Jesus Addresses Marriage, Divorce And Celibacy
BRD REFLECTION 2026
Matthew 19:1-12 and Psalm 68:28-35 (NIV)
(James Kwok from Small Group Ministry)
READ:
Matthew 19:1-12 (NIV)
OBSERVE:
Some Pharisees are trying to trap Jesus with a legal question about divorce, but Jesus goes beyond the Mosaic Law and gives a teaching that encompasses marriage, divorce, and celibacy.
Matthew 19:4-6 is of particular importance to me:
“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at 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 no one separate.”
APPLY:
My wedding in 1974 was not a church wedding, as my wife and I were not yet baptised. About ten years into our marriage, we faced severe storms, due largely to differences in our personalities and employment, that threatened to sink our love boat. Thanks be to God, by then we had become members of Wesley Methodist Church, where we met friendly and helpful pastors, staff members, and volunteers. They emphasised to us that my wife and I are co-labourers in a lifelong commitment of mutual support, in a partnership rooted in respect and love.
DO:
Since experiencing that healing touch of our Lord in our lives, we have been adhering to Biblical teachings that marriage is a sacred covenant ordained by God. For my part, I have will always remember Ephesians 5:25: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless”. This affirms sacrificial love for the good of the wife, as the foundation of marital union. For me, that ‘sacrificial’ part is critical.
PRAY:
Lord Jesus, You have reminded us that my wife and I are no longer two, but one flesh. Bless us to remain fully committed to each other till You call us home. We pray this for our married children and their spouses too. In Your name I pray, Amen.
