Hello, welcome to the Will Preach for Food podcast. I’m Doug, a pastor here at Faith Lutheran Church, based out of Shelton, Washington, a congregation of the ELCA. I took the summer off from recording this podcast, but it feels good to be back. Thank you so much for tuning in. You can learn more about Faith at our website, www.faithshelton.org. I am recording this for the 16th Sunday after Pentecost, September 17, 2023.

Today we’re going to talk about marriage and divorce, reading from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 19, beginning with the first verse. Here Jesus tells us a little bit about how to relate well as humans, but also points us to the love of God who created us just as we are. God who is both Husband and Helper, Lover and Beloved. Let’s get started by reading Matthew 19:1-12. After a few notes about what the text is saying, we will dig into the Living Word, and what it means for us today. And I’ll leave you with a few takeaways for the week ahead. Ready? Let’s listen.

Matthew 19:1-12

When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. 2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ 5 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’? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

7 “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

10 The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”11 Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. 12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”