A reading from the gospel according to Matthew 19:3-12

3 Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and tested him, saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?”
4 He said in reply, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said,
5 For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?
6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate.”
7 They said to him, “Then why did Moses command that the man give the woman a bill of divorce and dismiss her?”
8 He said to them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.
9 I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries another commits adultery.”
10 His disciples said to him, “If that is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.”
11 He answered, “Not all can accept this word, but only those to whom that is granted.
12 Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it.”

Reflection: Hardness of heart

Good News: God gave us the freedom to marry or not to marry for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven.

More often than not, people do something to be happy. They marry to be happy. Then they want divorce to be happy. Nothing really gives us real happiness except God.

The gospel reading reveals that even during the time of Jesus, divorce is a very controversial issue. Jesus’ stand is very clear. Marriage is sacred. What God has joined together, no one must separate. In the Old Testament, Moses allowed divorce because people were hardheaded.

Yet even today, this fact is tossed aside by many people. “Not all can accept this word”, Jesus said. And so, we are witnessing the rise of divorce rate everywhere. Except for a handful of countries, divorce is legal even for the most trivial reason.

That is why we keep on praying and discerning the will of God in our life. We keep on encouraging people to prepare their self very well before they decide to marry. We continue to help couples who are in danger of falling apart. We continue to engage everyone to always look at himself or herself as part of the Body of Christ. We endeavor to promote chastity as a virtue among the youth and to consider single blessedness as an option instead of rushing into an unplanned marriage.

May we keep an open heart and mind to God’s grace. He alone can satisfy our desire for companionship. He alone can give us the wisdom to understand what is best for us.

*****

In this Gospel reading, we encounter a profound teaching from Jesus on the sanctity of marriage and the call to faithfulness in our relationships. The Pharisees, testing Jesus, asked if it was lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason. Jesus responded by pointing them back to the very beginning, to God’s original design for marriage. “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female, and 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.”

Jesus’ words remind us that marriage is more than just a social contract; it is a sacred covenant, ordained by God Himself. In a world where commitments are often broken and relationships are easily discarded, this passage calls us to a higher standard, to view our relationships through the lens of God’s eternal purposes.

The disciples, realizing the weight of this teaching, remarked that it might be better not to marry if the standard is so high. But Jesus, understanding the challenges of commitment, acknowledged that not everyone can accept this word—only those to whom it has been given. He spoke of those who remain single for the sake of the kingdom, emphasizing that both marriage and singleness are callings from God, each requiring a heart fully devoted to Him.

This passage challenges us to examine our own lives and relationships. Are we committed to honoring the covenants we’ve made? Are we willing to embrace the call to faithfulness, even when it’s difficult? Whether we are called to marriage or singleness, the key is to live in a way that honors God, trusting that His design is perfect and His grace is sufficient.

In a culture that often prioritizes personal happiness and fulfillment, Jesus invites us to a deeper understanding of love and commitment, a love that mirrors His own for us, sacrificial, unwavering, and rooted in the truth. Let us, therefore, embrace the call to faithfulness, knowing that in doing so, we reflect the heart of God and fulfill His purposes in our lives.

See also: Matthew 18:15-20 Reflection