In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, He briefly mentioned the subject of divorce and remarriage in Matthew 5:31,32. However, He had much more to say about this important topic in Matthew 19:3ff. On 05/14/2005 and 05/21/2005 , we presented an in-depth study of Jesus' teaching on marriage, divorce, and remarriage. The following thoughts pertain strictly to Jesus' comments on this subject as found in Matthew 5. For a more thorough analysis (including comments on Matthew 19), please consult the two feature lessons mentioned from May 2005.
Our Lord declared in Matthew 5:31,32 - "Furthermore it has been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' 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."
In this portion of Jesus' sermon, He made reference to Deuteronomy 24:1-4 as He continued His discussion on adultery and lust. Under the law of Moses, a husband was permitted to divorce his wife if she found "no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her" (Deut. 24:1). But what exactly did Moses mean by that? Some Hebrews believed the focus was on the "uncleanness" (which they viewed as sexual immorality). Others interpreted the passage much more loosely, believing Moses' focus was upon a wife not finding favor in her husband's eyes (which could have been caused by something as trivial as burning toast). Regardless of the interpretation, those living under the Old Law were to give their divorced spouses a certificate indicating such.
Jesus' teaching on this matter was much stricter than what was recorded in Deuteronomy 24. But what exactly did the Lord mean when He said - "Whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality (i.e., fornication) causes her to commit adultery"? There are two possible ways in which this phrase can be understood: (1) Some scholars believe a better rendering would be - "causes her to become an adulteress." This could mean that since she is a divorced woman she would be viewed as an adulteress; that is, she is given the reputation of being an adulteress once she is divorced. (2) Given the culture of Jesus' day, a divorced woman would almost feel forced to find another husband. Thus, to divorce a woman who was innocent of sexual immorality was to "cause" her to commit adultery since it is assumed she will find a new husband to care and provide for her.
Ultimately, if a husband divorces his wife for a reason besides fornication, then he has sinned and is partly to blame if she commits adultery by remarrying. The woman is also partly to blame for remarrying without God's approval. Finally, the new husband is also partly at fault for marrying a woman who is still bound to another man. Certainly this woman is still bound to her first husband (at least in God's eyes), otherwise why would Jesus teach that "whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery"? How could the new "husband" be committing adultery if the divorced woman he "married" was free to remarry with God's approval? The answer is: He couldn't! Thus, she wasn't free to remarry! Jesus' teaching here harmonizes well with what He said in Matthew 19. Marriage is a life-long commitment, except in cases of sexual infidelity--period.