The Mystery of Christ
Hidden in Marriage

Separation

(Ephesians 5:31-33)

Jesus said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate” (Matthew 19:5-6).

1. It Was Not Permitted
“Didn’t Moses allow a certificate of divorce?” Yes, he did. However, this does not mean that God supports divorce. In the Bible, “divorce” referred not to a mutual separation as we think today, but to a man abandoning his wife. In a situation where such wicked acts were widespread, what would have happened if society had refused to acknowledge the existence of such an action? Women who were abandoned would have received no help—neither from their husbands nor from society—and survival itself would have become nearly impossible.

2. Love Involves Pain
Even if a spouse commits adultery, God does not want marriage to be handled carelessly. That is God’s heart toward us. When Hosea, following God’s command, took an unfaithful woman as his wife and continued to love her despite her repeated acts of adultery, he deeply experienced the pain of God’s love for Israel. This pain is the same pain Christ bears in His love for the church, and now, it is the pain we ourselves must bear.

3. The Lord Endured Even Greater Pain
Before seeking revenge against an unfaithful spouse, there is something we must first realize: Compared to the weight of the sins we have committed before God, the wrongs done to us by others are nothing. We have been living under God’s mercy all this time, and for that mercy, God has endured continual pain. Even if we think we have endured a lot, God has borne far more for us. Yes, this is true. We have received this great love—and we are still receiving it even now. So let us now reveal this love through our lives. Let us demonstrate the mystery of Christ through the pain we bear.

Overseer Sung-Hyun Kim