June 3, 2016
THE HEART OF THE ISSUE
Mark 10:1–12
Ellie Troyer
Central Truth
Hardened hearts seek compromise for earthly pleasure. Soft hearts are confident that God has our best interest in mind (on earth and eternally), regardless of comfort.
Key Verse | Mark 10:5
And Jesus said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment." (Mark 10:5)
Mark 10:1–12
Teaching About Divorce
1 And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them.
2 And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” 5 And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. 6 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7 ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, 1 10:7 Some manuscripts omit and hold fast to his wife 8 and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
10 And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11 And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, 12 and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
Dive Deeper | Mark 10:1–12
Mark 10:1-12 is nestled between many familiar stories. We smile at the thought of the disciples arguing over which of them was the greatest and shake our heads when the rich young ruler walks away from his encounter with Jesus. It seems as though Mark accidentally placed this passage on divorce in the wrong section of his book. But I am certain that the Inspirer of Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16-17) knew exactly what He was doing.
In Mark 10:2, we see the Pharisees trying to test Jesus, thinking they can trick Him into answering their loaded question. Allowing divorce would contradict God's intentions for marriage as a never-ending covenant, but not allowing divorce would break the Mosaic Law. Jesus responds by pointing out the hardened hearts of the Pharisees. He makes it very clear what His intentions are for a man and woman united in marriage (Mark 10:7-9), but the heart of the issue correlates to the context in which God inspired Mark to place this text. The bickering disciples had hardened hearts because of pride and lack of faith (Mark 9:33-34), and they were missing out on being discipled by our Savior. The rich young ruler's heart was hardened by materialism, and although he wanted to follow Jesus, he did not want to make any sacrifices (Mark 10:17-22). Similarly, the hard-hearted, lustful Israelites wanted an easy way out of the covenant commitment of marriage.
I see hardness in my own heart when I look for shortcuts in doing God's will, while still wanting to receive the blessings for doing His will. Some of Jesus' teachings seem harsh and offensive, yet they are the means by which we receive His best. In this specific passage, Jesus reminds the Pharisees that marriage was not intended to end, but also implies that divorce would cause more heartache than relief. Doing what Scripture teaches will not always be easy, but looking for loopholes for earthly comfort cannot compare to the joy we obtain by doing His will (James 1:2-4). With softened hearts, obedient and steadfast Christ-followers can have confidence that we will receive the whole of His blessing.
Discussion Questions
1. Are you looking for any loopholes to not do what Scripture says? If so, what are they?
2. Are there any areas in your life in which you think you might have a hardened heart? Ask those who know you best if they see any areas you might need to evaluate.
3. What are ways in which a hardened heart can be turned into a soft heart?
4. How has the Lord already protected and blessed you through your obedience to His will?