Review: The gospel doesn’t tell us to think less of ourselves, but to think of ourselves less. 

Jesus’ teaching ALWAYS:
•    Raises the bar beyond minimalism
•    Calls disciples to faithful obedience from transformed hearts
•    Anticipates the costly faithfulness of the kingdom

Mark10:1-12, “…Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”  The question is a TEST, not a sincere inquiry. It seeks to both:
•    TRAP Jesus into contradiction with Moses, or
•    Place Him at ODDS with Herod’s marital situation.

Jesus’ Hermeneutical RESPONSE: From CONCESSION to CREATION

Moses as Concession - “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment.”
•    Divorce is not a moral ideal, but a legal concession.
•    The law regulates brokenness. It does not define righteousness.

Jesus cites CREATION, not CASE law: “Male and female He created them” AND “The two shall become one flesh.”  He roots marriage in Genesis 2, where “one flesh” includes:
•    Bodily union
•    Shared life
•    Mutual responsibility and calling
•    Relational permanence

“What God Has Joined” There is Divine Agency in Marriage
•    Marriage is not primarily contractual, but covenantal.
•    Emphasizes divine action.
•    Human authority (even legal or religious) does not override God’s creation intent.

The Nature of marriage is Covenant, Not Contract - Covenants only work when they are made on the basis of love and can only be fulfilled by faith in God’s transformative work through grace.

In Scripture, marriage is consistently framed as a covenant, not merely a legal arrangement. That matters because:
•    Marriage covenants are defined not only by sexual exclusivity, but by faithful presence, protection, and care.
•    Covenant-breaking is therefore broader than sexual infidelity alone.

We now enter relationships knowing that their purpose is transformation, through hearts that embrace repentance as the means to reconciliation.