Friday, August 13, 2004
Meditation
Matthew 19:3-12
What God has joined together, no human being must separate. (Matthew 19:6)
These words can sound quite harsh to us, especially if we have been through a divorce, or if the marriage of a family member or close friend has broken apart. On one hand, we can say that Jesus knows what he is talking about and is confident in God’s power to heal even the most difficult of marriages. But on the other hand, experience tells us that divorce is a traumatic reality that can leave deep and lasting wounds.
Think about the pain that divorced couples feel. A relationship that began with high ideals, joy, and optimism has degenerated into rejection, distrust, anger, and self-pity. What was once “one flesh” has been torn apart, leaving deep wounds not only in the couple but in other family members as well. How can Jesus possibly sit in merciless condemnation of these people? He doesn’t. God didn’t send his Son into the world to condemn, but to save (John 3:17). Jesus doesn’t want to crush people by telling them only where they may have gone wrong. He wants to meet all of us wherever we are in our life journey and offer us healing and restoration.
If you are divorced, know that Jesus loves you just as much as ever. He shares your pain and suffers with you. Think about his encounter with the woman at the well (John 4:4-42). He didn’t condemn this woman, even though she had been married five times and was currently living with a man who was not her husband. Instead, he brought her to repentance, healed her, and sent her back to her village to tell other people about him.
Whether married, divorced, or single, we all need to know God’s healing. Our Father wants to mend the wounds in every marriage as well as the wounds of those who have been affected by divorce. Jesus wants to reconcile us, transform us, and use us to proclaim his kingdom—no matter what we have done in the past. He wants to put his arms around us and give us his blessing (Mark 10:16).
“Lord Jesus, help us to overcome all disunity. Pour out your grace on every family that has been through divorce. Heal them and restore their hope. Let your love flow in all of us and flow out of us so that we might be your witnesses.”