Matthew 19:8–9

All sins can be forgiven when we repent and lay them at the feet of Jesus. We are all sinners in need of a Savior. 

Jesus taught about a special class of disobedience in his scathing rebuttal to some religious leaders. They accused him of performing miracles and casting devils out through and by the power of Satan rather than by the power of God. Christ warned them that blasphemy against God's spirit would not be forgiven.

. . . every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven to men except the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit; that shall not be forgiven to men . . . but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him . . . (Matthew 12:31 - 32).

What makes the transgression Jesus discussed in Matthew 12 unpardonable (unforgiveable)? It is a deliberate renunciation of God. It is a knowing and willful rejection, without sorrow or any regret, of Jesus' sacrifice and the gift of salvation. It is the ultimate choice to consistently disobey God and forever refuse to repent.

That does not mean that God ever intended for divorce. What He has placed together is to be respected and lasting. Divorce invites violence in to our lives and those we love.

Thank you Father  for grace and mercy in Jesus!

“Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.”  You want to plumb the depths of your respect and love for somebody?  Then answer the question: How do you feel when that person succeeds? And how do you feel when that person struggles? Max Lucado

Matthew 19:8–9

8 He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.” The New King James Version

Jesus is saying that Moses made a concession due to the sinful attitude of their Jewish ancestors. 

Jesus allows for divorce—the tearing of a union made by God when someone is sexually unfaithful. 

To Jesus, divorce is never desirable. However, Jesus (and Moses before Him) recognized that human sinfulness can irrevocably damage a marriage. 

In the Greek text, Jesus speaks only about men because, in the patriarchal culture of ancient Israel, only men had this type of legal right. It seems that Jesus’ overall intention is not to specify every possible exception for divorce, but rather to emphasize the importance of keeping marriages intact.

Jesus likely is speaking about divorces that are based on the wrong reasons—such as a man choosing to divorce his wife so that he can be with another woman without committing adultery. The purpose of Jesus’ statement is to emphasize that divorce goes against God’s intention for marriage. He likely means that divorce for sinful reasons is the equivalent of adultery. Faithlife Study Bible

Jesus pointed out that Moses never commanded divorce, he only permitted it. God’s original ideal was that married couples would not divorce. 

Defining the term wife is vital to understanding the principle of this verse. Some believe that the divorce decree was valid only during the engagement period, as with Mary and Joseph. There the wife is the woman to whom a man is engaged. However, Deuteronomy 24:1 indicates that the couple is living together, suggesting an actual marriage. 

Immorality may refer to any kind of sexual immorality—premarital sex, extramarital sex, prostitution,  and homosexuality. Whoever marries her who is divorced probably refers to a man who marries a woman who has been divorced because of her immorality.  The NKJV Study Bible

When the gospel is really embraced, it makes men kind relatives and faithful friends; it teaches them to bear the burdens, and to bear with the infirmities of those with whom they are connected, to consider their peace and happiness more than their own. And we learn that the married state should be entered upon with great seriousness and earnest prayer. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Malachi 2:16 “For the LORD God of Israel says that He hates divorce, for it covers one’s garment with violence, ”Says the LORD of hosts. Therefore take heed to your spirit,That you do not deal treacherously.”

Matthew 5:32 But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.