Episode 248: Matthew 19 Part 1 Divorce and Remarriage: A Heart Issue

Matthew 19 is a passage many people turn to because of the divorce issue that is brought up by the Pharisees. They are, once again, trying to trap Jesus, and their plan is to use the law of Moses, who was the authority of their religion, against Jesus. If Jesus didn’t answer correctly, then they have trapped him! But they didn’t get the answer they were hoping for. Jesus explains to them what God’s heart is about marriage but since the Pharisees weren’t after God’s heart, they didn’t want to hear it. They wanted justification to their selfish hearts’ desires which was more than likely, divorcing and remarrying the greener grass in their neighbor’s yard. They were looking for a way around the law; they didn’t want to be accused of adultery which is the seventh commandment of the ten commandments that they hang their hats on! Jesus lowers the boom when he tells them they have committed adultery if they divorce and remarry for any other reason than infidelity. And in doing so, Jesus exposes the real issue, their hearts.