Jesus' Views on Adultery and Divorce

The Point of the Gospel

The Sermon On the Mount—con’t

Adultery {Matthew}

Jesus said, “It is insufficient to merely refrain from committing adultery. Don’t lust after a woman, for you commit adultery with her in your heart. If your right eye or hand causes you to sin, cut them away. Better that you lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into Hell.

Divorce

{Mark} In order to test him, Pharisees asked Jesus if it was lawful to divorce. {Matthew} “The Law states that a man may divorce by handing his wife a certificate of divorce.” (Deut. 24:1) {Matthew, Mark, Luke} “I tell you that anyone who divorces, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes their spouse to become an adulterer, and anyone who marries the divorced spouse commits adultery with them.”

Personal Thought: Adultery and sex outside of marriage are as grievous sins as any other. Old Testament law even said to stone adulterers. Anyone still in a position to judge other people’s sins?

{Mark} Moses wrote the law of divorce because of your hard hearts. In the beginning of creation, God made male and female, and for this reason, a man leaves his father and mother to be joined to his wife and become one flesh. What God has joined together, let man not separate.”

Oaths {Matthew}

“Said to the people long ago, keep your pledges to the Lord and don’t break them. I tell you,” said Jesus, “don’t promise to fulfill a pledge by heaven, God’s throne; or by the earth, his footstool; or by Jerusalem, the city of the Great King; or by your head, since you cannot make one hair white or black. Simply let your yes mean yes and your no mean no. Anything more than this comes from the evil one.”