“And they two shall be one flesh: so then, they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore Yehovah has joined together, let not man put asunder.” Mark 10:8-9
The Pharisees tried to tempt Yeshua to say that divorce was OK. Yeshua did not to fall into their trap, but answered with wisdom, asking them what Moses had commanded. This time they fell into His trap, saying Moses had said to just write a “bill of divorcement” and “put (or send) her away.” Yeshua replied that the reason Moses had said that was because of the hardness of their hearts, adding that it was always Yehovah’s plan for a man to leave his father and mother and “cleave” to his wife. He then commanded, “What therefore Yehovah has joined together, let not man put asunder.” In context, obviously Yeshua was continuing the “discourse about divorce.” However, it is worth considering another point here, especially as “putting asunder” also means to “divide, disjoin, separate and disunite” – as well as to divorce. When a couple marry, they not only become “one” in the physical realm, but they should begin to be grow more and more one in the emotional, decision making and even spiritual realms. Married couples must strive to be united and viewed as such by people outside that close, intimate relationship. This can be particularly challenging when it involves relationships with both “birth families,” particularly their parents. Both sets of parents will have had 20+ years of experience in-putting their thoughts, opinions, biases and preferences into their son or daughter. It takes discipline for parents to stop doing this after their children have married someone else. This is why “a man will (and must) leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife.” Any and all other relationships, external to that married couple, must take secondary place to that one. Nobody should be allowed to “put asunder”, divide, disjoin, separate or disunite. And both of them must stand firm together and not allow any outsider to put them asunder. Whatever the cost, it must be paid for the sake of the marriage which Yehovah has ordained and sanctified.