Some should not marry

Matt 19:10-12 His disciples say unto Him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. But He said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. 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.

Godly wisdom tells us that marriage is a sacred rite that was ordained by God when He said thatit is not good that the man should be alone (Gen. 2:18).The moral and spiritual ethics found in th book of Proverbs tell us thatwhoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favor of the Lord (Prov. 18:22).Indeed, marriage is good for most men and women, however there are exceptions. For instance when brawling, contention, and nager exist between a man and woman, it is certainly better that they do not enter into a marriage union with one another (See Prov. 221:9 and 21:19). Choosing your future spouse is not to be taken lightly. One must seriously and thoroughly examine the character of a prospective husband or wife in order to assure continued compatability after marriage.

However, in the lesson text there seemed to be a serious misunderstanding about marriage. One must understand that at the time of Jesus’ teaching, Jewish marriage standards were extremely low. Most Jews at this time thought it impossible to live up to the ideal standards that were originally commanded by God. Therefore they sought relief from the strictness of God’s law by relying only on the written divorcement allowed by Moses. Although God winked at the divorce exception Moses allowed, Jesus told them that it was only for a certain time in Jewish history, but from the beginning it was not so. Realizing Jesus was condemning them for their lax marriage standards that did not comply with the will of God, His disciples made this statement hoping that He would give an answer of clarification. They said, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. That is, if a displeasing woman could not be given a writing of divorcement, a man shouldn’t marry her in the first place. By this they indicated that because God’s marriage laws are so rigid, and His standards of a union between a man and a woman were so high, they thought it would be almost impossible to abide by His laws. Therefore, they thought it would be much better for them to remain unmarried.

Godly wisdom tells us that marriage is a sacred rite that was ordained by God when He said thatit is not good that the man should be alone (Gen. 2:18).The moral and spiritual ethics found in th book of Proverbs tell us thatwhoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favor of the Lord (Prov. 18:22).Indeed, marriage is good for most men and women, however there are exceptions. For instance when brawling, contention, and nager exist between a man and woman, it is certainly better that they do not enter into a marriage union with one another (See Prov. 221:9 and 21:19). Choosing your future spouse is not to be taken lightly. One must seriously and thoroughly examine the character of a prospective husband or wife in order to assure continued compatability after marriage.

Jesus agreed with them, but qualified His answer with the word “if.” Jesus did not condemn either engaging in marriage or remaining unmarried. God’s laws of marriage are plain and simple, but all men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. At certain times and under many of life’s conditions, marriage between a man and a woman should be delayed or, in many instances, refrained from entirely. Where pressing circumstances arise, when separation is inevitable for a period of time, when families are not as cordial as they should be, or because of persecution, inability to earn necessary living, etc., marriage often needs to be deferred until civil and economic conditions are more stable – more suitable for establishing and maintaining a new family.

Jesus also refers to a certain infirmary as a reason to abstain from marriage. If a man is a eunuch by birth or by choice, it is necessary to refrain from marriage. The term “eunuch” refers to a man that had been emasculated; that had his testicles removed, and without his reproductive organs, had no sexual desire. Jesus says that some men are born being reproductively incompetent, and thus are not suitable for marriage. Some men have been made eunuchs forcefully or by their own choice. In biblical days, such men were selected to serve rulers and, because they had no sexual desires, were placed in charge over numerous wives, concubines, households or harem quarters. In such cases, these men were physically incapable of marriage and had no physical desire to enter into such relationships. Jesus continues by saying that some eunuchs have not been surgically emasculated, but have simply mentally subdued and divested their sexual passion by choice. This was probably the case with the apostle Paul, who chose to remain unmarried in order to devote his life to serving God and the cause of Christ (See 1 Cor. 7:7; 9:5). He that is able to receive it, let him receive it. This statement by Jesus means that any man (or woman) that has reason and desire to remain unmarried, it is sanctioned by God, therefore let them feel free to do so.