Self Sacrifice

Matt. 19:1-26; Mark 10:1-27; Luke 18:15-27

How much are you willing to sacrifice for your relationship with the Lord?

As Jesus makes a second visit to the area of Peraea, he and John both have recollections of the last visit. Both must have reflected on the great days of the past; however Jesus knew that His time was coming to an end. The joy he must have experienced of meeting with John the Baptist, undergoing baptism in the Jordan River, and beginning His public ministry. Now, on his second visit, He is nearing the culmination of His ministry. To die a cruel death for those who would be willing to put Him to death...

Before He can get a chance to enjoy His memories of goodness and joy, the Pharisees begin to taunt Him with questions; seeking to entrap Him into either being unpopular with the crowd or finding fault in His knowledge of the law. "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?"

Jesus replied, "By laying down the primitive principle, that divorce was justified only by conjugal infidelity, and by explaining, that any thing to the contrary in the law of Moses was simply an accommodation to the hardness of men's hearts. The disciples heard this reply, and they made their own remarks on it. They said to Jesus: 'If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.'" The Training of the Twelve, A. B. Bruce, pg. 252-253.

The heart of the matter is this:
1. Marriage is a serious event in life. It is not to be taken lightly. It is a "heart matter." It is and was designed to be for life. If you're not ready for a lifelong event, don't jump into it...

2. Marriage is something to be thought about and carefully planned with careful consideration. Is Jesus at the heart of this marriage? We find that today, marriage is something which is planned very quickly and has the "option" for divorce if it doesn't work. Its called "convenience marriage."

If it doesn't work, "lets find a way out." I tell people often who ask about marriage, "God hates divorce on so many levels." One is because of the hurt and pain associated with the separation that occurs; it is a cancer that lives within each one for years to come.

Spouses come to the closest thing to having the death of another; except they see the person still alive, without them...

Children suffer with fear, anger, rejection, and resentment thinking they might have been the root cause. Parents know their children will confront them in the future. How will they though? Either properly or improperly? This too can cause the previously damaged person to enter into their relationships in the future which affects their own marriage view and relationships.

3. Some of us from the womb feel the need for celibacy, because anything else distracts us and is impracticable. They sense the family life would impend their time with the relationship with the Lord. I know of people to this day who have made this decision. Believe it or not...

But something to think about in all this. What if Jesus ran out on our salvation when the times got tough? Did He commit to the relationship with us when we are infested with cancer, or broken from a bad relationship? No. He is there to comfort us in our times of need.

Don't get me wrong. There are circumstances where "space" is definitely needed. Maybe not divorce immediately, but space to think about the marriage. But what a shame it is to think about it "after" everything has gone wrong, instead of this planning"before" the marriage. Seems kind of backwards doesn't it?

This is why God has a perfect plan. It includes being obedient to His Word. This will help avoid a lot of heartaches in the future and allow us to have the best life Christ intended for us! I encourage you to place your life in His hand and allow His feet to guide your steps in your marriage today!