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The first verse of this chapter acquaints us with the great labour and pains our Saviour took in the exercise of his ministry, traveling from place to place, in an hot country, and on foot, to preach the gospel, when he was here upon earth; Teaching all persons, but especially ministers, by his example, to be willing to undergo pains and labour, even unto much weariness, in the service of God, and in the duties of their calling. For this is God's ordinance, that everyone should feel the burden of his calling, and painfulness of it.
But, Lord, how nice and delicate are some labourers in thy vineyard, who are willing to do nothing but what they can do with ease; they cannot endure to think of labouring unto weariness, but are sparing of their pains, for fear of shortening their days and hastening their ends! Whereas the lamp of our lives can never be better spent, or burnt out, than by the lighting others to heaven.
The following verses acquaints us with and ensnaring question which the Pharisees put to our Saviour concerning the matter of divorce; concluding, that they should entrap him in his answer, whatever it was; if he denied the lawfulness of divorce, then they would charge him with contradicting Moses who allowed it. If he affirmed it, then they would condemn him for contradicting his own doctrine Mat_5:32 for favouring men's lusts, and complying with the Jews, who, upon every slight and frivolous occasion, put away their wives from them. But such was the wisdom of our Saviour in all his answers to the ensnaring Pharisees: that neither their wit nor malice could lay hold on anything to entangle him in his talk.
Observe therefore, the piety and prudence of our Saviour's answer to the Pharisees; he refers them to the first institution of marriage, when God made husband and wife one flesh to the intent that matrimonial love might be both incommunicable and indissoluble; and accordingly asks them, What did Moses command you?
Thereby teaching us, That the best means for deciding all doubts, and resolving all controversies, about matters of religion, is to have recourse unto the scripture, or the written word of God: What did Moses command you?
Observe farther, How our Saviour, to confute the Pharisees and convince them of the unlawfulness of divorce, used by the Jews, lays down the first institution of marriage, and shews them, first the author, next the time, then the end of the institution. The author, God, What God has joined together &c.
Marriage is an ordinance of God's own appointment, as the ground and foundation of all sacred and civil society. The time of the institution was, in the beginning.
Marriage is almost as old as the world, as old as nature itself; there was no sooner one person, but God divided him into two; and no sooner were there two, but he united them in one. And the end of the institution of marriage, Christ declares was this, That there might be not only an intimacy and nearness, but also an inseparable union and oneness, by means of this endearing relation: the conjugal knot is tied so close, that the bonds of matrimonial love are stronger than those of nature. Stricter is the tie betwixt husband and wife, than that betwixt parent and child, according to God's own appointment. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife, and they twain shall be one flesh. And whereas our Saviour adds, what God hath joined together let no man put asunder.
Two things are hereby intimated to us,
1. That God is the author of the close and intimate union which is betwixt man and wife in the married condition.
2. That it is not in the power of man to untie or dissolve the union which God has mad betwixt man and his wife in the married state; yea, it is a great sin to advise unto, or endeavour after, the separation of them.
Observe, lastly, Our Saviour's private conference with the disciples, after his public disputation with the Pharisees, about this matter of divorce. He tells his disciples, and in them he tells all Christians to the end of the world, that it is utterly unlawful for man and wife to be separated by divorcement one from another, for any cause whatsoever, except only for the sin of adultery committed by either of them after the marriage.
Learn hence, That according to the word and will of God, nothing can violate the bonds of marriage, and justify a divorce betwixt man and wife, save only the defiling of the marriage-bed, by adultery and uncleanness. This is the only case in which man and wife may lawfully part; and being for this cause parted, whether they may afterwards marry again to other persons has been much disputed; but that the innocent and injured person, whether man or woman (for there is an equal right on both sides) may not marry again seems very unreasonable; for why should one suffer for another's fault?