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READER 1 |
Some Pharisees came to Jesus to test him. |
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READER 2 |
Test |
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READER 3 |
Trick |
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READER 4 |
Get him into trouble. |
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READER 1 |
They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?" |
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READER 2 |
Get him to take a position. |
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READER 3 |
Get him to stick his neck out on a controversial subject. |
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READER 4 |
Then turn the people against him. |
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READER 2 |
Test him. |
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READER 3 |
Trick him. |
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READER 1 |
"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' |
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READER 2 |
Male and female |
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READER 3 |
Woman and man. |
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READER 4 |
At the beginning. |
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READER 3 |
In the beginning. |
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READER 1 |
And God said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? |
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READER 2 |
One flesh. |
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READER 3 |
The two shall be come one. |
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READER 4 |
The two shall become one flesh. |
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READER 2 |
United. |
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READER 3 |
The man united to his wife. |
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READER 4 |
The wife united to her husband. |
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READER 2 |
The two become one. |
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READER 3 |
One flesh. |
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READER 1 |
So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." |
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READER 2 |
Let not man divide. |
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READER 3 |
Put asunder. |
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READER 4 |
Split up. |
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READER 1 |
"Why then," asked the Pharisees, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?" |
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READER 2 |
Command? What's this command? |
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READER 3 |
Well, then, "allow," "permit." |
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READER 4 |
Allow, permit. |
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READER 2 |
With a certificate. |
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READER 3 |
A legal paper |
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READER 4 |
Legally ending the marriage |
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READER 2 |
And allowing both parties to remarry. |
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READER 1 |
Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. |
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READER 3 |
In the beginning it was not so. |
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READER 4 |
No, in the beginning God desired the two to become one. |
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READER 2 |
One flesh. |
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READER 3 |
In the beginning it was not so. |
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READER 4 |
But because of your hardness of heart. |
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READER 2 |
Because of your sinfulness and selfishness. |
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READER 3 |
Because of you always had to be right |
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READER 4 |
Right, if not truly righteous |
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READER 2 |
Moses permitted divorce |
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READER 3 |
Permitted |
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READER 4 |
For your hardness of heart. |
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READER 1 |
I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery." |
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READER 2 |
That's hard. |
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READER 3 |
Difficult. |
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READER 4 |
Hard for us, that is. |
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READER 2 |
Hard for us hard-hearted people. |
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READER 1 |
The disciples said to him, "If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry." |
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READER 2 |
It's too hard. |
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READER 3 |
It's too rigid. |
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READER 4 |
It's better not to marry. |
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READER 1 |
Jesus replied, "Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given." |
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READER 2 |
We can't accept it. |
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READER 3 |
Few can. |
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READER 4 |
Our hearts are hard. |
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READER 2 |
But in the beginning it was not so. |
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READER 3 |
In the beginning God made them one flesh |
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READER 4 |
And intended them to remain together. |
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READER 2 |
Love is the key to marriage. |
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READER 3 |
Not just the ooshy-gooshy love |
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READER 4 |
Not just romantic love |
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READER 2 |
Or erotic love. |
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READER 3 |
But agape love |
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READER 4 |
Self-giving love |
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READER 2 |
Love inspired by the Spirit of God |
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READER 3 |
Love inspired by the presence of Jesus |
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READER 1 |
Not everyone can accept this word |
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READER 2 |
Not everyone can receive it |
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READER 3 |
But love is the antidote to divorce |
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READER 4 |
Love is the fulfilling of the Law. |
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READER 2 |
That loves a neighbor as one's self |
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READER 3 |
That loves a husband |
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ALL |
As one's self |
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READER 4 |
That loves a wife |
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ALL |
As one's self |
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READER 2 |
Love can do it. |
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READER 3 |
Love can bring us back full circle. |
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READER 4 |
Back to the beginning |
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READER 1 |
Where the two shall become one |
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READER 2 |
Shall remain one |
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ALL |
In the presence of their God. |
on Colossians after Easter
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JesusWalk: Beginning the
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