The "Escape Clause"

When it comes to divorce many people say "divorce is permissable if your spouse has committed adultery." They think of adultery as an "escape clause". They get this idea from reading Matthew 5:32:

"But 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."

- Matthew 5:32 NIV

I suggest that those who say this text allows divorce in certain cases are missing the whole point. Jesus did not allow divorce if adultery was involved. In fact, listen to the disciples' response when they heard what He said:

"The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”

- Matthew 19:10 NIV

Wow!

To read this accurately, think of it this way... What if Jesus said:

"Throwing a cup of water on someone, unless they are already wet, will make them wet!"

This doesn't justify throwing water on a wet person! It's about wetness being caused. You can't now cause something that happened in the past. I believe Jesus is saying "you can't cause a woman who is already an adulteress to become an adulteress."

Jesus' larger point was: "Divorce Causes Adultery." He wasn't writing an "escape clause." He was saying the opposite: There is no "escape clause"!

I believe that our churches will take a step back toward the light when we stop teaching that the "escape clause" exists.