The Pharisees approached Jesus and asked, “Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?” They were testing him. He said to them in reply, “What did Moses command you?” They replied, “Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce and dismiss her.”
But Jesus told them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate.”
In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this. He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
Gospel Trivia:
The Pharisees asked Jesus whether divorce is legal, and whether he agreed with the laws of Moses which allowed it. Note that divorce was already practiced way before the time of Moses. Moses however controlled divorce by introducing two things:
a. specific grounds where divorce would be allowed -- but even in such cases, the law only tolerated divorce, rather than authorized or sanctioned it;
b. requiring that a bill (or certificate) of divorce be issued to the wife (as referred to in the Gospel).
The importance of the certificate is that this prohibited the husband from taking her wife back ever again, which deterred men from divorcing their wives without due consideration.
Nevertheless, note that Jesus does not dwell on the legality of the divorce, but on the "will of God" or intent of marriage, which transcends whatever grounds the laws at that time allowed.
Up to today, advocates of divorce cite the grounds which should validate divorce; those against cite the intent of marriage to be a perpetual relationship. Let's also include in the discussion HOW couples can attain the higher purpose for which marriage is intended -- to be living and dynamic witness of the fidelity and unconditional love of our God.
Reference:
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, A Kingdom for All (Manila: St. Paul Publications, 1988), p. 77-78.
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