E-Harmony vs. Disharmony, Part 2

Cultivating a healthy marriage is hard were few couples would debate that point, but when it comes to the decision to divorce. People have strong convictions about what problems would justify breaking up a marriage today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll reminds us that Jesus spoke about this issue and refined his teaching in Matthew chapter 19 in this passage we read about a group of religious leaders who attempted to trap Jesus with a trick question in Jesus response we find timeless guidance about the grounds for divorce. Love will not let you go. What a great you have been logged all this past week, waking or sleeping you are logged obeying or disobeying you were logged saying what you should've been saying saying what you shouldn't. You were logged responding as you should've responded responding as you shouldn't. You were logged. It was a law that would let you go. That's the kind of love God has for us and he through frequent statements in the Bible says were to have that kind of love for each other. I often think of love as the four letters that spell the word. When I love someone I listen to them are our respect what they say. All I overlook things that they should not of done unforgiven when I love them. I overlook things. The value of value their opinions. I value their responses to value their words and he express love is an expressed statement of our lives. God graciously listens, overlooks values and expresses his love for us that never lets us go. Thank you father for giving us Jesus proof of all this. Thank you that he came to die, that we might live that he was willing to cut short his life that we might live on into eternity with you. Thank you for the sinlessness that he modeled that we might know victory over our sinfulness.

Thank you for the grace and the truth that flowed freely from him every day on this earth. Thank you for the way he shape the lives of his disciples and they in turn wrote in shape the lives of others. Thank you for your word given to us by your grace to the faithful sacrifice of those, some of whom gave their lives that we might have this book. Thank you for the convenience of it at any time any day or night for the rejoicing or troubled. There it is ready to be read to guide us to comfort us to encourage and strengthen us.

Some said today in this place.

Exhausted their lives are marked by serving others and they have done that faithfully become weary.

Some feel unappreciated overlook something that was very engaged in our show set aside easy for them to feel that life is let them by Passover them so many needs. There are busy mothers. There are barren couples. There are single and married. There are those who are confused and those who are full of joy, summer intermarriage and I want out to others or so harmoniously related to their mate. They cannot imagine a happier existence in the midst of all of these needs, and a thousand others unnamed. I pray that we will be encouraged as a result of our time together. This is the one place that we as believers are in the majority may that alone encourages ours is a desperate world we witness all kinds of unrest and uneasiness inside the Beltway, all kind of confusing messages come to us from the news media all sorts of individuals represent every avenue of information, some of it truthful to the core. Some of it ally from the beginning. We need your help Lord.

We need the reminder of your love that never lets us go speak to us today on this very heated subject may we be gracious to hear and kind enough to accept what may differ from what we have always believed in me and make us better people may wisdom guide us and truth holds close. Bless these offerings which we live today in the name of Jesus and for his sake alone. We give them and we offer these words in prayer and all God's people said Amen. Study the book of Matthew with Chuck Swindoll. Be sure to download his searching the Scriptures by going to inside world.or/study another message from Chuck that he titled eHarmony versus disharmony where he went. There were crowds no matter where the crowds or how many there were healings.

It must've been a time of rejoicing.

For those who had been sick as well as the loved ones who brought them to Jesus.

The Pharisees came I read in verse three. They tried to trap him with this question. Look at the question. Verse three. Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife for just any reason. However, they frame the question like that because that was the growing opinion of that day. Most rabbis taught that it was based on the teaching of the school of Hillel, the school of Hillel was a liberal to the core and those who taught there and those who learned from those rabbis carry the message into Galilee, into Judea and all over the land of Israel that marriages for the least reason you can imagine, able to be broken by the husband. By the way, never by the wife. There was also another school of thought is on the other extreme, it was called the school of Shaw my SHA EM MAI show my rabbis show my taught and is very conservative that under no, for no reason whatsoever was divorce ever permissible ever, under any circumstances.

It was the most narrow hard-line position one can imagine it was not only unpopular, it was in fact unscriptural for that is not the position of Scripture. But remember all of the disciples you were raised by Hildale taught rabbis and Jesus, who is carrying out his ministry around Hildale rabbis is not being confronted by Pharisees who want to know is that where you stand. Are you in the liberal For Jesus previous teaching.

Let me add, which he gave at the sermon on the Mount check out Matthew five verse 32 he addresses his position and refers to adultery as being a reason for divorce. And they they knew he believed that they knew he didn't believe all of these other trivial reasons. Let me also add they were very clever. I'm back to the subject of Maria River who ruled in Korea. Herod Antipas never Herod Antipas. He's the one who seduced his brother Philip's wife, who left Philip and married activists. John, the baptizer criticized Herod Antipas for that illicit relationship that that poor reason for breaking up a marriage and taking on another wife and by the way, the wife he took was a woman named Herodias, who later had John the baptizer beheaded because she hated him for his criticizing them for their unlawful marriage there in Korea. They were thinking perhaps or something Jesus would say that would get him in an in and in trouble with Herod Antipas for whatever the reason it was. It was a loaded question and Jesus answer is an in-your-face answer. He doesn't back down. I want you to see it for yourself. Beginning at verse four. Haven't you read the Scriptures, which by the way, was a rather insulting question. These are the people who spend their life in the Scripture. They do the Scriptures better than anyone else, except for Jesus himself.

But as I was you read the Scriptures. They record that from the beginning and now notice he goes back to what is called a passage of primary reference Genesis 1 verse 27 and Genesis chapter 2 verse 24 Genesis 1 and two would be the passages of primary reference for marriage is just beginning with Adam and Eve is ever to read about that in the beginning God made them male and female, and he said this explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife.

The two are united into one since they are no longer two but one let no one split apart what God has joined together, so he comes to them with a very narrow position and says look at what God has stated as he established the guidelines for marriage to begin with, there was one man one woman work groups from whom Amanda didn't enjoy his wife could choose another wife was one man one woman. So that would hold them together to begin with, there was the jointing or the bonding the cementing of that relationship which is seen in the word joined it to his wife that cementing would keep it from falling or coming apart. Third, the two would become one flesh which is a mystery. Nevertheless, a true one. When a man and his wife are joined together at the wedding. They are seen before. God is one flesh. You can't divide one I use it is drawn together by God and it been that permanent bond and is a one flesh existence and forth in the beginning God's announcement commanded whom God joined together, let no one split apart or separate. End of answer. By the way, they weren't interested in an answer. They were interested in an argument. So they quickly come back with what about Moses look at their own response.

Then they say why did Moses say in the law that a man could give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away. They asked what about that you can read it for yourself in Deuteronomy 24 square back in those days. Life had gotten so messy relationships between husbands and wives were so complicated so messed up that Moses stepped in and conceded with God's approval with a permission to break a relationship so as to clean up the mess and bring back order in the camp and in fact, if you will notice for yourself. Jesus replied, Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your heart heart wasn't commanded. It was a permission but it was not what God had originally intended. His original intent is stated in Genesis 1, I tell you this, and by the way, don't miss that at the beginning of verse nine. God is spoken. Genesis 1 and two.

Moses has acted Genesis a Deuteronomy 24 now Jesus with equal authority says let me state for you to remember this, I tell you this, whoever divorces his wife and married someone else commits adultery except for porn, IL rendered in my Bible unfaithfulness in your Bible.

It may be except for adultery or fornication. It may read.

Let me go into this and I'll help you understand the meaning of porn are you a little better because it is a crucial phrase.

This is called the exception clause, except for immorality. The word torn. I am from which we get our word pornographic or pornographic is a broad term that encompasses all illicit sexual activity.

It would include would not be limited to incest beast geniality homosexuality fornication, adultery here. He clearly states this is an acceptable reason for there to be a divorce not hold it, hold. I always take the time when I get to this verse to explain that we still must address the subject with wisdom is the partner engaged in.

This is a lifestyle or is this so a one night fling that he feels terrible about her. She feels awful about not a lifestyle not something that is continued. Note, this has in mind a an ongoing act of illicit sexual involvement with someone other than one's partner when you want to do a study on marriage and divorce will repeat this you need to study Matthew 19 1 to 12. Genesis wanted to first Peter 31 to 7. Ephesians 524 to the end of the chapter 1st Corinthians 7 for sure. So there are chapters and and and Deuteronomy 24. There are chapters or sections of Scripture that will all be a part of your study because you want to determine what is the reason I can. I can use that is justifiable before God. Many of them are stated clearly in the Scripture, or I should say those that are stated or stated clearly. Let me add something here that is often not said from the pulpit. We are to wisely apply the Scriptures with common sense.

In other words, if we are not able to find in print a specific statement Jesus made or Moses wrote or God included our Paul revealed or Peter wrote for whoever may be, it doesn't mean that is the limit when we use common sense and wisdom.

We must deal with issues such as mental and emotional cruelty and brutality to the point of danger ongoing cases of extreme abuse. Where are the lives of the spouse and the children are seriously in danger of getting to that more in a moment, but I want to just prime the pump with those thoughts.

Be careful about being so narrow that if you cannot find a verse in your you're doomed to live in an impossible situation. There said now when we get to verse 10. Please observe the disciples response go back to what I was getting out at the moment. Look at verse 10 Jesus disciples then said to him, if this is the case is better not to marry. Now, what would they say that remember their training all from the Hillel school. All of the rabbis it taught, for whatever reason, and it was really a number. A number of reasons and most of them were absolutely tribute. They were raised with this.

They believe this in some of them are still not married and some were but most of them. I believe were not yet married and they're saying much better, not even married II have talk. By the way, to children of divorced parents who are afraid of getting married and they would say in the conversation.

It's better not even a very because of what I know and what we been through is a family.

Is this sort of response will, in light of what you have said Jesus it's it's better not even to to step into that world and to step into it and deal with all the complications that can arise go go no further with him here.

Look at what Jesus said in verse 11. Very unusual response. Not everyone can accept this statement that maybe some of you you're listening to a message from Chuck Swindoll Dalton Jesus teaching in Matthew 19 about marriage and divorce let me urge you to join us again tomorrow. When will feature the conclusion of Chuck's message and I'll also remind you that there's a way for you to dig even deeper on your own to do that right now.

Every message you here on Insight for living has a corresponding set of study notes posted online. This makes it simple for you to read the passage in Matthew, and then to make your own observations about this teaching from Jesus to access the searching the Scripture studies go to insight world.org/studies and then in addition to our searching the Scripture studies at our online store. You'll find a variety of helpful books and audio recordings by Chuck Swindoll on topics such as the family marriage and divorce.

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You've heard him teach about the holy land using word pictures to make us feel like we are actually strolling through the old city learning about Jerusalem is fascinating for sure, but seeing the land of Israel with your own his his life changed. In fact, is absolutely magnificent. And now you can see Israel with Chuck Swindoll and the gracious hosts and experts assembled by Insight for living ministries. Join us on an unforgettable 12 day tour March 6-17, 2022 at special sites along the way, I will teach from God's word will worship at the Mount of Beatitudes and share the Lord's table at the garden to impact will Sail the Sea of Galilee together and will visit places where Jesus walked and talked to learn more or call 1-888-447-0444.

Just imagine walking along the sacred sites and seeing the Bible come to life before your very mark your calendar for March 6-17, 2022 and make your reservation by calling 1-888-447-0444 or go to insight.org/events insight for living ministries tour to Israel is paid for and made possible by only those who choose to attend. I'm Dave Speicher inviting you to join us again Tuesday when Chuck Swindoll continues his message about marriage and divorce right here on Insight for living. The preceding message eHarmony versus disharmony was copyrighted in 2017 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. all rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited