THE GREAT GOSPEL OF JOHN
VOLUME 5
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Beyond the Jordan at the Sea of Galilee. Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 19
- Chapter 256 -
Exceptional cases in marital matters.
But in their place My disciples came to Me and said, "Lord, if the relationship of a man with his wife is so, then it is truly like this, it is better not to marry!" (Matt. 19:10) For now and then there are wives who are true devils towards their husbands, and so we think that it would not be so unsuitable for Your ordinance to divorce oneself from such a wife and find another for the sake of the household. For if a man keeps an evil, adulterous wife, there is an eternal argument and disagreement in that house and many evil words, which must create a constant evil annoyance in the house itself and among the neighbors. But if the man divorces himself from such a wife, complete peace will soon reign in the house. And in this case we also believe that the certificate of divorce of Moses finds complete justification before all better human common sense."
2
At this I said to the somewhat embarrassed disciples, "Not all people accept the word (which was spoken to the Pharisees), but instead only those to whom it is given to understand (Matt. 19:11), and until now you have not yet understood it, although it has been given to you to understand; but you should nonetheless understand it, and you will!
3
Firstly I direct you all back to what I have already said many times about this issue, and in an exhaustive manner.
4
But secondly it goes without saying that I would never have informed you of a certificate of divorce through Moses if in certain cases the necessity was not visible to Me, which can be well justified. But don't you know then what a destructive abuse the Pharisees of these days and for a long time have been making with divorces?! They themselves secretly plant all sorts of dissatisfaction in an otherwise good marriage and finally bring things so far that the couple have to divorce. Well, the divorce is performed by the Pharisees and costs a lot of money, and that is exactly the reason why divorces occur so frequently these days, and why I have placed the original Law of God before the eyes of the Pharisees in this respect. They know My power, and so they went away with a secret anger.
5
But thirdly I say to you all something else and pay attention to it and even write it down! Behold, there are among the people of both sexes some who were born eunuchs from their mother's womb, eunuchs, but only male ones, who were made eunuchs by men for whatever reason, and there are also very many who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven! Whoever is able to understand that, let him understand it. (Matt. 19:12)
6
In short, these people are no longer suitable for marriage, and such a marriage performed with these eunuchs is fully unlawful and can be dissolved completely without any further thought, and the person who is not a eunuch can marry again without committing adultery.
7
But if someone's wife is barren, he should do in the correct sense what the old fathers did so that they bore a seed, and he will not been called before any judgment for this. I now believe that you will finally have understood this."
8
Said Peter: "Except for one thing; when someone has a wife who despite all warnings and loving chastisement nonetheless is adulterous out of inborn pure randiness and is totally incorrigible, should one then not divorce such a wife? Or what is the correct thing one should do according to Your will?"
9
I said, "You can certainly divorce such a wife who is obviously an adulteress "but you may not take another wife while she is still alive! For you cannot know whether the wife in the future will not repent and return to your house full of regret and you then will have an improved, faithful wife. But if you have married another one in the meantime and the previous wife then came back to you improved and full of regret, you would not be able to accept her because of the new wife, and behold, that would be something very bad for you and even worse for both of your wives; for you could not show compassion to the older one and could not divorce the younger one, and yet you should be compassionate as the Father in heaven is compassionate. But if you cannot practice compassion, what are you then and what will you do in order to remain in My plan? But if you have a strong desire and much nature, then look back to the old fathers; but in your heart be faithful to God and protect yourself from desire and lust and adultery! For whores and adulterers will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Have you now understood that well?"
10
Peter said, "Yes, Lord, now I am also quite in the clear!"