Greetings in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26)
Imagine a courtroom, a place where every action is measured by laws, every decision scrutinized by rules. A man stands accused, not because he has done something criminal, but because he has found a loophole in the system. The judge sighs, recognizing the spirit of the law has been lost to endless technicalities. Instead of seeking justice, people search for ways to bend the rules without breaking them.
This is exactly what was happening when the Pharisees came to Jesus with a question about divorce. Divorce was not just a legal issue—it was a deeply personal, political, and moral one. It was a topic that had led to the death of John the Baptist, who had condemned King Herod’s unlawful marriage. The Pharisees were not simply asking Jesus for wisdom; they were setting a trap, hoping to catch Him in a statement that would either alienate the people or bring Him into conflict with the authorities.
But Jesus, as always, responded in a way that exposed the deeper issue—not just about marriage, but about the human heart. Instead of debating laws and legalities, He pointed back to the very beginning, to God’s original design for marriage. He revealed that divorce was never part of God’s plan but was permitted only because of the hardness of human hearts.
Today, we will explore:
1. How legalism reveals the brokenness of our hearts,
2. Why God allows loopholes, not as a way out but as a demonstration of His mercy, and
3. How God’s ultimate desire is not rule-following but heart transformation.
Through this, we will see that God’s love is not about regulations but about redemption.
The Law and the Hardened Heart
The Pharisees were known for their meticulous adherence to religious laws. They saw themselves as the guardians of righteousness, the enforcers of God’s commands. But despite their devotion to the law, they often missed its deeper purpose. They approached Jesus with a question about divorce, not because they sought wisdom, but because they wanted to test Him. They asked, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” (Matthew 19:3).
Jesus didn’t engage in a legal debate. Instead, He pointed them back to the very foundation of marriage. “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?” (Matthew 19:4-5).
In this response, Jesus reminded them that marriage was not merely a legal contract but a divine covenant. God designed marriage to be a sacred, lifelong union—a reflection of His love, faithfulness, and commitment. It was never meant to be broken. But the Pharisees, unwilling to accept this, pushed back. They pointed to Moses, saying, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” (Matthew 19:7).
Their question revealed their true focus. They weren’t interested in God’s heart—they wanted to justify their own actions. They weren’t seeking God’s will—they were looking for loopholes. They referenced Moses as if divorce had always been part of God’s plan.
Jesus’ response was piercing and direct: “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so” (Matthew 19:8). Divorce was never God’s intention. It was never His desire. It was allowed only because human hearts had become too hardened to live according to His perfect design.
This moment exposed the true issue—not the legality of divorce, but the condition of the heart. The Pharisees believed that righteousness could be measured by outward actions, by rule-keeping and law-following. But Jesus saw beyond their legalism. He knew that rules could regulate behavior, but they could never transform the heart.
A hardened heart resists God’s will. It justifies sin. It looks for ways around the truth instead of embracing it. This was what Jesus was addressing. He wasn’t interested in technicalities—He was interested in transformation. God’s concern has never been about loopholes; it has always been about love.
Even today, people search for justifications, for ways to bend God’s commands to fit their desires. But Jesus’ words remind us that true righteousness is not about finding legal exits—it’s about surrendering to God’s heart.
God’s law was given not as a burden but as a guide to lead us into His best. But when we refuse to listen, when we look for excuses instead of truth, we reveal the hardness of our hearts. And yet, even in this, God’s love remains. He does not leave us in our hardness. He calls us to something greater—to a heart that is tender, responsive, and willing to follow His perfect design.
Why God Allows Loopholes
If marriage is sacred, why did God allow divorce? If His law is perfect, why did He provide an exception? These questions lead us to something profound about God’s nature—His justice and His mercy working together.
Jesus explained that the certificate of divorce was allowed “because of the hardness of your hearts” (Matthew 19:8). In an ideal world, where love was pure and hearts were unbroken, there would be no need for divorce. But God knew the reality of sin—betrayal, abuse, and the failure to uphold commitments. Rather than allowing endless cruelty and oppression, He provided a way to protect the vulnerable.
Yet, God’s purpose was never to promote divorce as an easy escape. Instead, He placed a safeguard around it: “Whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery” (Matthew 19:9). This was not about making rules stricter but about pointing people back to His original design. It was a call to uphold the sanctity of marriage, not to exploit loopholes for selfish gain.
God’s character is revealed in how He deals with human weakness. He does not abandon people when they fail, nor does He lower His standard of holiness. Instead, He provides a path of redemption. This has been His pattern throughout history. When Israel broke their covenant with Him, He sent prophets to call them back. When people repeatedly failed, He remained faithful. And when humanity could not keep the law, He sent Jesus—not to abolish it, but to fulfill it.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17)
Loopholes exist because God understands our frailty. But they are not meant to be exploited. When people manipulate rules to serve their desires, they miss the point entirely. God does not create exceptions to excuse sin—He creates them as acts of grace, knowing our weakness and offering a way to turn back to Him.
Even today, the world is filled with laws and regulations, yet people always find ways to justify their desires. They redefine marriage, shift moral boundaries, and legalize what was once condemned. But the truth remains: no law can make people righteous. No rule can change the human heart. Only God can do that.
Jesus’ words in Matthew 19 were not about debating policies; they were about transforming hearts. He wanted people to see that true obedience is not about technicalities but about surrendering to God’s perfect design. A heart aligned with God does not look for loopholes; it seeks to honor Him in all things.
God’s ultimate goal is not just to enforce rules but to restore broken people. The law exists to point us to our need for Him. And in His mercy, He provides grace—not as a license to sin, but as a path to redemption.
The Pharisees came to Jesus looking for legal justification, but He pointed them to something greater. His answer was not about what they could get away with, but about what they were called to be—people transformed by His love.
A Heart That God Desires
After hearing Jesus’ response, the disciples were stunned. They reacted by saying, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry” (Matthew 19:10). Their words reveal how deeply flawed human thinking had become. Instead of seeing marriage as a beautiful covenant designed by God, they saw it as an overwhelming burden, something too difficult to uphold.
Their reaction highlights a common struggle—when God’s standards seem too high, people either seek loopholes or choose to walk away entirely. But Jesus wasn’t setting an impossible requirement; He was pointing to a deeper truth. The issue was never just about marriage or divorce—it was always about the heart.
Jesus summarized all of God’s commandments in two simple but profound truths: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). If love is at the center of our hearts, there is no need for an endless list of rules, regulations, and exceptions. A heart that is truly aligned with God will naturally desire to follow His will—not out of obligation, but out of love.
But what happens when we fail? Because the truth is, we will fail. Our love will be imperfect, our hearts will stray, and our actions will fall short of God’s perfect design. If God’s standard is perfection, where does that leave us?
This is where the greatest act of love comes in. God, fully aware of our inability to meet His standard, did something even more incredible than offering loopholes—He gave up His Son. The cross is the ultimate expression of His love, the final and complete solution for our failures.
Jesus’ sacrifice did not lower God’s standard; it fulfilled it. He took upon Himself all our brokenness, our sin, and our inability to uphold the law. Through His death and resurrection, He made a way for us to be forgiven, not because we are worthy, but because He is merciful. Romans 5:8 reminds us, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
God’s heart has never been about punishing failure—it has always been about redemption. He does not look at us with condemnation when we struggle. Instead, He invites us into a relationship with Him, where His love transforms us from the inside out.
So often, we focus on external behaviors, trying to prove our righteousness or justify our actions. But God looks deeper. He desires hearts that are surrendered to Him, hearts that seek Him above all else. Ezekiel 36:26 expresses His promise: “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
God is not after rule-followers—He is after hearts that are fully His. And when we give Him our hearts, everything else falls into place.
Summary: The Invitation to Transformation
The Pharisees came to Jesus expecting a legal debate, but what they received was something far more profound—a revelation of God’s heart. They were seeking justification for human actions, but Jesus directed them to something greater: the call to love, the need for redemption, and the invitation to true transformation.
God is not interested in outward rule-keeping for its own sake. His desire has always been for hearts that are aligned with Him. The loopholes in the law were not given as an excuse to sin but as an act of mercy for humanity’s weakness. He knew that we would fail, so He made a way—not through regulations but through redemption.
But loopholes were never meant to be the final answer. The cross is. Jesus took every failure, every hardened heart, and every broken relationship and carried them to Calvary. In doing so, He lifted the crushing weight of legalism and replaced it with the freedom of His grace.
It is easy to judge others for their failures while ignoring our own. But God does not cast us away for our sins. Instead, He meets us with open arms, always ready to forgive, always ready to renew.
No matter where you have been, no matter how broken your past, God’s love is greater. He is calling you—not with condemnation, but with grace. The question is, will you accept His invitation? Will you come to Him and be transformed by His love?
Let’s pray together to God.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your mercy and grace. We confess that our hearts have often sought loopholes rather than true obedience. Yet, in Your love, You have not condemned us but have invited us into transformation through Jesus Christ. Help us to trust You fully, to surrender our hardened hearts, and to embrace the freedom of Your grace. Teach us to love as You love, to forgive as You forgive, and to walk in the beauty of Your design for our lives. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2)