He later answered a question posed by the Pharisees (Matthew 19:4-6) by stating that from the beginning, marriage was sanctified by God (Genesis 2:18-25). In these verses from Matthew 5, Jesus stressed the importance of the marital vow. The Rabbinic law stated that “ a woman may be divorced with or without her will but a man only with his will.” They were under the authority of their father, brother, or husband. The interpretation of the law on divorce had grown to include frivolous reasons such as over-seasoning a meal. I shared in last week’s post that divorce had become quite common during the time of Jesus and young women were refusing to marry. We learned from these verses that the peoples’ hearts had hardened so God instructed Moses to permit a certificate of divorce to be given to the husband. In our lesson on Day 2, we read a passage from the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 24:1-4) and a further teaching by Jesus on the topic of marriage and remarriage (Matthew 19:3-9). Jesus, continuing in his flow of thought, moved to the problem of divorce. And when these issues are left to fester, they can lead to murder and adultery. Last week, we studied how desire and anger can take root in a heart unchecked.

“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 marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.” Matthew 5:31,32 Through his teaching, we can better understand how to live a life characterized by right actions and right motives. Jesus clarified for his followers the true interpretation of these laws. These specific areas focus on our horizontal relationships with others and how we reflect God in those relationships. How can my righteousness exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees? In Week 5, we continued to answer that question as we studied what righteousness looks like in a follower of Christ in the areas of divorce, oaths, retaliation, and loving one’s neighbor.

Jen wilkin sermon on the mount week 1