Mark 10:1
One Per Life
Mark 10:1 And he arose from thence, and cometh
into the coasts of Judaea by the farther side of
Jordan: and the people resort unto him again;
and, as he was wont, he taught them again.
Three requests are made in this chapter:
1. \\#Mark 10:1-12\\ A Request about Divorce
2. \\#Mark 10:10-12\\ A Request about Re-Marriage
2. \\#Mark 10:13-16\\ A Request for the Children
3. \\#Mark 10:17-31\\ A Request for Heaven
We will only discuss the two requests, the ones relating to marriage.
Review: Jesus was heading to Jerusalem and the cross. The journey
seemed to have begun either when or very shortly after Jesus left
Caesarea Philippi. Caesarea Philippi is on the far north boundary of
Israel so most anywhere Jesus went from there00at least if He stayed
in Israel—would be south.
He came south into Galilee \\#Mark 9:30\\ and even stopped over at
Capernaum \\#Mark 9:33\\. It does not appear that He stayed long.
\\#Mark 10:1\\ reveals that Jesus was now ever further south, in
Judea, specifically across the River Joran on the east side.
While in that area, Jesus was asked a question, which He answered.
Mark 10:2 And the Pharisees came to him, and
asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his
wife? tempting him.
The question had little to do with Jesus’ current crusade or His
evangelistic message. Verse 2 makes it clear why it was asked.
The Pharisees wanted to trap Jesus. They were asking Him a trick
question, one they felt that no matter how He answered, someone would
be offended. That makes me think the topics of marriage, divorce and
remarriage have always been a difficult ones. Even tonight, I suspect
Jesus’ answer will cause some confusion and perhaps hurt. Jesus will
answer the question but even before we read His answer, let me give
you the first point of the message.
I. Marriage has never and will never be easy.
A. Granted, some make it look easy, but every marriage is work.
B. Marriage takes something.
1. Every marriage takes love, forgiveness, kindness,
compassion, self-sacrifice, and a lot of time.
2. That is why the Apostle Paul said, "Don’t do it!"
1Cor 7:7 For I would that all men were even as
I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of
God, one after this manner, and another after
that.
8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows,
It is good for them if they abide even as I.
C. Marriage also costs something.
1. For a marriage to work, someone must sacrifice.
2. And for a marriage to work well, both must sacrifice.
3. If the person you marry does not make sacrifices, you have
to pay the full freight of sacrifice in your marriage.
4. If you are not willing to pay that price, every day for
the rest of your life, don’t get married.
5. My advice is that if you are on the verge of marrying
someone who is lazy, selfish, or self-centered, don’t
walk away from them, run!
6. And count yourself blessed that you got away.
D. There are several tidbits I attempt to give to couples before
they marry.
1. One is, "If you can’t stand on your own two feet, you are
not ready for marriage."
2. Too many kids who never learned how to get out of bed, get
a job, pay a bill, accept responsibility, or deal with a
problem want to get married.
3. Friend, if there is ever a day a person like that needs to
sleep all day, it is their wedding day.
4. It comes as a shock to many, even many Christians, how
much work it is.
E. Before you hear what Jesus had to say about divorce, you need
to hear what this preacher is saying about marriage: It is
not easy.
II. God’s design is One man, one woman, one lifetime.
Mark 10:3 And he answered and said unto them,
What did Moses command you?
4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill
of divorcement, and to put [her] away.
5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the
hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.
6 But from the beginning of the creation God
made them male and female.
7 For this cause shall a man leave his father
and mother, and cleave to his wife;
8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then
they are no more twain, but one flesh.
9 What therefore God hath joined together, let
not man put asunder.
A. What does this mean?
1. It means that God’s design is that there be one and only
one significant other for you in your entire life.
2. I know that is not popular today, and for some it is not
possible.
3. Many have moved well past the point of being married to
one person for their entire lives.
a. It is never my goal to hurt a God-centered heart or
to drudge up someone’s past.
b. My goal in preaching this kind of marriage is twofold.
(1) It is to obey God’s call on my life to preach
the whole council of the Word of God. That
include the parts that make us feel bad as well
as the parts that make us feel good.
(2) To keep those who have not passed this point in
life from making mistakes that will hurt them.
c. If you have already passed this point in your life,
surrender yourself to God and move forward.
(1) I know of no one that can catch a bullet that has
fired or retrieve a word that has been spoken.
(2) Neither do I know of anyone who can undo an
action that has already been committed.
(3) That is what God’s forgiveness and mercy are for.
(4) We ask for forgiveness then we move on.
(5) Our best opportunity is always to seek Him, to
serve Him, and to trust Him.
4. But make no mistake about it.
5. If you are married, it is God’s design that this marriage
be yours for life.
B. Notice the truths that we can pick up from even the most
superficial look at your text:
1. \\#6\\ The participants in marriage - male and female
a. There was a time when I would not even think to mention
that; but in this perverted, godless world, we must.
b. Marriage is not between male and male nor between
female and female.
2. \\#8\\ The population in a marriage:
a. "They twain shall be one flesh"
b. "Twain" means two.
3. \\#7-8\\ The product of marriage - union
a. \\#7\\ "Cleave" - join
b. \\#8\\ Two becoming one
4. \\#9\\ The permanence
a. God has made it.
b. God declared that no human has the right to dissolve
it.
c. That means DIVORCE is not part of God’s design in
marriage.
5. \\#7\\ The Preeminence
a. This new union is stronger than the previous union of
a child to his parents.
b. That makes this union the most important earthly union
that exists to mankind.
C. \\#10-12\\ What about remarriage?
1. The disciples asked about that.
Mark 10:10 And in the house his disciples asked
him again of the same matter.
11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put
away his wife, and marry another, committeth
adultery against her.
12 And if a woman shall put away her husband,
and be married to another, she committeth
adultery.
2. I have heard some say, "I had grounds for a divorce."
a. Perhaps.
b. However, the only grounds for divorce is hardness of
the heart \\#5\\.
c. That was the only reason God gave anyone the right to
divorce at all.
3. But regardless of why you were divorced, I don’t know of
any Biblical grounds for remarriage.
4. Jesus did not suggest any when He discussed remarriage
with His disciples.
5. He said whosoever puts away one and marries another
commits adultery, and He stated it for both husbands and
wives—although He put the blame on the husbands if a
divorced wife remarries \\#11\\.
6. I know everyone has a thought on this subject.
a. I have family, friends, and even co-laborers in the
ministry that are both divorced and remarried.
b. Should remarried couples divorce? No.
c. Should remarried preachers quit preaching?
(1) No.
(2) I don’t think they should pastor but there are
plenty of places they can proclaim the gospel
of Jesus Christ without pastoring.
III. Your response may be, "That’s too hard!"
A. That was exactly what the disciples response was.
1. Mark did not record it, but Matthew did.
Matt 19:10 His disciples say unto him, If the
case of the man be so with his wife, it is not
good to marry.
2. Listen to what the disciples said.
3. "If that is the case… it is NOT good to marry!"
4. Their though after hearing what Jesus said was, "If
marriage is that hard to get out of, it is better not to
get into it in the first place."
5. Their response alone indicates to me that God’s design for
marriage is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
B. Someone should be asking, "Why did God create such a tough
design?"
1. It would seem because God wanted us to make our marriages
work!
2. Marriage will work if you make it work, but most won’t
make it work if they know they can just walk away from
it.
3. Well, God said you can’t.
a. Everyone’s marriage can be changed.
b. Everyone’s marriage can be helped.
c. Without God and willing hearts, everyone’s marriage
can be good.
d. However, we must follow God’s design (and that means
even before we are married!)
C. Making a marriage work will do three things:
1. It will change you.
2. It will change your other.
3. It will force you both to surrender to God.
D. For most, it will not be the lack of the ability to follow God’s
design in marriage that will cause them the problem.
1. It will be their lack of desire to follow God’s design.
2. Start now, today, with a mind that says, "I am going live
my life God’s way.
a. Whether you are sexually clean or cluttered…
b. Whether you have never been married or have a box of
marriage certificates…
c. Seek to live for Jesus.
d. THEN…
(1) You will have His peace.
(2) You will have His power.
(3) You will have the reward of glorifying your heavenly
Father on earth.
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