03/10
One Flesh
“Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Matthew 19:4–6
Matthew 19:4–6
The key to a healthy marriage is first of all to hold a high view of marriage. We should give value and worth to it because of what it is, what it represents, and what it produces. Strong marriages are the foundation for the family, the community, and the nation as a whole. When marriages fail because they abandon the ways of God, you can be assured that the downfall of the community, the next generation, and the nation as a whole will not be far behind unless people return to the principles of God.
“What God has joined together” implies that marriage is not merely a human agreement, but a relationship in which God changes the status of a man and a woman from being single (they are no longer two) to being married (one flesh). From the moment they are married, they are unified in a mysterious way that belongs to no other human relationship, having all the God-given rights and responsibilities of marriage that they did not have before. Being “one flesh” includes the sexual union of a husband and wife, but it is more than that because it also means that they have left their parents’ household and have established a new family, so their primary human loyalty is now to each other, before anyone else.
When questioned about this, Jesus avoids the Pharisaic argument about reasons for divorce. Instead, he goes back to the beginning of creation to demonstrate God’s intention for the institution of marriage. Marriage is a sacred union between a man and a woman that is to be a permanent bond. If Jesus held a high view of marriage and what it symbolized, shouldn't we? Getting your heart and mind rightly aligned to God in this area will be the foundation for a strong, healthy marriage that lasts a lifetime.
“What God has joined together” implies that marriage is not merely a human agreement, but a relationship in which God changes the status of a man and a woman from being single (they are no longer two) to being married (one flesh). From the moment they are married, they are unified in a mysterious way that belongs to no other human relationship, having all the God-given rights and responsibilities of marriage that they did not have before. Being “one flesh” includes the sexual union of a husband and wife, but it is more than that because it also means that they have left their parents’ household and have established a new family, so their primary human loyalty is now to each other, before anyone else.
When questioned about this, Jesus avoids the Pharisaic argument about reasons for divorce. Instead, he goes back to the beginning of creation to demonstrate God’s intention for the institution of marriage. Marriage is a sacred union between a man and a woman that is to be a permanent bond. If Jesus held a high view of marriage and what it symbolized, shouldn't we? Getting your heart and mind rightly aligned to God in this area will be the foundation for a strong, healthy marriage that lasts a lifetime.
Reflection Questions
- Reading how Matthew 19 explains Gods’ view of marriage, how does this challenge you in how you see your own marriage?
- How do the marriages that have been displayed throughout your life impact how you see marriage? Are these marriages honoring God, why or why not? If not, how can you realign your view from broken marriages to God's perfect design for marriage?
BIBLE READING PLAN
We want to encourage you and your spouse to take some time in the next week or so to read this 7-day devotional alongside the Care+ resources.