1 And he arose from thence, and cometh into the coasts of Judaea by the farther side of Jordan: and the people resort unto him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again. 2 And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him. 3 And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you? 4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. 5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. 6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. 7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; 8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. 9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter. 11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. 12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery. (Mark 10:1-12 KJV)
Teaching About Divorce
Our Lord Jesus was an itinerant preacher who did not stay long in one place. The entire land of Canaan was his parish, and so he traveled throughout it, teaching even in the most remote areas. Here, he is in the region of Judea, across the Jordan to the east, just as we recently saw him on the western border near Tyre and Sidon. His circuit was like that of the sun, whose light reaches everywhere.
Wherever Jesus went, people came to him in crowds. They returned to him, just as they had before in that area, and as he usually did, he taught them again (Mark 10:1). Preaching was his regular practice, and wherever he went, he continued to teach. Matthew says he healed them; Mark says he taught them. His miracles confirmed his teaching, and his teaching explained his miracles. His words were healing to needy souls. Even those who have already been taught by Christ need to be taught again. The doctrine of Christ is so full, and our memory so weak, that we must keep learning and be reminded of what we know.
The Pharisees, jealous of his growing influence, tried to challenge and trap him, to confuse him and turn the people against him. They asked him whether it was lawful for a man to divorce his wife (Mark 10:2). It would have been a good question if asked sincerely, but they were trying to trap him, hoping to catch him taking a side they could criticize. Ministers must be cautious, lest people pretend to seek advice only to entangle them.
Jesus responded with a question: “What did Moses command you?” (Mark 10:3). He did this to show respect for the law of Moses and to encourage them to read the Scriptures carefully and in full. They answered that Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and send his wife away (Mark 10:4; Deuteronomy 24:1). Jesus then explained that Moses only allowed this because of the hardness of their hearts (Mark 10:5). It was a concession to prevent worse outcomes, like violence. Anyone using that permission must admit their hearts are so hard they needed it.
Jesus went further and pointed to what Moses wrote about marriage to show that from the beginning divorce was not God’s will. Though Moses gave a temporary allowance, the permanent principle from creation is clear. God made them male and female—one man and one woman (Mark 10:6). Adam could not leave his wife and marry another because there was no other, showing that marriage is meant to be lifelong.
A man is to leave his parents and cleave to his wife (Mark 10:7), showing the deep and lasting nature of the relationship. The two become one flesh (Mark 10:8)—an intimate union that must not be broken. God has joined them together, not only as Creator but also in wisdom and love, so that they would remain together in affection and faithfulness until death. Marriage is a divine institution, not a human invention, and it points to the unbreakable union between Christ and his church.
From all this, Jesus concludes that people should not separate what God has joined (Mark 10:9). Those who quickly divorce their spouses should think about what would happen if God dealt with them the same way (Isaiah 50:1; Jeremiah 3:1).
Later, in private, Jesus discussed this more with his disciples (Mark 10:10-12). It was a great benefit to them to speak with him personally, not only about gospel truths but also about moral responsibilities. Jesus made it clear that anyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her (Mark 10:11). It is a betrayal of the marriage covenant. Likewise, if a woman leaves her husband and marries another, she also commits adultery (Mark 10:12). It is no excuse that the husband gave his consent. When wisdom, grace, holiness, and love reign in the heart, commands like these, which seem hard to the worldly mind, become easy.