--- title: "Teachings about Divorce & Jesus Blesses the Children" description: "Jesus addresses tough questions on divorce, explains the weight of commitment, and insists that children be prioritized in the community." image: "" book: "Matthew" bookId: "MAT" testament: "new" startChapter: 19 startVerse: 1 endChapter: 19 endVerse: 15 coversChapters: [19] aiTitle: "New Standards on Marriage and the Value of Children" aiDescription: "Jesus addresses tough questions on divorce, explains the weight of commitment, and insists that children be prioritized in the community." hasAiStory: true location: "Judea" persons: ["Jesus","Pharisees","Moses","Disciples"] hashtags: ["love","truth","humility"] genre: "gospel" readingTime: 2 type: "adaptive" slug: "MAT/teachings-about-divorce-jesus-blesses-the-children" canonicalId: "MAT.19.1-19.15" chronologicalOrder: 1427 relatedSlugs: ["1CO/the-marriage-covenant","GEN/adam-and-eve-in-the-garden-of-eden","MRK/teachings-about-divorce-jesus-blesses-the-children","MAT/you-have-heard-it-said","LUK/the-pharisee-and-the-tax-collector-jesus-blesses-the-children","GEN/the-creation-of-the-heavens-and-the-earth","MAL/judahs-unfaithfulness","ROM/function-of-the-law","EPH/authority-and-submission","LUK/lovers-of-money","DEU/marriage-and-divorce-laws","1CO/prophecy-and-tongues","HEB/an-unshakable-kingdom-brotherly-love","JER/a-plea-for-repentance","GEN/the-descendants-of-adam","MAT/the-lord-of-the-sabbath","1CO/sexual-immorality","LUK/the-parable-of-the-good-samaritan"] prevSlug: "MAT/the-community-discourse" nextSlug: "MAT/the-rich-young-man" --- In a shift that has sparked immediate conversation, a series of interactions today saw [Jesus](/persons/jesus) laying out a strict standard for marriage. When local critics attempted to corner Him with questions regarding divorce, Jesus bypassed legal loopholes and pointed back to the original intent of partnership. He argued that marriage is designed to be a permanent union, emphasizing that once a bond is formed, it is not meant to be broken by human interference. When challenged on why historical figures had allowed for divorce papers in the past, Jesus was blunt: those rules were a compromise for people who refused to change their stubborn ways. He clarified that, going forward, ending a marriage to be with someone else is equivalent to betrayal, unless the previous union was already fractured by sexual unfaithfulness. The comment left His inner circle stunned, with many questioning if it might be easier for some to avoid marriage altogether to avoid such high stakes. Jesus acknowledged the difficulty of these words, noting that not everyone is built for this path, while others might choose a life of singleness specifically to focus on their devotion to the kingdom of heaven. He concluded that this lifestyle is a personal choice for those who can embrace it. The mood shifted significantly when a group of families brought their children to see Him. [Disciples](/persons/disciples) attempted to brush the crowd away, but Jesus intervened immediately, ordering them to let the children approach. He used the moment to teach a fundamental lesson: the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who possess the humble, trusting nature of a child. After offering his full attention and prayers to the children, the group moved on, leaving behind a clear message that no one is too small to be valued. ### Teachings about Divorce When [Jesus](/persons/jesus) had finished saying these things, He left Galilee and went into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. Large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there. Then some [Pharisees](/persons/pharisees) came and tested Him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?” Jesus answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’ ? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” “Why then,” they asked, “did [Moses](/persons/moses) order a man to give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away? ” Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hardness of heart; but it was not this way from the beginning. Now I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman, commits adultery. ” His [disciples](/persons/disciples) said to Him, “If this is the case between a man and his wife, it is better not to marry.” “Not everyone can accept this word,” He replied, “but only those to whom it has been given. For there are eunuchs who were born that way; others were made that way by men; and still others live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.” ### Jesus Blesses the Children Then the little children were brought to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them and pray for them. And the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” And after He had placed His hands on them, He went on from there.

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