Divorce

Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna. 

“It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce. But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” (Matthew 5:27-32)

Divorce.  Such a fate for a man and woman when all goes wrong, and their love for each other vanishes, or one breaks his/her wedding oath.  But, this reading from Matthew is not about divorce as we know it.  

Women could be divorced by their husbands for little cause.  Women did not have the same opportunity.  Jesus understood and made his remarks about divorce as a way to balance the scales, so to speak.  

He put men in the crosshairs and made it clear they could no longer have their easy way out of a marriage.  Notably, even if the man looked at a woman with lust, he had already committed adultery with her in his heart.  Moreover, the man would have sinned, and his “sinning” right eye should be torn out and thrown away.  No longer would men’s wives be disposed of with such ease in favor of another woman.

Jesus knew women's plight in a patriarchal society.  No wonder his followers were often led by women who welcomed his support and compassion.

Deacon David Pierce