Martin Luther’s posting of the 95 Theses on October 31,1517 is viewed as the event that started the renewal movement of the 1500’s known as the Reformation – and the reason that many churches celebrate the Reformation at the end of October. One of the core principles of the Reformation was that Scripture (the Bible) alone stands as the authoritative guide for all beliefs and practices in the church, and one of the core practices of the Reformation was reading the Bible to see what it said about various topics.
As I studied the Gospel of Mark for our church’s sermon series this Fall, I came across a passage in which I see Jesus doing something similar to the Protestant Reformers in terms of calling people back to the study of God’s Word to guide their lives. This passage is Mark 10:2-12 in which Jesus discusses the topic of divorce. Therefore, it seems fitting to examine this passage as we approach Reformation Sunday and Reformation Day, doing so by first looking at its context and then its content before discussing what its concern is and its applications for us today.
Context
In addition to simply reading a passage from the Bible, it’s good to study it by thinking through its literary context and its historical context.
In terms of its literary context, this passage appears in the section I like to call “the hard sayings of Jesus” that goes from Mark 8-10. Three times in these chapters Jesus teaches that he must suffer and die (8:31; 9:30-31; 10:32-24). He follows that first prediction by telling his disciples that they must deny themselves, take up their own cross, and follow him (8:34-38). Jesus shows what that looks like in his other teachings in this section, as he talks about the importance of serving (9:35; 10:41-45), being like children (9:36-37; 10:13-15), and giving up things that might get in the way of following him completely even if it hurts or makes us sad (9:42-50; 10:17-32). This theme of denying self and focusing on Jesus may thus stand in the background of this particular passage.
In terms of its historical context, it is important to know that divorce was permitted and actually prevalent in both Jewish and Greco-Roman societies of the time. Greco-Roman law did not require a justification for divorce – one could simply send away their spouse if desired. Jewish law allowed for husbands to divorce their wife for “some matter of indecency” because of Deuteronomy 24:1, but there were various views on what exactly constituted this condition.
Content
This conversation is not a person coming to Jesus for help for their marriage, but rather the Pharisees coming to “test” Jesus (10:2). The Pharisees have been opposing Jesus and joined allegiances with the Herodians to kill him (3:6). That alliance might be important for this context because John the Baptist told Herod that it was unlawful for him to divorce his wife to then marry his brother’s wife (6:18) and then was killed by Herod. Had the Pharisees and Herodians plotted together to ask Jesus about divorce to see if it could then lead to Jesus’s execution?
When these Pharisees ask Jesus “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” (10:2) Jesus responds in the way he often does – with a question back to them. This question in Mark 10:3 directs them to go to Scripture for the answer: “What did Moses command you?” They then reference the instructions from Deuteronomy 24:1 noted above. In this way, Jesus tells them to “go back to the Bible” to understand what they should or should not do.
Jesus’s response back to them, though, shows them that it is not enough just to look at the words of a particular passage. In Mark 10:5-9, Jesus notes that this was written “because of the hardness of your hearts” and then goes back to God’s creation of Adam and Eve and the ordinance of marriage that speaks about a man leaving his father and mother and a husband and wife becoming one flesh, quoting Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2:24 – words that also came from Moses. Thus, Jesus goes even farther back to the Bible to understand this passage! Jesus then concludes the conversation with the Pharisees with those words often spoken at a wedding, “Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate” (Mark 10:9). In these words, Jesus points out that the goal should not be to find out how to end marriages, but to seek to have marriages stay intact in accordance with God’s design. The Pharisees’ view of marriage seems to be that it was a temporary institution that was meant to serve you while Jesus points to marriage as a lifelong institution in which you are called to be a servant.
As often happens in the Gospel of Mark, the disciples then follow up this public conversation by asking Jesus for further explanation when they are “in the house” (Mark 10:10-12). Jesus states that remarriage after divorce would constitute adultery.
Concern
This passage includes Jesus’s direct teaching on divorce and remarriage, so it certainly should be looked at to address these topics. That said, it is important to note that it is not the only place in the Bible addressing the topic. Matthew’s account of the same incident features Jesus noting an exception of sexual immorality to the prohibition about remarriage after divorce (Matthew 19:9; also see Matthew 5:31-32), showing that there are cases in which it is permissible. Another relevant passage is 1 Corinthians 7, where the Apostle Paul speaks about a person whose unbelieving spouse leaves them as not being “bound,” which points to them being free to marry. If seeking to see what the Bible says about divorce, we need to look at all these passages, not just this one.
However, I think it is important to keep in mind that this passage is not about a married person trying to figure out whether they can or should divorce or a divorced person seeking guidance or counsel on their situation. Those are highly important and greatly sensitive matters, and I don’t think this particular post or this blog in general is the place to cover them; this is best done in compassionate conversation. If you are in one of those situations, I would encourage you to reach out to a pastor or email me for insight but also caring counsel.
This heart of the conversation, and what I want to focus on, is really about how to read and understand the Bible, with Jesus showing how the Pharisees have the wrong lens and approach in reading it.
These words are a reminder that the specific laws and regulations given to the people of Israel were meant to guide them to holy living and reduce sin until Jesus would come. The regulation about divorce here was given to protect women in the culture from further accusations and abandonment; it was trying to prevent bad situations from becoming worse. The Mosaic laws were a step toward that restoration of God’s design, but not the final step, which comes through Jesus. In bringing the kingdom, Jesus directs us back to God’s design, and also transforms our hearts to better keep it. We still use the Old Testament to teach us about what to believe about God and how to live, but we do so by remembering the original intention and also through the lens of Jesus’s restoration work. We need to go back to the Bible for what we believe and do, but can’t read it without thinking about Jesus’s work.
Jesus also reveals that the Pharisees have the wrong general approach to the law. Instead of saying, “how can I love my neighbor as myself?”, they were looking for fine print that would allow them to get their ways and desires. It is not enough to read the BIble, we need to do so with the right motives, seeking to follow God and His commands rather than find ways we can use His Word to justify our desires. The Pharisees were seeking to read Scripture so that they might gain the world and keep their lives, but in the process, they were forfeiting their souls!
May this conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees lead us to look to the Bible to understand what to believe and how to live. When we read the Bible, we need to keep in mind the storyline of the Bible that finds its fulfillment in Jesus, not just look for various verses that might support our views. Instead of trying to find loopholes that will allow us to love ourselves and advance our own agendas, we must seek to follow God’s commands to love our neighbor and deny ourselves. Scripture alone is our authority for life, but we need to understand and receive it rightly.
Questions about the Bible or theology? Email them to Pastor Brian at Theology@WeAreFaith.org. You can also request to receive weekly emails with our blog posts by filling out the information on the right side.
