Mark 10:6-10

Mark 10:6 (KJB)
But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

Jesus then takes them back to the Scriptures. The Pharisees were very scripturally ignorant focusing only on their Talmud and other rabbinical writings but Jesus now refocuses them on the Scriptures. God created one male and one female. Both of these words in the Greek are in the singular which means God created marriage to be a monogamous relationship. Jesus wanted to refocus their thinking on the high calling of marriage and off of divorce. God’s original design that the male and female become one and not to be torn apart by divorce.

Mark 10:7 (KJB)
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;

(Gen 2:24 KJV) Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. The phrase “for this cause” points to the fact that God made them male and female. A man is to leave his mother and father and in marriage is to cleave to his wife. The word “leave” means a full and total departure” The word “cleave” carries with it the meaning of “join, to unite, or adhere to.” Then a divine phenomenon takes place and that is after the man and woman are married, they have become one flesh and are no longer seen as two people. The marriage is a new and intimate relationship which takes precedence over all other family ties and that includes children. The children are not one flesh with their parents, only the parents are considered one flesh and that is why the bond must be stronger between husband and wife than parents and children.

Mark 10:8 (KJB)
And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.

Jesus now confirms the fact that after marriage the couple is one flesh. They are in union both spiritually and physically. They are to walk in the same direction. Their bodies belong to each other. (1 Cor 7:4 KJV) The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. However, being married does not negate the fact that a person is an individual and may have different ideas than their spouse. Marriage is the most deepest and intimate of all human relationships.

Mark 10:9 (KJB)
What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Then Jesus goes beyond the human aspect of marriage and states that it was God who joined Adam and Eve, and in every marriage, there is a God-joined aspect. Even where marriage seems to be out of God’s will, that is still a marriage in the sight of God. Then the phrase “let not man put asunder.” The word “asunder” in the Greek carries with it the idea of “separate, divide, or divorce.” The words “let” and “asunder” are one word in the Greek and that word is in the Imperative Mood making it a command. In other words, the command of God is not to divorce, it is not a suggestion. If man divorces his wife, then he violates the command of God and adulterates the marriage.

Mark 10:10 (KJB)
And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.

Since the disciples were brought up under the teachings of the Pharisees, they probably had some further questions concerning marriage and divorce. This teaching was probably strange to them also as they were most likely familiar with the divorce for any reason mindset. Jesus’ straightforward denunciation of this practice caused them to seek further on this subject. It is not known what house this was in but it was along the road to Jerusalem.

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