Deep Dive into When Divorce Is Easy but Covenant Is Heavy: Jesus on Marriage, Adultery, and Grace (Matthew 5:31 –32)

Marriage is fundamentally defined in Scripture as a covenantal union and a one-flesh bond, instituted by God as the creational ideal. It is a divine joining, not merely a flexible social arrangement, and it ultimately functions as a living parable reflecting the steadfast, sacrificial love of Christ, the Bridegroom, for His church. Because of this high standard, God hates divorce, viewing it as an act of treachery and violence against a sworn covenant.

The biblical discussion of divorce centers on the law found in Deuteronomy 24. Moses allowed divorce as a concession in a fallen world due to the people's hardness of heart. Its original purpose was not to endorse divorce but to regulate an existing evil, restrain cruelty, and protect vulnerable wives.

However, Jesus confronted the misuse of this concession by religious leaders, particularly the lenient school of Hillel, who had expanded the term "some indecency" to permit divorce for trivial reasons, reducing righteousness to mere legalistic procedure (issuing a certificate). Jesus demanded a kingdom righteousness that penetrates the heart, showing how inward sin like lust flowers into the outward dissolution of marriage.

Jesus affirmed that divorce is not morally neutral, stating that an unjust divorce makes the dismissed spouse commit adultery upon remarriage. The marital bond remains intact in God's eyes unless it is shattered by specific, grave sins. The New Testament recognizes two grounds that may permit covenant dissolution: sexual immorality (porneia), which broadly covers illicit sexual activity, and willful desertion. Even when permitted on these grounds, divorce is presented as a concession, not a command, serving as a sad acknowledgment of how sin ravages God’s gift. The church is called to apply both the Law's clarity regarding sin and the Gospel's sufficient grace for repentant covenant-breakers.

Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian

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