What do you think of marriage?

For a long time in the U.S., the divorce rate was increasing. Between infidelity, no-fault divorces, a more secular society, and a general loss of reverence for the institution of marriage, people had less and less of a problem divorcing. People were taking the life-long commitment of marriage less and less seriously.

Then, about 25 years ago, the divorce rate compared to the population started to drop. According to the CDC, we went from 4 divorces per 1000 people in the year 2000, to 3.2 divorces per 1000 people in 2016. That sounds good at first until you see that during that same time period we see the marriage rate drop from 8.2 (in 2000) to 6.9 (2016).

Fewer people are getting married in the first place.

We’ve gone from not taking the commitment as seriously to not bothering to make the commitment in the first place.

In our passage for today, we see Jesus re-emphasizing the seriousness of divorce…or maybe it would be better to say the seriousness of the commitment of marriage.

Marriage isn’t meant to be entered and exited easily or lightly. Actually, it’s not meant to be exited at all. Later, in Matthew 19, Jesus says divorce was never meant to exist at all but was a concession by God due to the hard hearts of the Israelite people.

Marriage is meant to be a life-long commitment.

Sin makes that difficult. Couples hurt each other, grow apart, and hold grudges. Marriage takes work.

Love and forgiveness make the life-long commitment of marriage possible. That love and forgiveness we show are an extension of the love and forgiveness we receive from God through Jesus.

The Image of Our Relationship with God
Throughout the Bible, God uses marriage as an analogy for His relationship with His people, whether Israel or the church. Here, too, sin is a problem. Here, too, love and forgiveness is the answer; not our love and forgiveness, but God’s.

We constantly struggle with our faithfulness and fail repeatedly, but God is faithful. His love never fails. His forgiveness overcomes our failures. Where we continue to dirty our white wedding garment, Jesus blood continues to wash it white as new. God is the perfect faithful husband to His imperfect often-wandering bride, the church.

For those of you who are married (or will be one day), I pray that God will bless your marriage with love and forgiveness. You will have struggles, but love covers a multitude of sins. For those who have divorced, there is forgiveness, grace, and healing in Christ.

For all of us, married or single, I pray that we will always turn to Jesus, confessing our sinfulness, knowing that He will always be faithful. He is the faithful and forgiving bridegroom. His love is forever.

Let’s pray…

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for loving us! Bless all marriages. Help husbands to love their wives and wives their husbands. Help them to confess to each other and forgive one another. We also pray that our society would once again honor marriage for the benefit of the couple, of their children, and of society as a whole. Give strength and purity to those who are single.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.