Meant to Be Kept

Today’s Passage: Matthew 5:31-32

Jesus addresses the historical laws of Israel and brings them back to God’s original standard. In the first century, a man could write a short certificate, hand it to his wife, and end a marriage. The religious leaders treated this paperwork as a legal loophole. Jesus dismantles that loophole. He establishes the clear truth that God intends marriage to be kept and honored as a permanent, lasting bond.

Matthew 5:31 (BSB)

³¹ It has also been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’

This verse reflects Deuteronomy 24. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day turned a specific historical concession into a broad license. They focused entirely on the legal paperwork. As long as a man provided the proper document, he believed he possessed the right to walk away. Jesus confronts this mechanical view of commitment.

Matthew 5:32 (BSB)

³² But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, brings adultery upon her. And he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Jesus returns marriage to the high ground God established at creation. A husband and wife form a permanent physical and spiritual union. A handwritten document cannot sever that reality. Jesus identifies one exception: sexual immorality, which in itself fractures the union. Otherwise, He forbids a man to divorce (ἀπολύω) apolyō, pronounced ah-po-LOO-oh. Strong's G630, to release, send away, let go, dismiss. This Greek word means to send away or to release. Writers of the era used it for dismissing a crowd or setting a prisoner free. Jesus rejects this casual dismissal in a marriage. God joins a husband and wife, and human beings lack the authority to release what God binds. his wife. Notice the historical effect of this ruling. Jesus directly defends first-century women, who held little social power and faced severe poverty if abandoned.

We live in a culture that treats commitments as temporary contracts. Jesus calls His followers to a higher standard, while also extending grace to those who carry the deep wounds of a broken marriage. Today, take a concrete step to honor marriage as a sacred institution. If you are married, tell your spouse one specific reason you are committed to them. If you are unmarried, pray specifically for the strength and fidelity of one married couple you know. God values the promises we make, and He provides the grace to keep them.

Pray to Close

Thank God for His absolute faithfulness and the reality that He never breaks a covenant. Ask Him to strengthen the marriages in your community and to protect them from a culture of disposable commitments. Bring any relational brokenness in your own life to Him, asking for His healing and the grace to honor your promises today.