Have you ever heard the expression, "That marriage was made in heaven"? Over the years in the pastorate, I've performed a host of weddings, and I must admit, occasionally I've thought that -- very occasionally! However, being a rather realistic person, I'm more inclined to ask, "If marriages are made in heaven, why are so many of them failing, even among Christians?"
By this time, the statistics have become almost monotonous: almost one of every two marriages is ending in divorce in the United States. Lurking beneath the statistics is the fact that many couples are enduring a marriage in name only for the sake of children or society's approval. The statistics also do not include the increasing number of men and women who are not even bothering to get married, but are just living together. Those couples now number in the millions.
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That's why I think it's important for us to find out what Jesus has to say about real marriages. One of His teachings is found in
Mark 10:1-12, where, interestingly enough, His comments on marriage are made in the context of a question about divorce. Seeking to trick Jesus, some Pharisees asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" (
v. 2 NIV). People are still asking that question, and books have been written, seeking the answer. But Jesus' questioners were trying to trap Him in a big argument that was going on in Israel.
Even though they wanted Jesus to talk about divorce, He began with simple statements about marriage. In a society in which divorce is becoming more and more prevalent, the big question we should be discussing and debating is not divorce. Our urgent need is to articulate again and again what the Scriptures teach about marriage.
Notice how succinctly Jesus responds: "'... at the beginning of creation God" made them male and female." "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate'" (
vv. 6-9 NIV).
In these brief sentences Jesus gives us His thoughts on the subject of marriage. This passage is not exhaustive of Jesus' teaching on the subject, but it is the basis for our discussion of real marriage. We will be considering five fundamental principles which must be incorporated into marriage if it is to be real.
Marriage Is a Divine Institution
First, marriage is a divine institution. The Pharisees wanted Jesus to talk about divorce, specifically hoping He would disagree with the teaching of Moses. Instead, He took them back to a time before Moses -- the very beginning of creation. In doing so, Jesus was emphasizing an important fact. Our biblical model for marriage goes back to the very beginning of time.