Thrust statement:  Every Christian should diligently search for the meaning of the text.

Scripture readings: Matthew 5:31-32; 19:1-9; Mark 10:1-12; Luke 16:18; 1 Corinthians 7:15[1]

Without discussing immediately the correctness or incorrectness of these interpretations, it may be profitable to consider the danger of approaching the Scriptures with preconceived ideas on what a text can or cannot say.  Regardless of which interpretation is correct, it is frightening that the meaning of the text no longer serves as a final authority.  On the contrary, it is the present theology that predetermines what the text means and that serves as a final authority![2]

            The “divorce sayings” in the Synoptic Gospels and the teachings of Paul are interpreted with a diversity of explanations.  Each interpreter assumes that his clarification of the divorce sayings is God given; therefore, there is no room for disagreement once a pronouncement is made.  A perusal of the various journals, especially Church of Christ journals, reveals that the most able and accomplished preachers differ widely in their explanations of the “bill of divorcement” statements.  Christians differ widely in their understanding of the subject of divorce and remarriage.  Many believers have allowed their discernment about the terminating of a marriage to fracture the fellowship of believers; they make no room for differences—one must agree with the interpreters or suffer the consequences. 

            God’s family struggles daily over how one is to interpret the divorce remarks when confronted with mitigating situations surrounding depraved behavior or circumstances, which alters one’s station in life.  For example, have you ever considered the predicament of someone whose spouse has committed murder?  How should one react to physical abuse by his or her spouse?  Does God demand that an individual stay married to someone who is confined to prison for the rest of his or her life because of some degenerate action committed by the spouse imprisoned?  Does God command an individual to live with someone who is “hell” on earth?  If someone is guilty of murder, not sexual immorality, is the other partner committed to the murderer for the rest of his or her life?  One does not always know what course of action to pursue when one confronts uncontrollable surroundings beyond his or her control.

            Since divorce and remarriage are prevalent in every society, as it was also in Jesus’ society, it is incumbent upon every Christian to seek answers from principles set forth in Holy Scripture in trying to ferret out the intricate problems men and women face daily concerning the dilemma of divorce and remarriage.  In pursuit of correct answers about how to react in all surroundings, one soon discovers that there are no “pat” answers.  This essay pursues two avenues of thought to cope with the problem of divorce and remarriage: (1) exaggeration in the divorce sayings, and (2) the principle of mercy over law.

EXAGGERATION

            Divorce is not always obtained on the basis of “sexual immorality.”  Does this always violate the divorce sayings in the synoptic gospels and Pauline writings?  Are there any valid reasons for divorce other than “fornication”?  Did Jesus teach that there are no exemptions to the marriage bond other than “fornication” or “adultery”?  When Matthew, Mark, and Luke recorded the divorce sayings, did they consider the pronouncements of Jesus a dissertation on the subject of divorce and remarriage?  Did Jesus contemplate wife abuse,[3] husband abuse, child abuse, desertion, and withholding of conjugal rights?  In Jesus’ response to the Pharisees in Matthew 19:1-12, did Jesus have in mind such crimes as murder and armed robbery?  Did He contemplate these atrocities in His Sermon on the Mount when He discussed the teachings of the Pharisees and Scribes about divorce and remarriage (Matthew 5:31-32)?  Are these hypothetical cases?  Or are these circumstances that need review in making a judgment about the innocent party? 

            Are these acts of violence included in the word “fornication”?  Or did Jesus exclude every crime except “sexual immorality”?  Or were these words of Jesus simply “overstatement” or “exaggeration” to emphasize the original intent of God?  These are questions that require response.  When one limits divorce and remarriage to “sexual immorality,” one often creates impossible situations for individuals who suffer from circumstances beyond their control.  For example, consider the following trauma two women experienced in their marital relationships.  One of the husbands was involved in a very heinous murder and the other husband was deeply involved in wife abuse of great degradation.

            CASE NUMBER ONE.  The following is a brief scenario of two men who conspired to kill the wife of one of them.  According to a police report, Grady Gibson and Eddie Hart combined forces to kill Eddie’s wife to collect insurance money ($100,000).  Eddie (the murdered woman’s husband) and Grady collected the money, but their clandestine operation was not discovered until almost two years after the killing—both men were eventually brought to trial.  One of the men, Grady, who almost decapitated Eddie’s wife, received life without parole for his part in the homicide.  On the other hand, Eddie, the dead woman’s husband, received a fifty-year sentence.  Now the dilemma!

            What is the status of Mrs. Gibson, the wife of Grady?  Is Mrs. Gibson bound to her husband for life?  Since Grady did not pull Eddie’s wife’s “panties” off, does Mrs. Gibson have the right to divorce Grady and marry someone else?  What did Grady do?  He just cut a woman’s head off.  Now, according to some, if he had just had sex with her, then, Mrs. Gibson would have a biblical reason for divorce.  But since he just cut her head off—“bound for life” is the battle cry of many preachers and elders.[4]

            CASE NUMBER TWO.  In 1988, the Montgomery Advertiser (20th of April) published excerpts from a letter by an “abused wife.”  She wrote that she “was beaten, stomped, kicked, burned with cigarettes and stabbed.”   This is not all!  There is much more to this horror.  She further describes her mistreatment: “He threw me into a wall so hard that my head went through the paneling.  The man was also a gun fanatic.  His favorite game when he was drinking was his version of Russian roulette.  His gun, my head.”  

Now the dilemma!  Does God expect a woman to live with a man like that?  Is this woman forbidden by God to divorce this brutal, inhuman, ruthless, savage, uncaring, heartless, cold-blooded, violent, sick person, simply because “sexual immorality” was not involved?  If she does divorce, can she remarry without sinning?  Many would say bound for life!  Why?  Well, you know that adultery was not committed!

Is there a biblical solution to the apparent problem? Is there the possibility of exaggeration in Jesus’ statements concerning divorce?  In considering the dilemmas of these two women, one should examine the use of overstatement as used by our Lord in His teaching techniques.  Not only did Jesus avail Himself of this method, but also the Holy Spirit employs this procedure throughout the Scriptures.  By not giving attention to this teaching style, one may misapply and pervert the Bible.

Overstatement and Hyperbole

            Exaggeration consists of hyperbole as well as overstatement.  What is the distinction between hyperbole and overstatement?  Robert Stein says that hyperbole contains a bold exaggeration that cannot literally occur, but, on the other hand, overstatement is a bold exaggeration that can occur.[5]  Is exaggeration or overstatement involved in the divorce sayings?  A study of overstatement or hyperbole can assist one in a correct interpretation of many confusing Scriptures—especially Scriptures in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:21-48).  One of the divorce sayings (5:31-32) that Matthew records is found in this well-known Sermon.  Some of the most startling uses of exaggeration are found in Jesus’ Sermon.  Through this practice of exaggeration, He captures the attention of His listeners and forcefully brings home His point.

            Before analyzing the various pericopes concerning divorce, one needs to read for himself or herself the divorce sayings in the Synoptics (Matthew, Mark, and Luke).

Matthew 5:31-32

Matthew 19:1-9

“It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’  32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.

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. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not 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 marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

 

Mark 10:1-12

Luke 16:18

Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them.

2 Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

3 “What did Moses command you?” he replied.

4 They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”

5 “It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied.  6 “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’  7 ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,  8 and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one.  9 Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

10 When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this.  11 He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.  12 And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”

“Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

            Having just read these Scriptures from Matthew, Mark, and Luke, how does one know that Jesus employed exaggeration or overstatement in His handling of the question of divorce?  First, consider the two different narratives as reported by Mark and Luke.

Mark 10:11

Luke 16:18

He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.”

“Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

            Is there anything in these verses that jumps out at you?  What is it that Jesus leaves out that He included in the Matthean accounts?  Did Jesus include the “exemption” clause in Mark and Luke?  No!  It is not there.  Neither writer chronicles the “exemption” clause.  On the other hand, Matthew attaches the “exemption” clause.  Why?   Does this inclusion in Matthew suggest that he understood the words reported by Mark and Luke to be overstatement?  On the one hand, it appears that the words in Mark and Luke are absolute, no exemptions.  But, on the other hand, Matthew, with divine authority, interprets Jesus’ words as forbidding divorce, but NOT in an absolute sense as reported by Mark and Luke.[6]  For example, Matthew records, “But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.”  Why are there differences in the various accounts?

            Are there any other exceptions other than what Matthew mentioned?  What about Paul’s letter to Corinth in which he dealt with the subject of desertion on the part of the unbeliever (1 Corinthians 7:15).  How did Paul deal with the issue of defection?  Did Paul not know about Jesus’ teachings as recorded by Matthew, Mark, and Luke?  Did Paul understand Jesus’ teaching about divorce as overstatement in order to stress the original intent of marriage?  Just a cursory reading of Paul’s first letter to Corinth reveals that he did not interpret the divorce sayings in the Synoptics as an absolute statement with no ramifications.  When the unbeliever abandons the believer, Paul writes: “But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace” (1 Corinthians 7:15).  ‘“Not bound’ . . . almost certainly means free to marry,” writes Stein.[7]

            Does Paul contradict Jesus’ teachings as reported by the synoptic writers?  Did not Paul also write under the guidance of the Holy Spirit?  Matthew inserts “fornication”; Paul injects “desertion”; but Mark and Luke do not mention any valid reasons for divorce.  Do Mark and Luke contradict Matthew and Paul?  How does one harmonize the differences in the various accounts of the divorce sayings?  Perhaps the answer lies in the literary technique of exaggeration.  One can safely conclude that Jesus employed overstatement and hyperbole in the Sermon on the Mount in order to highlight certain truths.  Stein captures the usefulness of this literary technique in dealing with the subject of divorce.  His comments about exaggeration in the divorce sayings are extremely helpful in unraveling the mystery that surrounds some of the most difficult teachings in Christendom.  He writes,

Exaggeration used for effect . . . . A second example is the “exception clause” in Jesus’ teaching on divorce.  We find the teaching in its absolute form in three instances and with the exception clause in two . . . . Although some would argue the reverse, most scholars believe that the unqualified form of the saying in Mark, Luke, and 1 Corinthians is closer to Jesus’ actual words than are the Matthean versions with the exception clause.  In the three non-Matthean versions we have a more authentic teaching of Jesus on divorce. . . . We have already established that Jesus made frequent use of exaggeration.  Is it possible that his sayings on divorce is an exaggeration, and that Matthew introduces the exception clause to bring out its true meaning?[8]

            A statement that conflicts with what is said elsewhere may contain exaggeration.  For instance, in the Synoptics and Pauline writings, there are differences that exist in the divorce sayings.  How does one account for the apparent contradictions?  If one is to understand apparent contradictions, as opposed to real contradictions, one has to look at the totality of God’s Word.  Every interpreter must seek to understand exaggeration in light of its context.  An example of exaggeration is found in Jesus’ statement concerning one’s relatives: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple”  (Luke 14:26).  Did Jesus mean this literally?  How does one harmonize Luke 14:26 with Mark 7:9-13?  When the Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law entered into direct conflict with Jesus, He questioned them about their disregard for the commandment about honoring father and mother.  Listen to Mark as he narrates the events:

And he said to them: “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!  For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’   But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban’ (that is, a gift devoted to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that”  (Mark 7: 9-13).

            In Mark 7:9, Matthew informs the readers that Jesus rebukes the Pharisees and teachers of the law for not honoring their fathers and mothers.  There is an apparent contradiction, not a real contradiction between Luke 14:26 and Mark 7:9.  On the one hand, one is told to hate father and mother, but, on the other hand, one is told to honor them.  What is the answer to this dilemma?  Hating parents is obviously an overstatement.  What did Jesus seek to emphasize with such a bold statement in Luke 14:26?  Was it not to put God first in one’s life? 

            Another apparent, though not real, contradiction appears in Luke 6:27-36.  In the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus addresses the attitude that His disciples should exemplify in their lives:

But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.  If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.  Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that.  And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full.  But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.  Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful (Luke 6:27-36).

How does one reconcile Luke 6:27-36 with Luke 14:26 (see above citation)?  One simply accepts the statements in Luke 14:26 and Luke 6:27-36 as true, and one must.  On the surface, there is an apparent contradiction, even though not a real contradiction. Unless one accepts one of these statements as overstatement, then, there is contradiction.  By Jesus employing overstatement in Luke 14:26, He effectively brings home His intent—God is preeminent.

            Another example of overstatement is found in Matthew 5:42.  Jesus says: “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.  Did Jesus intend for this Scripture to authorize an individual’s demand for money without any discrimination on the part of the giver?  How many are willing to follow this as an absolute statement that is binding on the person being asked?  Are there no reservations in lending a helping hand?  Have you ever turned away someone?  If so, have you violated Jesus’ command in Matthew 5:42?  If you interpret this literally and not as overstatement, would you please send me your telephone number immediately—and I mean now!  Do I sense hesitation?  Isn’t it strange how quickly one can see overstatement in this command of Jesus when it concerns money?

            What is Jesus seeking to emphasize with such a bold statement?  Is He not going straight to the “jugular vein” of covetousness?  Does Jesus want greed to die?  It appears that Jesus desires individuals to share with those who are less fortunate than themselves.  James, our Lord’s brother, also captures the essence of Jesus’ words when he writes:

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?  Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? (James 2:14-16).

            Again, it is necessary to compare Jesus’ statement in Matthew 5:42 with Paul’s statement to the Thessalonians.  He forcefully writes:

For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.” We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat.   And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right. If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed.  Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother (2 Thessalonians 3:10-13).

Is there a contradiction between the words of Jesus and the words of Paul?  On the surface there is an apparent contradiction, but not a real contradiction.  Jesus captures the attention of His listeners and forcefully brings home God’s distaste for covetousness.  Jesus could have mentioned “exemptions” to His statement in Matthew 5:42, but this elaboration would have taken away from the focal point—namely, man’s piggishness.

            Another example of exaggeration is Jesus’ admonition about prayer: “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:6).  Does Jesus forbid public prayers?  Does not Jesus use overstatement to illustrate that praying is not to be done to be seen of men?  Whatever work of righteousness one does must be performed to God’s glory, not for self or for man.  One must never carry out good works to acquire praise from men.  Jesus warns His disciples against pretentious works: “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:1).  Yet, on the other hand, in this same sermon, Jesus encourages the disciples to do good works: “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:15-16).  Here again there is an apparent contradiction, but not a real contradiction.  Jesus uses overstatement to emphasize that performance of religious acts must come from the heart.  In other words, Jesus is saying that personal prayer is not for display and neither are works for exhibition; your acts of righteousness are a matter between you and God.

            Scripture abounds in the use of overstatement and exaggeration to underscore God’s real intention.  For instance, consider Jesus’ use of overstatement to highlight the importance of eliminating sin from one’s life:

If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell (Matthew 5:29-30).

Does Jesus teach that one must mutilate his or her body?  This statement about mutilation of body parts is a classic example of overstatement in the teachings of Jesus.

            Overstatement and hyperbole abound in Jesus’ teachings in the Synoptics.  Is there a distinction between these two forms of exaggeration?  Yes! An overstatement is an exaggeration that is literally possible but hyperbole is literally impossible.  To illustrate this separation, consider the following words of Jesus: “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:24).  Jesus employs hyperbole to press home a point.  Although a camel cannot go through the “eye of a needle” (hyperbole), nevertheless, a rich man can be saved.  The point of this hyperbole is to emphasize with the absurd the difficulty of a rich person being saved.  On the other hand, Jesus uses overstatement to draw attention to a central point without drawing attention to exemptions, which would weaken His emphasis.  One could literally gouge out one’s eye (overstatement), and one could literally cut off one’s hand (overstatement), but, on the other hand, a camel cannot go through the “eye of a needle” (hyperbole).  Hyperbole and overstatement were employed as teaching techniques by Jesus to capture the attention of His listeners.

Overstatements in the Divorce Sayings

Overstatement is apparently the answer to the much debated divorce sayings in the Synoptics. Jesus frequently employs various methods to inculcate His truths.  The divorce sayings as reported by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Paul may very well have included these procedures to stress the importance of the institution of marriage.  By comparing all of the divorce sayings, one can safely conclude that Jesus uses exaggeration for calling attention to the original design of marriage.  If one applies the same principles to the divorce sayings that Christians have applied to other sayings of Jesus, one can then arrive at a working postulate upon which to form a judgment about the propriety or impropriety of divorce and remarriage for reasons other than sexual immorality.

            In one’s study of the divorce sayings, one can rule out hyperbole.  Divorce is something one can do, that is to say, it is possible, not impossible; one can divorce with or without God’s blessings.  It appears that the words of Jesus are simply overstatement.  A perusal of the divorce sayings in the Synoptics and Pauline writings reveals that the divorce accounts do not agree.  Observe the following accounts:

Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery (Mark 10:11-12).

Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery (Luke 16:18).

But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery (Matthew 5:32).

I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery (Matthew 19:9).

 

But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace (1 Corinthians 7:15).

Neither Mark nor Luke takes notice of the “marital unfaithfulness” phrase as grounds for divorce. On the other hand, Matthew introduces the exemption clause (“marital unfaithfulness”) twice.  Then, in addition to the “marital unfaithfulness” clause, Paul adds “desertion” as an additional reason.[9]

            What does all of this mean?  How can one harmonize apparent contradictions, not real contradictions—with the above citations?  When one compares Scripture with Scripture, one can often learn whether a particular saying is an exaggeration or a specific command.  The question might be asked, why would Jesus introduce exaggeration in the divorce sayings?  It appears that Jesus implements exaggeration to accentuate certain truths. Why is it that neither Mark nor Luke journaled the exemption clause?  One wonders if the teachings of Jesus, as journaled by Mark and Luke, fall under overstatement.  Since neither Mark nor Luke registers the exemption clause, is it possible that Jesus employs overstatement? Recognition of this teaching technique of exaggeration enables one to more accurately interpret the intent of the author.  An awareness of exaggeration in the Scriptures will assist one in seeking biblical answers to the baffling question of divorce and remarriage that has plagued the church for centuries.  It is obvious, as stated above, there are no “pat” answers to this dilemma.

MERCY VERSUS LAW

            The second aspect of this paper deals with mercy taking precedence over law.  Even if exaggeration (granted for the sake of argument) is not involved in the divorce sayings as advanced in part one, nevertheless, there is still the principle of mercy over law coming into play.  To illustrate this principle of mercy over law, a number of illustrations are presented to call attention to this vital concept of mercy taking precedence over law in dealing with the many problems individuals face in the marital relationship.  Adultery or fornication is not always the issue in the dissolution of the marriage bond.  To illustrate this principle of mercy taking precedence over law, the story of David and the Bread of the Presence is analyzed.

David and the Bread of the Presence

            How does David and the Bread of the Presence help one in understanding the divorce sayings in the Synoptics and Paul?  Hopefully, an analysis of this episode will shed light from which Christians may draw principles upon which to base biblical decisions.  Again, even if exaggeration is not found in the divorce sayings, one may consider mercy as another alternative to one’s dilemma in dealing with divorce.  Mercy over law is another aspect one needs to analyze in seeking an answer to the perplexing problems surrounding divorce and remarriage.  To paint a picture about the righteousness of mercy taking preference over the righteousness of law, one only needs to read about David and the twelve loaves of bread in the Holy Place. 

            Matthew records Jesus’ reference to an incident that occurred in the days of Abiathar the high priest.  Behind this scene lies the original statement respecting the eating of the sacred bread.  Moses gave instructions concerning the “bread of the Presence”—it belonged only to Aaron and his sons, that is, only to the priests:

Take fine flour and bake twelve loaves of bread, using two-tenths of an ephah for each loaf. Set them in two rows, six in each row, on the table of pure gold before the LORD. Along each row put some pure incense as a memorial portion to represent the bread and to be an offering made to the LORD by fire. This bread is to be set out before the LORD regularly, Sabbath after Sabbath, on behalf of the Israelites, as a lasting covenant.  It belongs to Aaron and his sons, who are to eat it in a holy place, because it is a most holy part of their regular share of the offerings made to the LORD by fire (Leviticus 24:5-9).

This consecrated bread was preserved only for the priests, no one else.  Moses did not enter any “exemptions” to this rule.  But one does read of an incident in the life of David where he and his men did eat of the consecrated bread because of hunger.  This story is found in First Samuel:

David went to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he met him, and asked, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?” David answered Ahimelech the priest, “The king charged me with a certain matter and said to me, ‘No one is to know anything about your mission and your instructions.’ As for my men, I have told them to meet me at a certain place. Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find.”  But the priest answered David, “I don’t have any ordinary bread on hand; however, there is some consecrated bread here—provided the men have kept themselves from women.” David replied, “Indeed women have been kept from us, as usual whenever I set out. The men’s things are holy even on missions that are not holy. How much more so today!”  So the priest gave him the consecrated bread, since there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence that had been removed from before the LORD and replaced by hot bread on the day it was taken away (1 Samuel 21:1-6).

            Jesus uses this circumstance to explain by example the principle of mercy over law.  Matthew cites the first face-to-face confrontation of the religious leaders with Jesus in Matthew 12.  The Pharisees rebuked His disciples for picking some heads of grain on the Sabbath because they were hungry.  Mark, as well as Luke, also tells about this showdown.  Every believer must consider carefully the parallel accounts of Jesus’ encounter with the religious leaders in dealing with the subject of divorce and remarriage.  One learns a great deal about mercy taking the lead over law.  It appears that many Christians are as blind as were the Pharisees in this skirmish with Jesus over the traditions of the elders.

Matthew 12:1-8

Mark 2:23-28

Luke 6:1-5

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them.  When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”  He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated breadwhich was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.  Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? I tell you that one greater than the temple is here.  If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.  For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain.  24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need?  In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.  So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?   He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Jesus said that David and his men did that which “was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests” (Matthew 12:4; Mark 2:25-26; Luke 6:4).  In other words, in today’s parlance, it was “unscriptural,” as we say in the Churches of Christ.  But, in spite of this unlawfulness, Jesus illustrates that it is always lawful to be humane and to save life.  In other words, such compassionate acts are within the true “spirit of the law.”  Under normal circumstances, God would have condemned David for his disobedience to Moses’ command, but because of the critical situation of need for food, compassion took supremacy over statute law.

            Matthew also adds another detail, which neither Mark nor Luke records, concerning Jesus’ confrontation with the religious leaders: “If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:7-8).  In other words, Jesus is stressing mercy over the Sabbath.  It is also significant that neither Matthew nor Luke adds: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27).  With this statement, Jesus highlights the priority of man over law.  Jesus’ forcefully sets forth the concept that man was not made for law, but rather, law was created for man’s benefit.  Ordinarily, one would keep the Sabbath, but, on the other hand, there could be mitigating conditions in which mercy would take rank over the Sabbath.  The implication is that one must understand that man was not brought into being to keep the Sabbath, but the Sabbath was conceived for his welfare.  If in the keeping of the Sabbath, it would be detrimental to man, then, grace takes the lead over the Sabbath. 

Principles Applied to Marriage Bond

            Is this a principle that one could apply to the marriage bond when one finds himself or herself in an impossible situation?  Was man or woman made for marriage?  Or was marriage made for their benefit?  It appears that the “tradition of the elders” is still alive and well on planet earth.  Many still do not understand that man was not made for law, but law was made for man’s benefit (Mark 2:27).  Many Christians, especially elders and preachers, still exercise the same kind of self-righteousness the Pharisees exhibited when they condemn the innocent party in a divorce when the offended person refuses to continue to live in an environment that is dangerous, risky, and hazardous to his or her well-being.[10]  Christians must never forget that the Son of Man is Lord of the initial institution of marriage as well as Lord of the Sabbath.  It is true that God intends one man and one woman for life; nevertheless, God, because of sin, that is to say, hardness of man’s heart (Matthew 19:8), did give a safety valve (divorce) for an impossible situation (Deuteronomy 24:1-4). 

            Jesus brought to the attention of the religious leaders the original intent of marriage.  In the Garden of Eden, there was no need of a law concerning the marriage covenant.  But after sin entered, God dealt with divorce because of man’s sinfulness (Deuteronomy 24:1-4).  It is in this same vein that God dealt with murder.  After man’s expulsion from his Edenic home, God issued instructions about those who took another person’s life (Genesis 9:6).  Prior to this expulsion, there was no need to address this issue—sin had not yet entered the world.  Thus, in Deuteronomy, Moses records what the Lord revealed to him concerning the unthinkable conditions in marriage.  Even when Moses says, “and he writes her a certificate of divorce” (Deuteronomy 24:1), it was still God’s design that there be one man and one woman for life (Matthew 19:4-6).

            Again, man was not made for marriage, but marriage was initiated for his and her happiness.  The original purpose in marriage is still one man and one woman for life; but since sin entered the world, there may be mitigating situations in which mercy takes supremacy over God’s initial meaning of the institution of marriage.  In other words, God in his mercy makes provisions for the dissolution of marriages when the hardness of the heart prevails (Matthew 19:8; Deuteronomy 24:1-4).[11]

            Thus far, exaggeration and mercy have been considered in seeking answers to the complexities encountered in the ending of the marriage bond.  Can one exclude exaggeration and mercy as possible answers for one’s dilemma in a dangerous relationship?  Is there another alternative for the dissolution of marriage when one is confronted with an absolute statement about divorce that does not set forth exemptions?  What does one do with an absolute statement when no exemptions are made?  Since the statements about marriage and divorce in both Mark and Luke are absolute, can one find relief from a hopeless situation in marriage?  Before proceeding with an analysis of the absoluteness of the divorce sayings, it is in order to consider another graphic case of physical abuse. 

            CASE NUMBER THREE.  On December 12, 1988, Hedda Nussbaum appeared on the coversheet of Newsweek[12].   This is the story of two who lived together, but were not, as I understand it, married.  Nevertheless, this case still serves as a vivid illustration of the predicament that women face in the real world of men.[13]  But this scenario is still the same as countless women who are married can testify.  If the two had been married, would she have had a valid reason to divorce her husband?  Before you make a decision, please read the “rest of the story,” as Paul Harvey would say.  Ann Jones writes about Nussbaum’s picture that appeared on the cover of Newsweek on December 12, 1988 following her arrest:

There had been other “battered women” on the covers of other magazines—Ms. For one—pretty, posed models, delicately bruised with makeup in subtle tones of mauve and heliotrope, their eyes cast down in simulation of shame or sadness.  But nothing like this.  Hedda Nussbaum was the real thing.  The photo was shot as she testified against her companion of twelve years, Joel Steinberg, who was charged with murder for beating to death the six-year-old girl the couple had illegally “adopted.” (Hired as an attorney to place the child, Steinberg simply took her home.)  Hedda Nussbaum’s bruises had healed and the discolorations faded, but her face remained permanently scarred and misshapen, remodeled first by Joel Steinberg and subsequently by Dr. Monte Keen, plastic surgeon—the man-made face of America’s most famous battered woman.[14]

I remember my first impression about this story.  I thought she and her husband ought to be put to death.  But, I made judgments without knowing the full story.  “That face made some people weep.  It made others want to destroy her.  Especially women.  Put her on trial, they said.  Lock her up.  Get rid of her.  Just look at what she let him do to her.  Look at what she let him do to her child,” writes Jones.[15]  But after the jury heard only the part that the judge would allow—not the whole story of abuse—they emerged from the jury room on January 30th with a verdict—Not Guilty of murder—but Guilty of manslaughter in the first degree.

Jones reports that at the time Hedda Nussbaum met Joel Steinberg, “She was thirty-two, good-looking, a rising editor of children’s books at Random House, and he was thirty-three, good-looking, a lawyer, and (like Nussbaum) Jewish.”[16]   This is a description of Nussbaum when she met Steinberg in 1975.[17]  But, when she was arrested on November 2, 1987, a doctor from the New York University Medical Center, who examined her from head to toe on November 3, 1987, described the forty-five year old woman to the jury as

anemic, debilitated, malnourished, wasted, limping, and hunch-backed from osteoporosis.  He found “old and new lacerations on her scalp, chunks of hair torn out from the right side of her head, an old ulceration and a new fracture on her nose, a black eye, lacerated upper lip, three- or four-month old fractures on both cheekbones, a scar on the abdomen, bruises on the abdomen and back, eight fractured right ribs, seven fractured left ribs, a very large new bruise on the right hip with many scarred areas around it, old abrasion on the left leg, and two deep, three-inch-wide ulcers on the right leg, which was infected, partly gangrenous, and red and swollen from foot to knee.”  The ulcerated lesions on Nussbaum’s lower right leg were ‘potentially fatal’ injuries, the doctor said, which if untreated “could have led to blood poisoning and cardiovascular collapse.”[18]

            Jimmy Breslin wrote in Newsday, “She looked as if she had just fought Fritzie Zivic in Pittsburgh. Fritzie used to get his thumb into an eye and turn it like he was dialing a phone number.[19]  Again, Jones says that Paul Hamill of the New York Post was “most shocked by the nose.”  He also wrote, “This is the nose of an old pug, some club-fighting veteran of the St. Nicholas Arena or Eastern Parkway, battered and hurt and healed and hurt again, until it is no longer the nose worn when young.”[20]  The prosecutor Peter Casolaro wanted Nussbaum to tell the jury about some of Steinberg’s assault, but Judge Harold Rothwax decided that the jury could not hear about his history of abuse for fear that that knowledge would inflame the jury.  Prior to Nussbaum’s testimony, Casolaro outlined thirty-two incidents of assaults.  The newspapers printed summaries.  The following is a list of atrocities taken from Newday’s  “Catalog of Abuse,” cited in Jones:

1.      March 17, 1978.  The first time Steinberg struck Nussbaum, hitting her in the eye with an open hand.  She required hospital treatment.  Admitted into evidence.

2.      In 1978.  Steinberg gave Nussbaum at least ten black eyes.

3.      Feb. 4, 1981.  Steinberg ruptured Nussbaum’s spleen in a beating.  She had to go to St. Vincent’s Hospital to have it removed.  Admitted into evidence.

4.      In 1982.  Steinberg beat Nussbaum and she sought treatment at St. Vincent’s for broken ribs.

5.      In 1983.  Steinberg used a broomstick to beat her on the feet, causing injury and scars.

6.      Late 1983 through 1984.  Steinberg beat her severely and repeatedly during this period.  Her face was disfigured, her nose broken, and her ear cauliflowered.  Steinberg restricted her movements, presumably so her injuries would not be noticed.  Once, when she phoned her father for help, Steinberg threw her down.  This point admitted into evidence.  Feb. 11, 1984.  Her knee was broken in a beating and she limped to Bellevue Hospital for treatment.  April 14, 1984.  She was beaten and ran away.

7.      In 1984.  Steinberg kicked Nussbaum in the eye, producing serious injury.

8.      In 1984.  Steinberg hit Nussbaum in the eye, leaving her with a swollen eye.

9.      In 1984.  Steinberg beat Nussbaum after she refused to take a cold bath and then threw her into the bath with her clothes on.  She ran away.

10.  In 1984.  Steinberg choked Nussbaum, damaging her vocal cords.

11.  August 1984.  Steinberg gave Nussbaum a black eye.  She lost her job with Random House while staying home to recuperate.  Admitted into evidence.

12.  Late 1984 to early 1985.  Steinberg used a blowtorch used for freebasing to burn Nussbaum, leaving scars.

13.  Late 1984.  Steinberg took a bath with Nussbaum and then beat her “brutally.”

14.  Late 1984. Steinberg used a broomstick handle to beat her hands, leaving them permanently injured.

15.  In 1985. Steinberg used a stick to beat Nussbaum’s sexual organs, causing them to swell for several months.  In a subsequent beating, she hemorrhaged.