Jesus' Teaching on Divorce (Matt. 5:31-32)

Outline: Matthew 5:31-32

1. The Pharisees' take on divorce (v.31)
2. Jesus' take on divorce (v.32)
3. The heart of the law (19:3-9)
4. Q & A 

Summary: Jesus' fulfillment of the OT should cause us to excel in our obedience to the OT in such a way that exceeds the surface "obedience" of the scribes and pharisees (5:20). Jesus gives a third example of the type of heart-obedience he desires by explaining and applying the law "Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce" (cf. Deut. 24:1-4). The scribes and pharisees taught people that divorce was legitimate on a variety of grounds, but Jesus brings us back to the heart of this law, teaching us that a divorce is legitimate only on the exceedingly narrow ground sexual immorality. We should not hunt for grounds for divorce (as the pharisees did); rather, we should seek to understand and honor God's original design for marriage (Matt. 19:3-9).

Discussion Questions:

• What was the Pharisees' take on divorce? (v.31; cf. Deut. 24:1-4)
• What was Jesus' take on divorce? (v.32)
• How does divorcing one's spouse on unbiblical grounds create a chain reaction of sin? 
• Would there be any ground for divorce if 5:27-30 was taken to heart and obeyed? Explain.
• What does the exchange between the Pharisees and Jesus in 19:3-9 teach us about God's heart on the issue of divorce? 
• How should Jesus' teaching shape the way we think about marriage and divorce?
• Exercise: think of difficult marriage situations and consider what loving counsel you might give to them in light of their situation and God's heart for marriage.  

Application Questions:

• How clear is my understanding of marriage and divorce from a biblical standpoint?
• What shapes my view of divorce most: my life experience, my culture, or my Lord? Explain.
• How am I honoring God's original design for marriage in my thinking and my living?

Prayer Points:

• Confess any way you have failed to honor God's original design for marriage.
• Praise Jesus that he will never divorce us and that he is faithful when we are faithless. 
• Praise God for his good, wise and loving design for marriage.
• Ask God to help you honor his original design for marriage in your thinking and living.
• Ask God to help you give wise and loving counsel that might help strengthen marriages.

Jesus' Teaching on Lust (Matt. 5:27-30)

Outline: Matthew 5:27-30

1. Understand it (vv.27-28)
2. Obey it (vv.29-30)

Summary: Since Jesus came to fulfill the OT, we can and should excel in our obedience to the OT in such a way that exceeds the surface "obedience" of the scribes and pharisees (5:20). Jesus gives a second example of the type of heart-obedience he desires by explaining and applying the law "You shall not commit adultery."  The scribes and pharisees taught people that purity was achieved by merely avoiding adultery, but Jesus brings us back to the heart of this law, teaching us that true purity will not just avoid the physical act of adultery but also the internal condition of lust that produces it. Jesus teaches that an adulterous heart is just as damning as an adulterous act.  Therefore, to avoid adultery we must deal with the heart issue of lust by ruthlessly removing stumbling blocks from our lives (vv.29-30).

Discussion Questions:

• What misunderstanding of "you shall not commit adultery" is Jesus correcting in vv.27-28? 
• What is the proper understanding of this law and how should this shape our view of the Law?
• What is the relationship between adultery and lust? 
• When does a natural sexual desire turn into lust?
• "A adulterous heart is just as damning as an adulterous act." How can this be?
• How does Jesus teach us to deal with the heart issue of lust vv.28-29?
• How should we understand and apply the strong and intense language of vv.29-30?
• What does it mean to be sexually pure in marriage? In singleness?
• How would you confront this lie: "my lust only effects me"?
• The heart is the high ground of the soul.  If we win the heart, we win the war. What are some strategies for fighting lust that will help us win the high ground of the heart?

Application Questions:

• Do I tend to focus on surface obedience or heart obedience when it comes to sexual purity?
• What objects am I beholding (eyes), activities am I participating in (hand), or places am I going (feet) that tend to cause me to stumble into lust?
• How might I deal severely with these stumbling blocks and thus win the battle for the heart?
• What factors most shape and influence my sexual desires? 
• What would it look like for love, not lust, to shape my relationships with others? 
• What strategies might be wise to add to my "battle plan" for pursuing sexual purity? 

Prayer Points:

• Confess any lust you have in your heart and sinful actions that have stemmed from those lusts.
• Praise God for sending Jesus to live a pure life so that He could purify you with his blood
• Praise God that the deepest stains from your sexual history are cleansed by the blood of Jesus 
• Ask God to help you to, by the Spirit, fight the sin of lust and win the high ground of the heart.
• Ask God to give you wise strategies to fight lust and a heart to help others fight lust.