Mark 10:1-12

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When Jesus traveled through Judea, crowds followed Him as usual, eager to hear His teaching. Some religious leaders approached Him with a loaded question: “Is it okay for a man to divorce his wife?” They weren’t genuinely curious—they wanted to trap Him in a controversial debate that was hot in their day.

Jesus turned the question back on them: “What did Moses say about it?” They replied that Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and send his wife away. But Jesus explained that this rule came about only because people’s hearts were hard and stubborn. It wasn’t God’s original plan—it was a concession to human failure.

To make his point Jesus directs us all the way back to the beginning of creation. God made humans male and female, with both being made in His image. A man leaves his parents, joins with his wife, and the two become one flesh—a deep, unbreakable union. “So,” Jesus said, “what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Later, when His disciples asked for more clarification in private, Jesus was even clearer: Anyone who divorces their spouse and marries someone else commits adultery. He said this for both men and women, which was groundbreaking at the time, since divorce laws mostly favored men and left women vulnerable.

At its core, Jesus was saying marriage isn’t just a human contract we can break whenever we feel like it. It’s a sacred bond created by God Himself and meant to be a lifelong commitment. Divorce happens because of sin—selfishness, hardness of heart—and it’s always a tragedy, never the ideal.

This teaching points to something much deeper. Human marriages often fall short because we, as humans, are sinfully flawed. But they picture a greater reality: Jesus is the perfect Bridegroom who loves His people, the church, with unbreakable faithfulness. Even when the church has been unfaithful, Christ doesn’t abandon her. He gave His life to redeem and heal the relationship, sealing it with His own blood at the cross.

That’s the good news here. No marriage is beyond God’s grace to soften hard hearts, bring forgiveness, and restore what’s broken. If you’re struggling in a marriage, turn to Christ for the strength to forgive and persevere. If you’ve experienced the pain of divorce—whether as the one hurt or the one who caused hurt—know that Jesus offers mercy.

In the end, God’s design for marriage calls us to faithfulness, commitment, and self-giving love. But even if we sometimes fail, we have to remember that the ultimate union is with Christ Himself—an eternal bond no sin or hardship can shatter. It was his death on the cross that paid the price for the sins of the church. The only way to find true healing and hope is to enter into an eternal union with Jesus Christ. We do this by receiving his saving grace, through faith. This means putting your hope for salvation in what Jesus did for you when he died on the cross to forgive your sins.