Bible Study on Matthew 5, verses 27 to 32, speaking to the Jews on divorce

 

Matthew 5:27 ¶  Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28  But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 29  And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 30  And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 31  It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: 32  But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

 

I have already explained in the last passage about how verse 32 is written so that we are required in our mind to include saving for the cause of fornication after the last divorced. Here, in this passage Jesus goes deeper into the meaning of the Law and God’s intent. Let’s look at passages about divorce under the Law.

 

Deuteronomy 24:1 ¶  When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. 2  And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man’s wife. 3  And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife; 4  Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

 

Although uncleanness can mean other things this uncleanness referred to in verse 1 of Deuteronomy 24 can be linked to this definition due to the context.

 

Numbers 5:19  And the priest shall charge her by an oath, and say unto the woman, If no man have lain with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness with another instead of thy husband, be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curse:

 

So, we are talking about adultery here in replacing your wife. Now, in the Roman world of that time divorce was easy to accomplish just by declaring you were no longer married and moving on to the next one. The emperor Augustus felt that husbands were not punishing adultery so it became a crime and finding your wife in bed with another man allowed for justifiable homicide. Roman husbands had absolute control over their wives and children and could even kill their children such as handicapped infants. Jesus notes that under the Law there was only one justification, adultery, for divorce.

 

The Jew and by extension, the Christian, has already committed the sin of adultery by looking at a woman with the intention of committing adultery with her. The context and the way the sentences are written show that this is about the intention to commit adultery, not about noticing a woman in hot pants and a tank top walking in front of you before you avert your eyes. This is not a condemnation of being a red-blooded male who will have to make himself look away but of the intention to commit a grievous sin against God that is likened in the Old Testament to Jews who practiced idolatry in opposition to God.

 

Notice here how Jesus says it is better for the Jew justified by works, by literal obedience to the literal Law to lose a part of his body rather than be cast into Hell. This sentiment underscores an important difference between the Jews and the Christian unless you believe that you can lose your salvation. Where the eyes looked and where the hand touched could place the Jew in grave danger of damnation. Think about that.

 

Some sources say that by the First Century AD the Jews had made divorce much easier for a man. Jesus was objecting to this type of “no-fault from the man’s perspective” divorce. Jesus’ ruling like God’s Supreme Court here is really in the favor of women who could then not be cast off like an old newspaper. The Pharisees had dumbed down God’s commands to suit themselves. They will confront Jesus later about this. Notice for every cause.

 

Matthew 19:1 ¶  And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan; 2  And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.

 

    3 ¶  The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? 4  And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5  And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6  Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 7  They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? 8  He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. 9  And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery. 10  His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.