Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife for just any reason?”
-Mathew 19:3, NLT
Are faithful spouses just looking for an excuse to divorce? Pastors, do you really think this?
I am astounded that some pastors and Christian leaders believe faithful spouses approach Matthew 19 and other passages with the mentality of one looking for an excuse to divorce.
They confuse the spirit of the Pharisees in this passage with the wives who were victims of this rule allowing men to discard them for any cause.
Faithful spouses enter into a marriage with the expectation of this relationship being life-long and monogamous. That’s what the vows up front stated.
Both vowed before God to “forsake all others.“
Divorce is not something we sought out when we got married. In fact, you will find many divorced faithful spouses who would have put up with their cheaters’ abuse if he or she had been willing to stay married to them.
The reality is cheaters have more in common with these Pharisees than faithful spouses who divorce.
The Pharisees in this verse are seeking an easy way to look legitimate while committing adultery. They are the ones seeking an “easy out.”
Trust me:
If faithful spouses wanted an “easy out,” that “easy out” would not have included having our souls raped.
Are there actually people who believe this? Really?!
This to me is so hypocritical of what the bible teaches us. I know as a Christian I struggled so much with the idea of divorce. I had a remorseless cheater who refused to stop seeing his OW and choose that relationship over our marriage. I still had to go to my church leader for guidance on what to do. I was lucky that he and my church family were so supportive of my decision. It didn’t come easily and was most definitely not what I wanted to do. I don’t believe that anyone who is a true Christian, would have so little regard for the vows that they made in front of God.
Yes, there are, sadly. It is the crowd that are the “never divorce” sort. They treat the permission as if the faithful spouse is being less than a good Christian to dare to exercise said permission.