If you’ve listened to much classic country music, you’ve heard plenty of heartbreak songs about divorce. Mark Chesnutt joked about “the Big D—and I don’t mean Dallas,” while George Jones made us cry with “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” And of course, Tammy Wynette spelled it out with “D-I-V-O-RC- E,” trying to shield a child from adult pain.
Divorce is real, raw, and painful. But Jesus didn’t shy away from hard topics. In His Sermon on the Mount, He set out six corrections to popular religious thinking of His day. The Pharisees had lowered God’s standard, teaching that as long as you kept the letter of the law, you were righteous. Jesus raised the bar by pointing to the heart.
Just as He showed how anger equals murder in the heart, and lust equals adultery, He addressed how divorce hurts the heart. He said, “Whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery.” (Matthew 5:32) At the time, two Jewish schools debated the meaning of Deuteronomy 24;1, which states, “When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house…” Rabbi Hillel taught that a man could divorce his wife for almost anything— burning dinner, speaking to a man in public, or just not looking as attractive anymore. Rabbi Shammai taught a more faithful interpretation: divorce was only permissible for sexual sin. Jesus made it clear: marriage is a covenant, not a convenience.
Does God hate divorce? Yes—because of the damage it causes to hearts, homes, and families. But He does not hate divorced people. He loves those who are hurting and offers healing and hope. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, marriages break. And sometimes divorce is granted on Godly grounds, such as in cases of unfaithfulness or abandonment. 1 Corinthians 7:15 says, “A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases.”
For those who are married, Jesus calls you to fight for your relationship— not because marriage is always easy, but because it’s a holy commitment. For those who have experienced divorce, know this: divorce is not the unpardonable sin. As British scholar and Christian apologist C.S. Lewis said, “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”
At Lake Eufaula Christian Church, we believe in fresh starts and God’s grace for every season. Join us at 415897 Highway 9, Eufaula— Bible study Sundays at 10 a.m., worship at 11 a.m., and all-age activities on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. We’d love to walk alongside you in the healing and hope Jesus provides.
God Bless You!
Jeremy Little, Minister
