Why don't Christians picket divorce lawyers the way we picket abortion doctors? Why aren't we outraged over the "violent dismembering of the one flesh"? Is it because we don't see marriage the way God sees it?
From God's perspective, divorce is to the sanctity of holy matrimony as abortion is to the sanctity of life. It's the horrific, violent destruction of something holy and full of divine purpose. It is the murder of something intended to bear the image of God and is therefore sacred.
Of course, I am speaking of those who would divorce their spouse because they "fell out of love," or "married the wrong person." I want to make the careful distinction between those who are victims of divorce -- who have had it thrust upon them by their spouse unwanted, unwarranted, and unwillingly -- as opposed to those who seek an escape because they are too lazy or selfish to work at their marriage, to push through the tough times and honor their vows of "for better or for worse, richer or poorer, sickness and health." Just as the overwhelming majority of abortions are performed for shallow, self-serving reasons that completely ignore the sanctity and sacredness of the life that is being destroyed, so the overwhelming majority of divorces are for the sake of selfishness and convenience.
The sad truth of the scripture is that every time it teaches about divorce it is addressing those who supposedly know God and have a relationship with Him. The Church is just as guilty as the rest of the fallen, unregenerate world when it comes to taking marriage lightly. Consider Jesus' words to the Pharisees in Matthew 18:
One day the Pharisees were badgering him: “Is it legal for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?”
He answered, “Haven’t you read in your Bible that the Creator originally made man and woman for each other, male and female? And because of this, a man leaves father and mother and is firmly bonded to his wife, becoming one flesh—no longer two bodies but one. Because God created this organic union of the two sexes, no one should desecrate his art by cutting them apart.”
They shot back in rebuttal, “If that’s so, why did Moses give instructions for divorce papers and divorce procedures?”
Jesus said, “Moses provided for divorce as a concession to your hardheartedness, but it is not part of God’s original plan. I’m holding you to the original plan, and holding you liable for adultery if you divorce your faithful wife and then marry someone else. I make an exception in cases where the spouse has committed adultery.”
Jesus’ disciples objected, “If those are the terms of marriage, we’re stuck. Why get married?”
But Jesus said, “Not everyone is mature enough to live a married life. It requires a certain aptitude and grace. Marriage isn’t for everyone. Some, from birth seemingly, never give marriage a thought. Others never get asked—or accepted. And some decide not to get married for kingdom reasons. But if you’re capable of growing into the largeness of marriage, do it.”(The Message)
God hates divorce, not those those who are victims of divorce, precisely because He loves marriage so much. When will we learn to see marriage the way He sees it, and regard it as sacred and worth protecting. When will we become as outraged over attacks on marriage as we are over the destruction of the unborn? Am I overstating my case, or have we undervalued the divine design for one flesh?
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