Marriage According To Jesus

Marriage According to Jesus

Mark 10:1-12

Chip Ingram has said, “Imagine a giant 15,000-piece jigsaw puzzle in a big cardboard box.

Now imagine a married couple locked up in a room together where the only way out, is to solve this jigsaw puzzle without the box top.

Without the box top they won’t know what the finished puzzle is supposed to look like. Most marriages are a lot like this scenario.

The pieces of the puzzle represent the different aspects of our marriage, our work, the in-laws, kids, family, money, etc.

Couples that have God’s “box top” are able to resolve conflict because they know what normal, healthy conflict looks like.

They also have God’s supernatural power to help them to stay committed to their spouse as they go through some of the most trying and stressful times in life.

With God’s strength, as they go through these difficult times, they actually grow closer together so that they don’t give up.

Please open your Bibles to Mark 10 as we continue in that verse-by-verse study.

Two weeks ago, when we were in Mark, John came to Jesus and told Him about a man who was casting out demons in Jesus’ name; but this man was not a part of their inner circle.”

The Disciples were frustrated and jealous because they couldn’t cast a demon out earlier; but this guy was casting out demons.

Jesus said in Mark 9:40 he who is not against us is on our side.

Then Jesus said about anyone who came against His little ones, “It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.”

Then in Mark 9:43, Jesus said, “It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell.

Jesus was stating that it is better to be physically impaired on earth, than to forfeit your eternity apart from Christ.

We ended saying, “Because Jesus is our Lord and Savior, we know we are His masterpiece; so, we need to represent Him as salt; in a lost, sinful, and dying world.”

In today’s passage, the religious leaders come to Jesus with what they believed was an impossible question, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

The Pharisees were trying to trap Him, and they believed Jesus will had no choice; in their minds, Jesus will either misuse God’s Word or alienate the crowds as He answers about divorce.

We need to keep in mind; for a person to try to live up to kingdom standards in the power of the flesh is impossible to do.

Jesus loves you and understands you more than you understand you.

I. The compassion of Jesus.

Read Mark 10:1

At this point of the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is on the way to Jerusalem for the last time, leading up to His crucifixion.

Jesus has set His face towards the cross, but on the way, the crowds approach Him and Jesus makes time to teach them.

Jesus is the all-knowing God/man, who is fully aware of what He will endure in a few short months; however, He is still concerned with the needs of the crowd.

Notice, Jesus shows compassion by teaching them the truth.

In this same account in Matthew’s Gospel, we are told in Matthew 19:1 He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.

Matthew 19:2 And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there. NKJV

A Greek English Lexicon translates the word crowd as a horde or a mass of people.

Hordes of people gathered to Him, as Jesus made His way towards the Jordan valley heading to His death on the cross. Jesus cared enough to heal and teach the crowd.

We were told previously in, Matthew 14:14, And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. NKJV

Matthew 14:14 in Greek means “to be moved in one's bowels for the bowels were thought to be the seat of love and pity”.

Jesus was sick to His stomach with compassion for the hurting.

Clarke said, “They followed Him” “Some to be instructed; some to be healed; some through curiosity; and some to ensnare Him”

So here again, Jesus is concerned with people’s needs, but the religious leaders are only concerned with their agendas.

Jesus came to seek and save the lost, so teaching was not the exception to Jesus’ ministry; it was one of the main parts of His earthly ministry.

Matthew Henry said about ‘He taught them again”: “Even those whom Christ has taught, have need to be taught again.

“Such is the fulness of the Christian doctrine, there is still more to be learned. “We need to be reminded of what we know.”