October 19, 2009 // 6 Comments »
Read Matthew 5:31-32 and Matthew 19:1-12 and do the exercises below:
- Find out what you can (in a Bible commentary or on the Internet) about the debate on divorce occurring at that time between the House of Hillel and the House of Shammai. How does this help you understand the passages?
- Concerning this exact passage, Dallas Willard writes, “One of the most important things in the male mind of Jesus’ day, and perhaps every day, was to be able to get rid of a woman who did not please him” (The Divine Conspiracy, 168). Why do you think we tend to read these passages as being restrictive of women today, rather than being liberating or protective of women, as they were intended to be at that time?
- How would you boil down Jesus words? What is the heart of his teaching on marriage and divorce?
- How can Jesus’ teaching on marriage and divorce help us?
Tags: Dallas Willard, Divorce, Exercises, Marriage, Matthew
Categories:
Sermon on the Mount