31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. (Matthew 5)
In this series of "Do Nots" that Jesus gives His followers, He begins with statements like "you have heard", after which he cites some Law or principle. This statement, however, follows as a corollary to the previous one "do not commit adultery (the outcome of lust), and the next one: "do not swear falsely" (living a life of lies.) People have always wondered why God and His people have seemed so strong on their opposition to divorce as some more severe sin. It may be because it is a "double sin", that violates both one's relationships and one's word. It is both adultery and breaking of oaths. To be sure, sin is sin, and God hates it all, but God's "extra anger" seems to be because we break two commands with one sin. We also know that marriage is special to God as His first created relationship, and His illustration of His love for the Church in Christ. By no means is divorce the "unpardonable sin," but the "double disservice" of it should make us appreciate its seriousness, and move us to respond appropriately.
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