Mt 19
Scripture:
[3] And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” [4] He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, [5] and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? [6] So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Observation:
As usual, the Pharisees wanted to trick Jesus into saying something and for Him to take a strong stand one way or another about their opinions and mosaic law.
Jesus would have none of that trickery and directed them straight back to Scripture. It doesn’t matter what Moses said or why he said it. It doesn’t matter if you have a very liberal or very conservative opinion on the topic. What does Scripture say?
As Jesus directs them to Scripture for their answer I notice that He implies that, if they knew Scripture as well as they claim, they should know this already – “Have you not read..”.
Application:
I am seeking the approval of God, not man. So, I don’t need to worry about answering this type of question to please one man or another. There is only one place to go to look for the right answers when I’m asked questions like this and may not have the answer. I need to open my heart to be guided by the Holy Spirit, look to the Word, and God will reveal his good and perfect will. My answer will be there if I are open to hear it.
Prayer:
Lord, I love you. Help me to glorify you an all I do and say. Guide me with your Word and Spirit as I search for answers. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.