In the Ser\u00admon on the Mount, Jesus also speaks about mar\u00adria\u00adge and divorce. Becau\u00adse the mar\u00adria\u00adge coven\u00adant is fun\u00adda\u00admen\u00adtal\u00adly holy and indis\u00adso\u00adlu\u00adb\u00adle, he does so very rest\u00adric\u00adtively. The only reason that legi\u00adti\u00admi\u00adses divorce and remar\u00adria\u00adge is for\u00adni\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon. Jesus can pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly only set such a high stan\u00addard becau\u00adse he crea\u00adtes a new heart in his fol\u00adlo\u00adwers and thus enables them to be faithful and to love.<\/p>\n
\tThe school of Sham\u00admais says: It is exclu\u00adsi\u00adve\u00adly about for\u00adni\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon and who\u00adre\u00addom or when the man finds out on the wed\u00adding night that she is no lon\u00adger a virgin. The ques\u00adti\u00adon of the Pha\u00adri\u00adsees in Matthew 19:3 aims at the\u00adse two inter\u00adpre\u00adta\u00adti\u00adons. They wan\u00adted to know whe\u00adther Jesus belon\u00adged to the more libe\u00adral or more con\u00adser\u00adva\u00adti\u00adve school. Jesus does not ans\u00adwer this ques\u00adti\u00adon, but shows what mar\u00adria\u00adge means. That mar\u00adria\u00adge is a holy coven\u00adant and that sex seals this covenant. \tWhy does mar\u00adria\u00adge have such a high value in God\u2019s eyes and is indissoluble? In the Ser\u00admon on the Mount, Jesus also speaks about mar\u00adria\u00adge and divorce. Becau\u00adse the mar\u00adria\u00adge coven\u00adant is fun\u00adda\u00admen\u00adtal\u00adly holy and indis\u00adso\u00adlu\u00adb\u00adle, he does so very rest\u00adric\u00adtively. The only reason that legi\u00adti\u00admi\u00adses divorce and remar\u00adria\u00adge is for\u00adni\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon. Jesus can pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly only set such a high stan\u00addard becau\u00adse he crea\u00adtes a new heart in his fol\u00adlo\u00adwers and thus encou\u00adra\u00adges faithfulness.\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[23],"wpfc_sermon_series":[72],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-metamorphose","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-3483","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"hentry","10":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nMar\u00adria\u00adge is a clois\u00adter that God has cho\u00adsen to make us more like Him. Meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis has the same goal. This means that mar\u00adria\u00adge can be a cata\u00adlyst towards God-liken\u00adess. That is why Jesus also speaks about mar\u00adria\u00adge in his tea\u00adching on vir\u00adtue, in the Ser\u00admon on the Mount: \u00abYou have heard that in the Law of Moses it says, \u00abA man may divorce his wife if he gives her a bill of divorce\u00adment.\u00bb But I say that if a man divorces his wife \u2013 unless she has been unfaithful \u2013 he makes her an adul\u00adter\u00adess. And anyo\u00adne who mar\u00adries a divorced woman also com\u00admits adul\u00adtery\u00bb (Matthew 5:31\u201332 NLB<\/span>). God is not con\u00adcer\u00adned with regu\u00adla\u00adting divorces in a reason\u00adab\u00adly fair way through legal rules and regu\u00adla\u00adti\u00adons, even in the case of mar\u00adria\u00adge. Rather, it is about pro\u00admo\u00adting coven\u00adant vir\u00adtu\u00ades such as faithful\u00adness and love. He wants us to be so shaped in our hearts by the music of God that we begin to live our lives auto\u00adma\u00adti\u00adcal\u00adly in tune with His music.
\nMarriage
\nThe basic prin\u00adci\u00adple in Juda\u00adism is: mar\u00adria\u00adge is holy. This is even expres\u00adsed in the name for mar\u00adria\u00adge: Kid\u00addus\u00adhin means sanc\u00adti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon. In a Jewish wed\u00adding cerem\u00ado\u00adny, when the groom puts the ring on the bri\u00adde, the who\u00adle wed\u00adding par\u00adty shouts out loud: \u00abMeku\u00adde\u00adschet, Meku\u00adde\u00adschet, Meku\u00adde\u00adschet! Hal\u00adlo\u00adwed! Hallowed!
\nSacred is that which belongs to the sacred, to God. For God, mar\u00adria\u00adge is some\u00adthing so gre\u00adat that he has made it the image of his love for us human beings: \u00abI con\u00adtract mar\u00adria\u00adge with you for all time; my bridal gift to you is my help and pro\u00adtec\u00adtion, my love, my mer\u00adcy and my unchan\u00adging faithful\u00adness. You will know who I am \u2013 I, the Lord\u00bb (Hosea 2:21f GNB<\/span>). Some peo\u00adp\u00adle think that mar\u00adria\u00adge is an inven\u00adti\u00adon of us humans and cul\u00adtu\u00adral\u00adly depen\u00addent. Accor\u00adding to the bibli\u00adcal world\u00adview, it is an ori\u00adgi\u00adnal inven\u00adti\u00adon of the Crea\u00adtor, to which legal aspects (civil mar\u00adria\u00adge) belong just as much as the making of the coven\u00adant befo\u00adre God.
\nJesus says: \u00abFor this reason a man will lea\u00adve his father and mother and clea\u00adve to his wife, and the two will beco\u00adme one fle\u00adsh. So then they are no lon\u00adger two, but one fle\u00adsh. What the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre God has joi\u00adn\u00aded tog\u00ade\u00adther, let not man put asun\u00adder!\u00bb (Matthew 19:5f LUT<\/span>). In kee\u00adping with God\u2019s unbre\u00adaka\u00adble faithful\u00adness to us, we are also to be faithful to one ano\u00adther in the mar\u00adria\u00adge coven\u00adant (cf. Malachi 2:16). John Ort\u00adberg: \u00abA mar\u00adria\u00adge vow is such a moving, won\u00adderful, frigh\u00adtening sen\u00adtence becau\u00adse we are deal\u00ading with a lifel\u00adong pro\u00admi\u00adse. We are deal\u00ading with a coven\u00adant. A silent echo of God\u2019s vow of his never-ending love for us.\u00bb
\nSome\u00adti\u00admes spou\u00adses who\u00adse mar\u00adria\u00adge beca\u00adme com\u00adpli\u00adca\u00adted say: God did\u00adn\u2019t put us tog\u00ade\u00adther at all, it was our own doing. But the point is that mar\u00adria\u00adge its\u00adelf is sacred and insti\u00adtu\u00adted by God. From the moment Sil\u00advia and I said yes to each other, we knew it was over, becau\u00adse God had joi\u00adn\u00aded us tog\u00ade\u00adther. Now the\u00adre is no way back. Divorce is not an opti\u00adon. Any pro\u00adblems that ari\u00adse now must be resol\u00adved or they will spoil our tog\u00ade\u00adther\u00adness. No won\u00adder the disci\u00adples said to Jesus, \u00abThen it would be bet\u00adter not to mar\u00adry at all!\u00bb (Matthew 19:10 NLB<\/span>).
\nThe roman\u00adtic idea that mar\u00adria\u00adge must always be fun, always hap\u00adpy, young and beau\u00adtiful comes from Hol\u00adly\u00adwood, but does not cor\u00adre\u00adspond to rea\u00adli\u00adty. Mar\u00adria\u00adge is some\u00adti\u00admes also a rocky road. If we want to last, we have to for\u00adgi\u00adve again and again, be hum\u00adble, give in, com\u00adpro\u00admi\u00adse. Some cou\u00adples don\u2019t know for sure until they walk down the ais\u00adle whe\u00adther it is the God-given part\u00adner. Yes, I do! It is a decis\u00adi\u00adon to grow old tog\u00ade\u00adther with God\u2019s help. Even if the initi\u00adal fee\u00adlings of hap\u00adpi\u00adness fade, you have to know: My momen\u00adta\u00adry marital hap\u00adpi\u00adness is not as important as the long-term deve\u00adlo\u00adp\u00adment of my cha\u00adrac\u00adter through my marriage.
\nDivorce
\nThe fact that Jesus speaks about divorce makes it clear that he also expects it. It exis\u00adted among the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel, it will also exist among Chris\u00adti\u00adans. The Torah says: \u00abSup\u00adpo\u00adse a man mar\u00adries a woman. Later he no lon\u00adger likes her becau\u00adse he finds some\u00adthing objec\u00adtionable about her. He issues her a let\u00adter of divorce, gives it to her and sends her away\u00bb (Deut. 24:1 NLB<\/span>). The reason for divorce: Becau\u00adse he finds some\u00adthing objec\u00adtionable about her. The\u00adre are two dif\u00adfe\u00adrent inter\u00adpre\u00adta\u00adti\u00adons in Jewish tradition:<\/p>\n
\n\tThe School of Hil\u00adlel, on the other hand, says: Some\u00adthing offen\u00adsi\u00adve is also when a woman burns a dish or com\u00admits the crime of gro\u00adwing old.<\/p>\n
\nJesus men\u00adti\u00adons a sin\u00adgle clau\u00adse that entit\u00adles a man to divorce his wife: \u00abUnless for for\u00adni\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon\u00bb (Matthew 5:32 and 19:9 LUT<\/span>). The Greek text says por\u00adneia. That this term can\u00adnot be equa\u00adted with adul\u00adtery is shown by the fact that Jesus says: \u00abOut of the heart come evil thoughts, such as mur\u00adder, adul\u00adtery, for\u00adni\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon [\u2026]\u00bb (Matthew 15:19 NLB<\/span>). Adul\u00adtery was more than a reason for divorce in the Juda\u00adism of that time, adul\u00adter\u00ades\u00adses were stoned to death. What does por\u00adneia mean? In the over\u00adall con\u00adtext of the New Tes\u00adta\u00adment, three mea\u00adnings are found: A dis\u00adso\u00adlu\u00adte life\u00adstyle in gene\u00adral, ido\u00adla\u00adtry (chea\u00adting in the spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal sen\u00adse) and sex out\u00adside marriage.
\nDivorce is not com\u00adpul\u00adso\u00adry in the case of spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal or sexu\u00adal chea\u00adting. If the spou\u00adse cheats, it is tra\u00adgic, but not hope\u00adl\u00adess. The\u00adre is for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness and res\u00adto\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon of a rela\u00adti\u00adonship, but it is a long road. If you have bro\u00adken out of the mar\u00adria\u00adge, you can\u00adnot expect the other per\u00adson to sim\u00adply for\u00adgi\u00adve you and love you again. Recon\u00adci\u00adlia\u00adti\u00adon only has a chan\u00adce with com\u00adple\u00adte under\u00adstan\u00adding and radi\u00adcal brea\u00adking off of an extra\u00adneous rela\u00adti\u00adonship. For\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness is not a door\u00admat on which you clean your shoes and then step back into the dirt. For child\u00adren, it is a huge break-up when a parent cheats. Any\u00adway, if you want to be a good parent, take more care of your spou\u00adse than your child. Do you want to show your love to your child? Love your spou\u00adse! When child\u00adren see dad\u00addy and mom\u00admy stan\u00adding tog\u00ade\u00adther, it gives them secu\u00adri\u00adty and con\u00adfi\u00addence, which are the best addi\u00adti\u00adons on the way to healt\u00adhy personalities.
\nSo in the Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment the\u00adre was no con\u00adnec\u00adtion bet\u00adween adul\u00adtery and divorce. What then made divorce legi\u00adti\u00adma\u00adte? We do not know. Jesus says: \u00abMoses allo\u00adwed divorce becau\u00adse your hearts are hard, but ori\u00adgi\u00adnal\u00adly it was not God\u2019s will\u00bb (Matthew 19:8 NLB<\/span>). In a mar\u00adria\u00adge the\u00adre is an indis\u00adso\u00adlu\u00adb\u00adle lifel\u00adong coven\u00adant and some\u00adti\u00admes hard hearts. Unfort\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly, some\u00adti\u00admes they are so hard that divorce is the bet\u00adter way. Hard hearts show them\u00adsel\u00adves in an unwil\u00adling\u00adness to give in or for\u00adgi\u00adve each other. A hard heart can be so bru\u00adtal. Not just phy\u00adsi\u00adcal\u00adly. Some\u00adti\u00admes the emo\u00adtio\u00adnal and psy\u00adcho\u00adlo\u00adgi\u00adcal strang\u00adling of the other is even worse. Divorce is an emer\u00adgen\u00adcy order of God, a dis\u00adtor\u00adti\u00adon of the coven\u00adant. It is to save the dis\u00ador\u00adde\u00adred life from even grea\u00adter evil.
\nDivorce letter
\nJesus refers to the insti\u00adtu\u00adti\u00adon of the let\u00adter of divorce in this pas\u00adsa\u00adge. This let\u00adter was not a free let\u00adter, but a let\u00adter of pro\u00adtec\u00adtion. It had a pro\u00adphyl\u00adac\u00adtic and a caring component.
\nThe divorce let\u00adter pre\u00adven\u00adted a man from dis\u00admiss\u00ading his wife light\u00adly and arbi\u00adtra\u00adri\u00adly. In a pro\u00adper court hea\u00adring, the case was dis\u00adcus\u00adsed and the reasons scru\u00adti\u00adni\u00adsed. Jesus tea\u00adches us a divorce poli\u00adcy that is more rest\u00adric\u00adti\u00adve than the libe\u00adral posi\u00adti\u00adon of Rab\u00adbi Hil\u00adlel, which was influ\u00aden\u00adti\u00adal in Juda\u00adism at the time. He chal\u00adlenges us all the more to invest a lot in mar\u00adria\u00adge and to fight for it. One cou\u00adple, on their Iron Wed\u00adding Anni\u00adver\u00adsa\u00adry, when asked how they made it so long tog\u00ade\u00adther, repli\u00aded, \u00abWe were born into a time when you fix bro\u00adken things ins\u00adtead of thro\u00adwing them away.\u00bb Time and again I hear from cou\u00adples who have gone through serious cri\u00adses but have found their groo\u00adve again through exter\u00adnal help. This should not hap\u00adpen only when the die for ending the mar\u00adria\u00adge has alre\u00ada\u00addy been cast deep in the heart. As see\u00adtal chi\u00adle we want to offer help through cour\u00adses and per\u00adso\u00adnal accom\u00adp\u00adaniment. And \u2013 very important: We want to sup\u00adport you in get\u00adting to know Jesus bet\u00adter. Only He can teach you to love.
\nBut the let\u00adter of divorce also ser\u00adved to pro\u00adtect the divorced woman, that she was not con\u00adside\u00adred fair game. God is always on the side of the weak and negle\u00adc\u00adted, so even after the divorce the hus\u00adband was obli\u00adged to con\u00adti\u00adnue to sup\u00adport the wife. It is a very gre\u00adat con\u00adcern of mine that espe\u00adci\u00adal\u00adly peo\u00adp\u00adle in or after divorce also expe\u00adri\u00adence digni\u00adty and app\u00adre\u00adcia\u00adti\u00adon in the see\u00adtal chi\u00adle. Dear divorced peo\u00adp\u00adle: You are not fai\u00adled peo\u00adp\u00adle just becau\u00adse your mar\u00adria\u00adge fai\u00adled. Even though mar\u00adria\u00adges and fami\u00adlies can\u00adnot sim\u00adply be res\u00adto\u00adred, you can expe\u00adri\u00adence for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness and heal\u00ading. For\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness always includes the pos\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty of a new beginning.
\nAn inte\u00adres\u00adt\u00ading obser\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon is found in Jere\u00admi\u00adah 3:8. Alt\u00adhough God wants a lifel\u00adong mar\u00adria\u00adge rela\u00adti\u00adonship, he issues Isra\u00adel a cer\u00adti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adte of divorce for adul\u00adtery and sends them away. Jesus also assu\u00admes that divorce exists, other\u00adwi\u00adse he would not talk about it. It is always to be unders\u00adtood as an emer\u00adgen\u00adcy order and not as God\u2019s ori\u00adgi\u00adnal intention.
\nWhat about remar\u00adria\u00adge then? \u00abBut I say to you that whoe\u00adver puts away his wife, except for for\u00adni\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon, and mar\u00adries ano\u00adther com\u00admits adul\u00adtery; and whoe\u00adver mar\u00adries one who has been put away com\u00admits adul\u00adtery\u00bb (Matthew 19:9 ELB<\/span>). This pas\u00adsa\u00adge says that whoe\u00adver divorces wit\u00adhout jus\u00adti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon is actual\u00adly still mar\u00adried to the for\u00admer part\u00adner. In such a case, remar\u00adria\u00adge is adul\u00adtery, but not becau\u00adse the mar\u00adria\u00adge would be indis\u00adso\u00adlu\u00adb\u00adle, but becau\u00adse one is actual\u00adly still mar\u00adried. God\u2019s grace and for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness is abo\u00adve bro\u00adken rela\u00adti\u00adonships. The\u00adre is for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness even for peo\u00adp\u00adle who\u00adse mar\u00adria\u00adge has fai\u00adled. Losing a rela\u00adti\u00adonship is pain\u00adful. But even worse: losing yours\u00adelf becau\u00adse of a relationship.
\n\u00abMar\u00adria\u00adge: an absurd inven\u00adti\u00adon that can only exist through the infi\u00adni\u00adte grace of God\u00bb (Gabri\u00adel Gar\u00adcia Mar\u00adquez). Why does Jesus tigh\u00adten the screw on divorce and remar\u00adria\u00adge com\u00adpared to Moses? Becau\u00adse he helps us. He is the faithful one. By his help and grace, his faithful\u00adness can beco\u00adme our vir\u00adtue. All evil, inclu\u00adding for\u00adni\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon and adul\u00adtery, comes from the heart. David pray\u00aded, \u00abGod, crea\u00adte in me a clean heart and give me a new and upright spi\u00adrit\u00bb (Psalm 51:12 NLB<\/span>). Through meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis, the hard heart is chan\u00adged into a new heart. This opens up com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly new pos\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adties and a new respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty. Let Jesus chan\u00adge you and dance to his music!
\n
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead Bible text: Matthew 5:31\u201332; 19:3\u201310<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat does this mean for God\u2019s love for us humans?
\n\tWhat grounds legi\u00adti\u00admi\u00adse divorce?
\n\tWhat is the pro\u00adblem of remarriage?
\n\tHow could we streng\u00adthen mar\u00adria\u00adges in the con\u00adtext of see\u00adtal chile?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"