Jesus Teaches on Marriage
Matthew 19:1-9
In the ’60’s Bob Dylan wrote a song titled “The Times They Are A’changing.” Well, he certainly was right. Things are radically different today than when Dylan wrote that song. 50 years ago homosexual marriages were unthinkable. Gay activists Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen said, “Almost any behavior begins to look normal if you are exposed to enough of it.”1 Certainly this has proven true with the numerous TV shows with gay characters… gay celebrities coming out of the closet… and the liberal news media’s generous coverage of gay events.
What was once considered deviant abnormal behavior has now become “the new norm.” In fact, in 1973 homosexuality was on the American Psychiatric Association’s list of mental disorders, but removed it in 1974 under pressure from the gay community.2
God hasn’t changed His mind about it. Since God instituted marriage in the book of Genesis, God’s Word defines what a marriage is— NOT society; NOT the Constitution; and NOT the Supreme Court.
Did last week’s Supreme Court decision surprise me? No. The Bible predicts the moral condition of this world would become “as it was in the days of Lot” (Luke 17:28). The Bible says this world will become increasingly more corrupt and evil men and seducers will wax worse and worse leading up to the coming of Christ. What would have surprised me would have been if the Supreme Court ruled against homosexual marriages!
In our text, instead of rejoicing at people being healed, the Pharisees were looking for a reason to criticize Jesus (vs. 1-3). They came to Jesus with a question about marriage and divorce. Jesus answered them by referring them to the Scriptures! “And he answered and said unto them, HAVE YE NOT READ…” This was Jesus customary answer (cf. Mt. 12:3, 5; 22:31; Mk. 12:10, 26). The Bible has the answer! The problem is, most people are not reading the Bible!
Jesus’ appeal to the Scriptures settled five important issues:
I. It settles the issue of AUTHORITY.
- The Supreme Court does not speak for me when they say homosexual marriage is OK. My authority is this 1611 King James Bible. It is “the standard” by which we prove whether something is right or wrong—Good or bad.
- Last week’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage was heralded as a good thing! No, it was an evil thing according to God! Isaiah warned, “Woe unto them that call evil good and good evil: that put darkness for light and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter… Which justify the wicked for reward.” (Isa. 5:20).
II. It settles the issue of CREATION vs. EVOLUTION (v. 4).
III. It settles the issue of the SEXES.
