Divorce, remarriage

Here is what I have discovered:
Jesus came to heal us, not condemn us.
He came to set us free, not drive us into captivity.

The gospel is a message of hope. It is good news.

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and
YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

I know there are people that want to take the bruised and broken hearted and bruise them even more.
I know there are people who want to weigh down the hurting with even more troubles and sorrow.
They want to take the easy yoke and make it hard. They want to take the light burden and make it heavy.

Jesus said it this way:
Speaking of the scribes and the Pharisees:

All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

They had the words down. They had the rules and the law and they were perfect.
And Jesus rebuked them because they didn't know the truth.

The entire gospel message is a message of second chances. It is a message of starting over and starting clean.

The gospel is GOOD NEWS, not a burden to weigh us down and torment us.

To those who say that God gave the law of divorce because of the hardness of men's hearts, and use that to try to force people to endure abusing relationships, have it wrong.

Prior to that law a man could dispose of a woman at will. A woman was property.
A woman's life could be destroyed if a man kicked her out, and thus.... because of the hardness of their hearts, God said "At least give the woman a bill of divorce so that she can start a new life."

That was what Jesus was trying to explain. The bill of divorce was a God given gift to HELP people, not burden them.
And somehow now, that is twisted upside down to force people to endure unbearable burdens.

It is perhaps time to take another look at the real message of the gospel, and expand it beyond just the letter of the law.