“Two Will Become One”
Mark 10:6-9

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Pastor Kevin Vogts
Trinity Lutheran Church
Paola, Kansas
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost—October 7, 2018

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Our text is from today’s Gospel Reading in the 10th chapter of Mark.  Jesus says: “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’  ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

A few years ago, “Parade” magazine revealed a little-known secret about the #1 and #2 best-selling authors of self-help books on the subject of love and marriage.  Both of these self-proclaimed experts on love and marriage have been on the best-seller list several times and have each sold millions of books.  But, it turns out that years ago they were actually married TO EACH OTHER.  And since then both of them have been married and divorced many more times.  It’s really ironic that millions of couples are turning to THEM for advice on how to have a happy marriage.

The Bible is not just a SELF-help book, written by fallible men and women.  The Bible is a divinely-authored GOD-help book, God’s own, infallible guidance for you in your life.  In today’s Gospel Reading, Jesus gives the best advice ever on how to have a happy marriage.  You are invited to follow along the sermon outline on the last pages of the bulletin as we consider Jesus’ declaration that in marriage “Two Will Become One.”

Point #1) Marriage Is God’s Plan

Now, marriage is not necessarily God’s plan for everyone.  The Apostle Paul tells us that he himself was not married, and he says that such celibacy is a gift of God, to be praised.  “But each one has his own gift from God,” Paul says, “one has this gift, another has that.”  For those who do not have this spiritual gift of celibacy, God’s plan is marriage, as Paul continues, “But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.”

The evolutionary theory that we humans evolved from lower animals has led many to conclude that humans must have once behaved like animals, and that lifelong, monogamous marriage is a recent, human invention.  Some even go so far as to proclaim that lifelong, monogamous marriage is unnatural and really no longer practical in today’s world.  But, even swans mate for life. 

And, the fact is, we did not evolve from lower animals.  We humans and our world were created, by God.  In the same way, lifelong, monogamous marriage did not evolve, it’s not a human social invention.   Lifelong, monogamous marriage was created, by God.  “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’”

Because God established marriage, it is God alone who can define and determine what marriage is: only the union of a man and woman, male and female, as husband and wife.  Anything else isn’t marriage, it’s sin.

‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Point #2) Sin Infected Marriage

Before the Fall into sin, Adam and Eve lived in perfect harmony as husband and wife.  Theirs was first perfect marriage—and the last perfect marriage.  For, when sin entered into and infected our world, sin also entered into and infected marriage.

We see this after the Fall into sin, when the Lord asks Adam, “Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”  And how does Adam respond?  By pointing the finger at Eve, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”  And ever since, the marriage relationship is all too often marred by finger-pointing and arguing.  No longer the perfect harmony of Eden, but the sad disharmony caused by sin.

It is because of the damage sin has done to the marriage relationship that God allows divorce under certain circumstances.  When Jesus forbids divorce he adds the exception, “Except for marital unfaithfulness.”  So, the Lord does permit divorce for the spouse who suffers marital unfaithfulness, such as adultery, abuse, or desertion.

Point #3) God’s Love Restores Marriage

The Apostle John writes, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.  This is how God showed his love for us: He sent his only-begotten Son into the world that we may live through him.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

Christ loved you and gave himself up for you, as an offering and sacrifice to God.  Because of his sacrifice, your sins are all forgiven.  Even though you and I have really made a mess of things in our lives, Christ is like a sponge, who sucks up all the mess of your life, your guilt, your mistakes, your failures.  He sucks it all up and takes it all away forever.  Peter says, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross.”  Christ is like a sponge, who sucks up all the mess of your life.  And when that sponge was wrung out upon the cross, all the mess of your life stayed with him, and from him instead poured out upon you his holiness, his righteousness.  “And the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from every sin.”

Paul says in 2nd Corinthians that “Christ’s love compels us.”  Christ’s wonderful love and mercy and forgiveness toward you compels you to show love and mercy and forgiveness toward others, beginning with your spouse.  In your marriage relationship, God is giving you many opportunities every day to live out the Gospel in your everyday life.

Paul puts it this way in today’s Introit from 1st Corinthians, a passage that was probably read at your wedding: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails.”

Paul says in Colossians, “As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds you together in perfect unity.”  And in Ephesians, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

So, one of the purposes of marriage is to give you opportunities to live out the Gospel in your life, within your own home, family, and marriage relationship.  As Paul says in Philippians, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others above yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.”

“But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’  ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”