations

Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them. Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" "What did Moses command you?" he replied. They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away." "It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law," Jesus replied. "But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.' 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. He answered, "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery." - Mark 10:1-12 (NASB)

In today's passage of Scripture, a group of Pharisees come to Jesus and ask a question, "Is it proper to get divorced?". Yet, beneath this seemingly innocent question lies much more. I want to examine this passage to see what it might say to us. We will do so by examining the reasons for why this question might have been asked and the reason for the response that Jesus gave. Therefore, let's first

Notice the Request…

Mark tells us that some Pharisees came to "test" Jesus. They were not coming to get answers but rather to prove Him wrong. They desired to make a spectacle out of Jesus and to make Him look foolish. The question that they ask though is very revealing. The question is simply "Can I, by law, divorce my wife?" This question is a trap. They certainly knew their Old Testament Scriptures which taught that divorce was to be avoided. Yet, the teachers of the Law used Moses' permission to divorce their wife as justification for such practices and it was very common. So, whose side are you on Jesus? Will you side with Moses or against Moses? Will you agree with his teachings in Genesis or his permission to allow divorce to occur? They don’t want answers. They want Jesus to choose a side so that they can debate with Him.

Notice the Response…

Jesus answers a question with a question. Its important to see why. He asks them to state what Moses taught them. Their answer will reveal their own motivations for asking the question. Are they really trying to understand what should be done or what is permitted? It appears as if they are looking for confirmation for what they are teaching regarding marriage and divorce. They may even have been divorced themselves or are currently seeking divorce.

Jesus also address them directly by stating "you". He could have said "What did Moses teach to the Israelites?" or "What did Moses say to his listeners?". Instead, He makes it very personal. "What did Moses command you?" He also makes it very powerful. He didn’t say "What did Moses teach you or instruct you?" He said, "What did Moses command you?"

Notice the Reply…

"Well, Moses permitted divorce". That's their answer. "Moses permitted divorce. He allowed it. He taught that it was o.k. He felt like a man had the right to divorce her and send her away". This was not the teaching at all. The teaching is found in Deuteronomy 24:1-4. Only when a man finds an "indecency in her" is he allowed to divorce her. Once divorced, he is not allowed to remarry her. His permission is conditional and is no way to be considered the norm. Only those looking for such an excuse would find one.

Jesus recognized this and appeals to the Order of Creation. He appeals to the creation account of Genesis 1 and 2. Anytime a principle is found within these 2 chapters it is universal because God created everything in these 2 chapters perfectly. It is not until Genesis 3 and the Fall that we encounter inperfection and sin.

Jesus says that God created them male and female (Gen 1:27) and that the two will become one (Gen 2:24). Therefore, we must understand clearly what Jesus is saying through His answer. First of all, let's examine...

What this tells us about our Marriages...

The institution of marriage is not a man-made. It has been ordained by Almighty God. Verse 9 states, "What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." When two people are married, God has joined them together. This is very serious. It is not o.k. to divorce for any reason. Even the issue of adultery doesn’t have to force two people to get divorced. It often ends in divorce but it does not have to. No where is there any expectation or desire on God's part for divorce to happen for any reason. We must learn to hold marriage up. We need to celebrate it. It is a union of one man and one woman. It is a union established by God. Anyone looking for a reason to divorce, like the Pharisees, does not have the mind of God. Such a person is not seeking God's will. God's will is for marriage to succeed. We must do everything possible to ensure that it does.

What this tells us about our Motivations…

Maybe even more disturbing than the subject matter is the motivation of these men. It is clear that they are looking for reasons to permit divorce and to allow men to divorce and remarry for any reason. I have no doubt that they themselves had been divorced and probably many times. As a result, they were looking for justification for their sins. Their carnal desire was for the sexual desires of many women. They were not content with their current situation. Therefore, they used Moses' permission to divorce as a ticket to annul their marriage whenever convenient. They neglected his clear writings on the establishment of marriage by God.

In today's world, we see much the same thing. Celebrities like Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt make it fashionable to live together and adopt children without being married. Superstar athletes like LeBron James have multiple children to girlfriends outside of the bounds of marriage. Politicians and other public figures divorce and re-marry seemingly every year. Shows like "Desperate Housewives" become instant hits because they portray the sexual needs of a person as being acceptably fulfilled outside of marriage so long as their husbands "do not fulfill their own needs". Such thinking is disgusting, evil and utter nonsense. It is reprehensible and an utter abomination to God. A person cannot desire to know God and at the same time willfully and continually place their own desires above His own.

Our motivations tell a lot about us. We often try to hide behind our words but our actions and the motivations behind them never lie. Do you uphold marriage as it should? Do you speak out against the attack upon the Scriptural definition of it? Are you motivated to preserving your marriage or to finding reasons for dissolving it?

You may find that the answer to that question will go a long way in describing your current relationship to God. Improper motivations speak loud and clear.