DEVOTION – DAY 439

Mark 10:5-9 “Let No One Separate”

Mark 10:5-9 “It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. “But 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 flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.” 

In response to questions from the Jewish religious leaders, Jesus stated a principle established by God. In vv6-9, Jesus stated that God created male and female at the start of Creation. God had instituted marriage between the male and female as a great unifying blessing – the two will become one flesh – united together in marriage. Marriage was thus sanctified under God’s authority and is meant to be for life. Divorce was never part of God’s plan. But because of human weakness, disobedience to God’s commands, and selfishness, divorce was allowed so that order may be restored in society for cases like adultery. It was an allowance but it was never part of God’s plan for married couples to be divorced.

Today, there are people who continue to disobey God’s commands with regards to marriage. Couples seek divorce when they encounter marital problems, or when they face differences and neither side wants to compromise or make peace. Couples seek divorce when they want to pursue different interests and live separate lives. Couples divorce when they become tired of each other’s company and had forgotten to work at and strengthen their relationships with each other. 

We know a couple who married and had two children. Unfortunately, their marriage fell apart when they faced financial problems. The couple could not agree on a number of issues. Instead of doing their best to make peace and work at their marriage, they allowed pride to prevent them from seeing their own faults and how it had affected their marriage. The couple blamed each other for their troubles. The wife sought solace and support from her friends. Soon, she developed feelings for someone else. She asked her husband for a divorce. Sadly, this couple had forgotten their marital vows made to each other, and before God, that they had agreed to be joined to each other in holy matrimony until death. They had allowed their own selfish interests to break up their marriage which not only affects them, but also their children. Divorce ruins relationships and hurts those involved. This is why divorce is never in God’s plan for couples.  

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, You are the God of love. You have created us to love You. You have commanded us to love one another as ourselves. Please forgive us when we fail to do so. Please help us to work at our relationships with each other, to build and not destroy relationships. And for those facing marital problems, please stir hearts towards reconciliations. We humbly pray in the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Questions

1. Why do couples consider divorce instead of working at their marriage? Discuss.
2. How can you help someone make peace in their broken relationships so that they will not consider divorce? Discuss.
3. Why is divorce not part of God’s plan for couples? What are the consequences that couples face when they divorce? Discuss.