Matthew 5:31-32
“It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”
REFLECTION
Authentic disciples do not look for superficial or minimal adherence to God’s law. Followers of Jesus seek to align their will with their Creators, using the pattern of Christ’s own life. A covenant made before the Lord is not a contract: our solemn vows, our marital covenant, our covenant with God. In Biblical times human traditions were created to ease the option of divorce while disregarding God’s call to protect marriage as holy.
When we repent and return to God we can not simply “act” better. True repentance draws us deeper into God’s purposes and design…for worship, for social institutions, and for family life. The corruption of the marital covenant was Jesus’ example in these verses for a pattern of destruction that we establish when we violate our covenant promises and embrace the sin of self-love over loving those we commit to.
PRAYER: Forgiving God, we know we are more inclined to loopholes or exceptions when it comes to covenant life. Reveal our compromises and selfish tendencies. Use your Holy Spirit to strengthen our commitments and honor our promises. AMEN
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