Answer me this?

Members,

O.K., in Matthew 19:9 Jesus tells us "I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery."

Now in Luke 18:29, Jesus says "I tell you the truth, no one who has left home or WIFE or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the the Kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life."

So it is alright for me to leave my wife and kids as long as it is for the Kingdom of God. What do you think?

This is a serious question.

Murray

In Luke verse 28 Peter said "Lo, we have left all and followed thee". We know from other Biblical accounts that Peter remained married. Scripture has no contradictions, so this verse must be speaking of those who leave home for periods of time to preach the Gospel. There is a difference between that and divorce.

Hi,
Just wondering if there is a difference between divorcing and leaving? When I got married I left my parents but they are still my parents. In the same way I would not like to leave my wife, but if God wanted me to travel somewhere to extend His Kingdom and my wife could not come with me, I guess that is alright. But she would still be my wife, I'm not divorcing her.
I have heard of stories where great missionaries of the past left there wives behind for years in service of their God.
Anyway just a thought, I could be on the wrong track.
Damo

"The world has yet to see what God can do through a person who is wholly committed to Him."
- D.L.Moody
"God let me be that man"
- D.S.T.Lawson

Gentlemen,

I never thought that Jesus was advocating divorce or anything. I was just wondering more in depth.

Murray

I think this a good question. As many men of old would leave their wives for periods of time to preach. Finney, Booth, Wesley just a couple off the top of my head. Also you look at men like Mueller, Hudson Taylor and others that had no promise of income yet were blessed by GOD in their endeavors.
It seems that this kind of thinking has gone out the window(at least in America)as I know that in India, and China men leave for periods of time to preach and teach throughout the country.
Alot of what seems to be taught now a days is that if you don't provide for your household you are worse than an infidel and have denied the faith (1 Timothy 5:8), yet start with Peter who was married, and left his employment and means of income to follow Christ, so was he an infidel? Or could Paul really be addressing widows in that chapter?
Noone wants to sacrifice anymore, and unfortunately I point the finger at my self firstly. But to really see GOD move, we are going to have to "TRUST" HIM solely.
I really want to follow this thread to glean some info :-)

roaringlamb wrote:
Alot of what seems to be taught now a days is that if you don't provide for your household you are worse than an infidel and have denied the faith (1 Timothy 5:8), yet start with Peter who was married, and left his employment and means of income to follow Christ, so was he an infidel?

Thanks,

When someone is a close relative, friend, employee, business partner, etc. to someone who is not wanting to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that person has to follow the direction that the Lord has laid out for his or her life instead of letting the one who rejects God influence them in the other direction. It is more important to love God than any person or thing.

This idea of leaving mother, father, brother, sister, wife, etc. has to do with whether the Christian will lay down their life and carry the cross that God has allowed to be put in their life. It’s all about will, our will or God’s will. Jesus prayed, “father take this cup from me, nevertheless not my will but thine.” We should be the same way, die to our own will, and let God’s will lead our lives. This is what the rich ruler refused to do when he wouldn’t follow Jesus.

This next scripture is one to consider with this thought.

Mat 19:12 For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.

No, you don't leave your wife and kids.

Members,

I don't want to leave my wife and kids. I was just wanting clarification into what Jesus meant by leaving your wife,etc. If he meant permanently or for a time.

Murray

So it is alright for me to leave my wife and kids as long as it is for the Kingdom of God. What do you think?

In our culture, the connotation of "leaving" your wife or kids is such that you are doing so in a relationship-ending manner. I think what Christ is suggesting here is not that a person is leaving in divorce, or breaking the bond of the relationship, or leaving without consent of the wife, but is speaking moreso of how a soldier leaves behind everything to goto war. When a soldier goes off to war, he may leave behind a wife, but his wife graciously bids goodbye fully realizing the sacrifice they both are making.

Obviously, Jesus should always be first in our life. And undoubtedly, God honors the vow we make on our marriage day, uniting two into one. If there is one thing I have learned in my marriage is that God would never unite two people only to divide them later. This means that if my wife and I are in disagreement, God is not there. Anytime there is a disagreement, I quickly seek verification from the Lord. It could be that I am the one who is mistaken.

Obviously, if the Lord is going to call a person away from his or her spouse, he will prepare both. He will put a desire in the heart of the person to go, and a desire in the heart of other to let go. It is awesome that a man would leave his wife to serve the Lord if the Lord should ask. However, it is even more awesome that a wife should make the sacrifice of giving her husband to the Lord and supporting him in going. This is a mutual act of love on both the part of the husband and wife.

A man should not leave his wife if it is done with any selfish motive. He should especially not divorce her. And truly, if any man loved his wife sincerely, he would always consider her needs. He would not take off unless she was well cared for.

Lastly, you asked "is alright for me." I think it's interesting you used these words whether intentional or not. It is almost as to say, "Can I?"

Think about the heart motives behind such a question. "Is it alright for me"....it almost seems like there is a desire to leave. If a man truly loved his wife, would he ever desire to leave her?

I don't think the Lord would ever ask a man to leave his wife that wanted to leave his wife. The Lord, when asking a man to leave his wife, is asking for a sacrifice. He is asking for the man to leave everything behind to give complete service to the Lord. If the man wants to leave his wife, then he is being selfish. He is not loving his wife as he should. If the man cannot love his wife, then how can he love the Lord?

I am not saying this is you or your motives. I am just presenting this to provoke thought. Something to consider.

In Christ,
Blake

Blake,

Very perceptive. Truthfully I do not want to leave my wife. What I was alluding to is there must be people that have used the aforementioned scripture to justify leaving their wives. By saying "Well, God called me to leave you. Take care".

I have to be more careful of how I pose questions in the future.

Murray

Well, to maybe put your question in perspective, did he stop providing for his household? If he did, whats your reasoning for thinking such?

That is a good point, yet how could Peter hold down a full time job when he was with Jesus 24/7?
Also, look at the testimony of George Mueller. Sometimes they would run out of food, then pray, and right when they needed it there it was. He was entrusted with 90 orphanages, and the gift of seeing the living GOD in daily, and hourly ways. I am also reminded of William Carey who went to India without the promise of income, and he took his wifeand two sons. It seems to me that in our day these men would be ridiculed because they were not "providing".
Also, I think what our brother mur was asking is would it be ok for a season, not divorce. I would say yes, if it is in HIS plan for you. It gets difficult sometimes because we as husbands are constantly faced with pleasing GOD, or pleasing man(woman), and sometimes these do not go the one with the other. :-P