Matthew 5:27–32

Matthew 5:27–32

Adultery and divorce. (Note: Adultery is a sexual sin. A married person is one of the partners. The other partner is not the husband or wife.)

Right sexual behaviour begins in the mind. But it shows in a marriage that lasts.

Adultery in the mind (Matthew 5:27–30)

These verses give another example from Jesus’ words. They show how we should understand the OT laws. They show the real meaning of ‘righteousness’. (This means to be right. It means to do what is right too.)

Jesus said words from Exodus 20:14. This is command 7. The Jews thought that it applied only to the act of adultery. Jesus explained God’s words. He was not speaking about a look that admires. He was not speaking about our natural sexual natures. God gave them to us. Jesus was not speaking about the sudden thought that enters the mind. Satan tempts us. But, what we do with it is important. The child of God should stop that thought quickly.

But, Jesus was speaking about something. It is the deliberate look of desire (when we mean to do it). Read Matthew 5:28. This describes the thoughts and actions of a man. That man is not innocent!

Read Matthew 5:28–29. A person may choose to imagine sexual sin. Jesus showed that that is a sin. These thoughts are a serious matter. The person must refuse them completely. We must not do exactly what Jesus says here. He does not want this. If he did, he would have mentioned both hands and both eyes! But, Jesus had a purpose for what he said. It was this. The eyes are the main parts of the body for wrong sexual desires. The hands are the main parts of the body for action. We must have discipline in both desires and actions.

Marriage is for life (Matthew 5:31–32)

This is another example that Jesus gave. He was referring to the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees. He considered their attitudes to divorce. Jesus said words from the law that they used. This was in Deuteronomy 24:1–4.

The Bible deals with the subject of divorce. It deals with the subject of remarriage too. We should read the main passages about them first. Then, we will be able to understand Jesus’ words. The passages are: Deuteronomy 24:1–4; Matthew 5:31–32; Matthew 19:3–9; 1 Corinthians 7:12–16. There are three ways to understand these passages.

  1. People usually say, ‘Deuteronomy 24 permits divorce but it does not encourage it.’ In fact the OT never did approve of divorce. But Jesus replaced the OT teaching. He gave a new standard. Now, there is only one reason for divorce. It is adultery. (There is more information in a later section. This is the section on Matthew 19:1–12.) 1 Corinthians 7 does not mention the word ‘divorce’. So, some people suggest that it refers to something else. It is when a couple separate from each other. This may take place when one partner leaves the other partner. In the NT, there is only one time when there can be a remarriage. This is when one partner dies.
  2. Paul does not use the word ‘divorce’ in 1 Corinthians 7. But, he does use language that clearly refers to it. People do not want to act against Jesus’ words. So, they have an explanation. Jesus was speaking about marriage that was between believers. Paul was thinking about another kind of marriage. This marriage was between a believer and someone who was not a believer. So, believers cannot divorce except for two reasons. First, they can divorce for adultery. Second, they can divorce if the non-Christian partner leaves them.
  3. Perhaps this is the best explanation. Jesus was not trying to replace the OT law about divorce. But he was trying to answer a question. The Jews often asked it. They asked: ‘What are the reasons for divorce in the OT?’ But Jesus did not give a direct answer. He said that they were asking the wrong question. They should not be arguing about the reasons for divorce. They should ask something else first. They should ask: ‘What does the OT teach about marriage?’ Jesus emphasised the ideal for marriage. The relationship can end only when one partner dies.

But, Jesus recognised realities. There was a time to allow divorce. This was when there was adultery. In this case, there could be divorce. The ‘innocent’ partner would not be guilty of sin. This does not mean that there must be divorce after adultery.

There is something else. Maybe, a wife behaves badly to her husband. This could make it easier for him to think about adultery. Then, Jesus would expect her to feel guilty. She would have some responsibility in the matter. Of course, a husband may behave badly to his wife. The same thing would be true in that case too.

But, Jesus did not change the teaching of the OT. This was that divorce is possible for certain reasons. Paul thought this too. He gave the example of one partner who leaves.

But Jesus emphasised something. The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees did not emphasise it. Jesus taught that divorce is usually a sin. There should be repentance. Where it is possible, the couple should save their marriage. There is nothing very specific about divorce in the Bible. We must decide if there can be a divorce. We must do this in each situation. But, we must always teach something too. It is this. When a marriage fails, there has been sin.

Questions

  1. Am I thinking about some wrong things? Do I enjoy doing this? What could I do to improve things? How does Jesus feel about it?
  2. There is always sin in a divorce. So, what does this teach about the state of marriage? What does it teach about deciding to marry?
  3. Sometimes a couple stay together when there is hate. This is a terrible thing. Is divorce worse than this? If so, why is it worse? If not, why is it not worse?
  4. Church leaders often find it hard to deal with divorce. How do they help someone who has had a divorce? How might this passage help them?