Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, elevates the standard of righteousness beyond mere legal obedience, calling His listeners to a deeper, heart-level commitment that reflects God’s original design for marriage. He reaffirms the sanctity of marriage as a divine institution established at creation, where a man and woman become one flesh, and thus no human authority can dissolve what God has joined. While acknowledging that sexual immorality provides biblical grounds for divorce, Jesus emphasizes that reconciliation should always be the first and preferred path, not an escape from responsibility. The sermon underscores that modern cultural views of marriage—marked by unrealistic expectations and easy dissolution—contradict the biblical vision of marriage as a covenant reflecting God’s faithful love. Ultimately, Jesus calls His followers to pursue holiness, grace, and restoration, seeing marriage not as a personal fulfillment but as a sacred reflection of divine loyalty, and urging the church to uphold this truth with both conviction and compassion.
