MATTHEW 5:31-32

Q: Why does Jesus mention the certificate? Is he implying that you shouldn’t just walk out? And why does the women commit adultery if the man is the only one at fault?

It was necessary for the man to write up a divorce certificate and present it to his wife as the bare minimum before sending her out of the house. That action protected her so that she would be free to remarry. However, many men took advantage of this provision to rid themselves of their wives at the slightest pretext. Therefore Jesus says in Matthew 19:1-12 that the provision was given by Moses because of the hardness of people's hearts. God's ideal is that no divorce at all should take place. In Matthew 5:32, Jesus points out the unfortunate consequences of divorce for both men and women.

It is assumed from the start that the man is at fault since no women could initiate divorce proceedings. But the divorced women is dragged into the problem also. This could occur in three possible ways:

1. The action of the man exposes the woman to the danger of adultery, either because she remarries (see the Mark 10:12 parallel) or becomes a prostitute to support herself after being abandoned.

2. The act of divorce itself causes her to become exposed to adultery metaphorically through the man breaking the commitment to the institution of marriage, and especially if he remarries.

3. When the man divorces the woman she could become branded as an adulteress in people's eyes.

Here are some other principles to keep in mind when considering this passage:

1. Remember that this teaching is found in the Sermon on the Mount and thus is part of “the absolute ethic of the kingdom” in which almost impossibly high standards are described so as to discourage believers from settling for a lower degree of holiness in their own lives.

2. Parallels found elsewhere in the gospels (Matthew 19:8-9 and Luke 16:18) do not contain this problem clause, indicating that Jesus' teachings on divorce may not be so absolute in practice. These parallel scriptures also add an exception to the prohibition against divorce in the case of unchastity.

3. The highest law of Christ is compassion. Remarriage after divorce is not the unforgivable sin.

4. The passive voice in this passage may indicate that the woman is being exposed to adultery, not committing it herself.