Match Made In Heaven

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(Audio narration is accessible from the Post, by clicking the Forward button at left.)

Who are some people in your life who faithfully honor God in their marriage?

When Jesus had finished teaching truths about God, he left Galilee and went into the territory of Judea on the east side of the Jordan River (158). Large crowds continued to follow him, and he continued healing their sicknesses.

Once, some Pharisees came to Jesus & tried to trap him into saying things for which he could be condemned.  They asked him, “Does our law allow a man to divorce his wife for any reason?”

Jesus answered, “Haven’t you read that in the beginning God made people male and female? And God says, ‘In marriage, a man leaves his father & mother and is united with his wife, and the two become one.’  So, in God’s eyes, they are no longer two individuals but one union. And no man may separate what God has joined together.”

(The diagram in this post simply illustrates that, as husband & wife each grow closer to God, they necessarily grow closer to one another.)

The Pharisees pressed Jesus, “Then why did Moses record in the law that a man may give his wife a divorce notice & send her away?”

Jesus answered, “Moses gave you permission to divorce your wives because you’re so hard to teach & so slow to learn.  But that was not the idea in the beginning.

“What God originally intended about marriage means that any man, who has divorced his wife, commits adultery (or the sin of sexual cheating) when he marries another woman.  In the same way, any woman, who divorces her husband, commits adultery when she marries another man.”

Later, Jesus’ students asked him privately, “If that’s God’s idea of marriage, isn’t it better not to marry?” Jesus answered, “This teaching doesn’t apply to everyone, but only to those whom God has called into marriage.

“Some people are unable live in marriage, as God intended, and so they shouldn’t marry. Some people are born incapable of marriage, some are made incapable of marriage, and some choose not to marry because God has called them to be completely dedicated to growing his kingdom.

“But anyone who is able to live in marriage, as God intended, should definitely do so.”

LORD, please help us to love returning to Your plan for marriage.

Who are some people in your life who faithfully honor God in their marriage?

(158) Matthew 19:1-12, Mark 10:1-12

Going Twice . . .

(Other meditations are accessible from the Welcome page.) 

(Audio narration is accessible from the Post, by clicking the Forward button at left.)

How do you honor God’s hard truths about money & marriage? 

Jesus continued teaching about the difference between worldly or material wealth and godly or spiritual wealth (149).

“We can all agree that a person who is faithful in little things will probably be faithful in big things.  And a person who is dishonest in little things will probably be dishonest in big things.

“So if you don’t handle a little thing like your worldly wealth in a godly way, how can you be trusted with a bigger thing like the spiritual wealth of God’s kingdom?

“You all know that no servant can be the slave of two masters.  At any given point in time, he will hate one & love the other, or he will be loyal to one & despise the other.  In the same way, you cannot serve God and mammon (or material wealth) at the same time.”

When the Pharisees heard Jesus teach these things, they made fun of him — because they really loved their mammon. Jesus said to them, “You try hard to appear right & proper in other people’s eyes, but God sees what’s going on under the surface, in your hearts. Things that are valued by this world are worthless in God’s eyes.

“The law of Moses & the writings of the prophets were all you knew about God, up to the time of John the Baptizer.  And John said plainly that you cannot abuse the Law & the Prophets and still enter the kingdom of God.  It remains easier for heaven & earth to be wiped out, than for any truth in the law of Moses to be wiped out.

“Here’s just one example: In God’s eyes, any man who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery.  Also in God’s eyes, any man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

LORD, please help us to love Your hard truths, as revealed by Your Son.

How do you honor God’s hard truths about money & marriage? 

(149) Luke 16:10-18

The Mountain: Promises

(Other meditations are accessible from the Welcome page.) 

(Audio narration is accessible from the Post, by clicking the Forward button at left.)

How might your faith work, in love, for other people, today?

Jesus gave another example of the spirit of God’s word (59): “God’s law says, do not commit adultery.” This command was generally interpreted to mean that sexual relations are to be enjoyed only between a husband & a wife.

Jesus continued: “This also means that a man must never even look at a woman with lust, because that’s the same as committing adultery in your heart!

“If your right eye is causing you to sin in that way, cut it out.  Or if your right hand is causing you to sin in that way, cut it off.  Literally! It’s better to lose a part of your body on the way to heaven, than to keep your whole body intact on the way to hell.”

Then Jesus added: “It was said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a written notice of divorce.’  But God’s idea of marriage also means that, if a man divorces his wife, then he will have caused her to be guilty of adultery, whenever she marries again.  And the man she marries will also be guilty of adultery.”

Next, Jesus gave another example of the spirit of God’s word, which relates to marriage vows, among other things:  “It has been said, ‘Do not break your promise to God.’  Sometimes, this also means: Don’t even make promises to God.  Don’t promise by heaven, even though it is God’s throne.  Don’t promise by the earth, even though it is God’s footrest.  Don’t promise by Jerusalem, even though it is the city of the great King.  And don’t even promise by your own head, because you cannot make a single hair on it white or black.

“It’s sinful to try to add emphasis to your promises in that way.  Instead of promising to do what God wants, just do what God wants.”

LORD, please help us actively to love the people You bring to us, today.

How might your faith work, in love, for other people, today?

(59) Matthew 5:27-37