Hey everybody! Thank you for joining me in daily Bible reading as we seek to glorify Jesus, know Him more, and interpret the truth of His Word.
If this is your first time going through the Bible, I am incredibly excited to have you here. If this is your 5000th time, I am humbled that you are here and hope you grow in your relationship with Jesus along with me. May we all seek to know Him more and apply what we learn to further our mission of spreading the gospel. If you missed a day and want to catch up, visit the archives page HERE! But there is no shame if you start today! Day 218, Matthew 19:10-12 — Concerning Divorce Matthew 19:10-12 (NASB1995) “The disciples said to Him, “If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.” 11 But He said to them, “Not all men can accept this statement, but only those to whom it has been given. 12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to accept this, let him accept it.” Historical Context Jesus stops to teach a large crowd during His travels to Jerusalem. Some Pharisees confront Jesus to ask him about His thoughts on marriage and divorce, hoping He makes a decision that will turn the crowds against Him. Jesus explains that divorce was never God’s intention, as He created male and female from the beginning of time to remain faithfully together and multiply. Discussion Yesterday, we continued the conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees about marriage and divorce. While divorce was never God’s intention for marriage, man’s fallen nature provided permissible reasons for it. After Jesus declared that divorce was never God’s intention, the Pharisees pushed back. They believed that if Moses allowed husbands to give their wives a certificate of divorce, then God must allow it. Their question comes from the Deuteronomic law (Deut. 24:1), which says a man can write his wife a certificate of divorce if he finds some ‘indecency’ in her—essentially, a man could divorce his wife for any reason. Jesus corrects this twisting of truth by again declaring that God never intended for people to divorce, but because humanity demanded it, the Mosaic Law provided expectations. Jesus then permits divorce for reasons of sexual immorality. However, if divorce happens for any other reason, then both parties commit adultery if one marries another person. In context, this is because the marriage does not legally end unless affirmed for the specified reason of sexual immorality or the death of one’s spouse. This lack of concessions has led to much confusion throughout history. But even Paul affirms married people should avoid divorce unless one apostatizes and requests it, which is the only other exception in God’s sight (1 Cor. 7:10-13). Overall, this topic is difficult because Scripture does not provide detailed answers to most of these questions. Jesus is very black-and-white in this passage because the question is black-and-white. God never intended for divorce but permitted it for reasons of sexual immorality or apostasy, as Scripture states. Today, we conclude Jesus’ teaching on marriage and divorce and discuss sexual abstinence. Following His conversation with the Pharisees, the disciples say to Jesus, “If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.” A fair question supported by the intense restrictions God puts on the marriage covenant and the fallen nature of man. If men are supposed to remain married but find difficulty in remaining married, then what is the point? It would be better to stay single than be stuck in an unhappy marriage, right? Why marry and then struggle to avoid the sin of divorce when one can just stay single? The disciples justifiably say that marriage sounds too risky, so it seems far more reasonable to just remain single and avoid the potential pitfalls accompanied by marriage. Jesus replies, “11 Not all men can accept this statement, but only those to whom it has been given.” Jesus affirms their view here, stating that choosing singleness is the better option for some. However, the ability to remain single and avoid sexual sin is not an easy lifestyle for everyone. Paul supports this view in his teaching about marriage 1 Corinthians 7:7-9. In that passage, Paul states he wishes for all men to remain single as he is, but understands that marriage is the better option for those who struggle with sexual temptations. It says, “Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am. However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that. 8 But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I. 9 But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.” Notice that Paul mentions that the “unmarried” and “widows” are to remain single unless they do not have self-control against sexual desires. The “unmarried” refers to those who have never been married, while “widows” speaks for itself. Notably, there is no mention of those divorced for other reasons, even the permissible ones. This sparks debate about whether people can remarry outside of the death of one’s spouse. We briefly mentioned yesterday that in ancient Jewish culture, only death legally ended the binding of marriage between two people. Thus, Paul mentions “widows” to mean anyone currently or formerly married at the time of their spouse's death. Is one truly ‘bound’ in marriage until the death of their former spouse? That is what ancient Jews believed, which presents a critical issue for much of the modern church because it does not teach or practice this. Furthermore, this leads to the question of those who divorce for permissible reasons (adultery, apostasy). Can they remarry? I believe so, but admit there is less clarity surrounding the latter. Jesus clarifies that divorce and remarriage are permissible for reasons of sexual immorality but references nothing else. While divorce is permissible for those whose spouse apostatizes and initiates the divorce, the option for them to remarry remains uncertain for many—though most affirm the Scriptures’ intense restrictions toward remarriage. Jesus adds, “12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.” In this concluding statement, Jesus directly replies to the disciples’ question regarding singleness by referencing three types of eunuchs. There are those made a eunuch by God, those made a eunuch by men, and those who do so themselves. In every case, this allows the man to avoid falling into sexual sin. The first option describes those born without the natural desire or ability to have sex. Historically, the second option was most common, as many kings and other rules literally castrated male servants and guards to protect their women and keep the men from having sex to distract them from their responsibilities.[1] The third option is more figurative, describing those who willingly give up sex for the kingdom of God. These men do not castrate themselves literally but dedicate their lives to wholly serving God without the distraction or devotion to a spouse. Obviously, some may have done self-castration, but it was extremely rare. Historically, only some devotees of Attis knowingly self-castrated.[2] There is a lot of historical information about eunuchs, but that is not the focus of this passage. Although the first two types of eunuchs are literal, the third type is not. Jesus is affirming the disciples’ question regarding singleness and says that not all men can accept this lifestyle. This lifestyle includes rejecting sexual desires and living a life similar to a eunuch for the kingdom of God. Jesus supports those who commit themselves to such a lifestyle, saying, “He who is able to accept this, let him accept it.” Scripture is black and white on the topic of sexual abstinence, teaching us to pursue it in our singleness or to get married to avoid sexual sin. In the end, may we have moldable hearts that submit to God’s Word and obey Him, and keep our focus on our relationship with Christ and gospel expansion rather than fulfilling our lustful desires. Application In our modern fallen world, sexual abstinence is laughable to most. Even the church pushes for younger folks to find their person and get married as soon as possible. It is as if marriage has become such an idol that it takes a foremost place even above a relationship with God. I have no pushback against marriage. I am joyfully married myself and adore my wife and the life we live in serving the LORD together. But do I need a mind transformation? Would I argue with Paul? His letter to Corinth provides great wisdom regarding the topic. It is unusual for the Western church to apply his mindset of wanting everybody to remain single, but that seems like Jesus’ opinion as well. Personally, I would argue for young people to get married to avoid sexual sin as Paul does, but is that because sexual sin is a copout for marriage? Are we genuinely pursuing marriage for further relationship with Christ and kingdom expansion or to fulfill our sexual passions? In the U.S., divorce and sexual immorality plague the church as we see news daily about pastors having affairs, sexually abusing minors, or falling into other sexual sins that lead to divorce. We are in a fallen world corrupted by sin that needs its Savior. Thankfully, there is grace and mercy found in Christ. While the world looks hopeless in all its depravity, we can look to Christ as our hope and salvation. May we praise, worship, honor, and glorify Jesus every day in all that we do while continually pursuing righteousness, holiness, and forgiveness as He forgave us. Looking Ahead Thank you for joining today’s daily Bible reading! Next, we read Matthew 19:13-15. I hope you join me! I have made commenting available, so please feel free to discuss the reading and ask questions. If you do not want to discuss publicly, you can reach out to me privately. We are on this journey together. References [1] Doug O’Donnell, “New International Greek Testament Commentary.” [2] Ibid.
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