{"id":4573,"date":"2008-11-10T00:30:00","date_gmt":"2008-11-10T00:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/jesuscreed\/2008\/11\/what-about-divorce.html"},"modified":"2008-11-10T00:30:00","modified_gmt":"2008-11-10T00:30:00","slug":"what-about-divorce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/jesuscreed\/2008\/11\/what-about-divorce.html","title":{"rendered":"What about divorce?"},"content":{"rendered":"

How do we apply the Bible to situations of divorce? A pastor recently asked me about this. I’m interested in your response. This is one of the most common subjects I get asked about by my students at North Park<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/i>Scot,<\/p>\n

I’ve got just a few pages left in The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible<\/a>\"\"
\n<\/strong><\/em>, and it raised a question for
\nme. I resonate deeply with the need to read the Bible as story and that
\nhas always given me a little confusion over how to interact with people
\npastorally on the issue of divorce. I can understand and accept that
\nmarital unfaithfulness, as Jesus points out, is grounds for divorce.
\nFine. But I’ll never forget the day when a guy in our church asked me
\nto coffee and then opened the conversation with, “I caught my wife
\ncheating and the divorce papers are in my hand,” and
\nhere he nodded toward his car, “but before I sign them, I want to know
\nif you think the Bible says that’s the right decision?” He went on to
\nreference Jesus’ words on infidelity but he wanted to be sure. I asked
\nfor a week to discern and ponder the text.<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


\nSo I did. And as I looked back over The Story, I was amazed at what I
\nfound. The marriage metaphor seems to be one of God’s favorite for
\ndescribing his love for the world. In a sense he married Israel at
\nSinai, and if you think of the Ten words as marriage vows, then Israel
\ncommitted adultery before Moses even got down the mountain. And all
\nthroughout the Hebrew Scriptures this story of marriage and
\nunfaithfulness unfolds. “You’ve prostituted yourselves. You’ve gone
\nafter other lovers. You’ve give your hearts away.” And yet I can’t help
\nbut see that the judgement of the prophets are punctuated, like a
\nchorus in a song, with this message: “BUT, return to me, and I will
\nrelent.” Then you’ve got Hosea, another picture of God’s relentless
\npursuit of an unfaithful bride. <\/p>\n

And I guess I see Jesus as just another
\nchapter in the story of God’s relentless pursuit of an unfaithful
\nbride, the kind of love that lays down it’s life for the bride, the
\nkind of love husbands are commanded to show their wives, just as Christ
\nloved the church. So all that to say, I’m okay with advising people
\nthat divorce for marital unfaithfulness is fine. <\/p>\n

But The Story doesn’t
\nseem that easy. The Story tells reveals a relentless pursuit in the
\nface of infidelity. So I told him about what I found as I sat with the
\nScriptures and suggested that Jesus’ words were open for him to
\nconsider as grounds for divorce, but I asked him to consider the bigger
\nstory as well.<\/p>\n

So here’s my question: am I listening to and discerning the story well?
\nWhat we “think” about divorce is one thing. People in broken marriages
\nlooking you in the face and asking for guidance is another.<\/font><\/p>\n

Blessings,
<\/font><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How do we apply the Bible to situations of divorce? A pastor recently asked me about this. I’m interested in your response. This is one of the most common subjects I get asked about by my students at North Park. 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