Jesus was pretty hard lined in that divorce was only allowed when fornication occurs. That's why I said it was above my pay scale when I referred to "other reasons for divorce".
Jesus was also hard lined on a lot of things. Including on the consequences of not following what He said.
He sometimes used a style of teaching where He says something pretty generically, easy to misunderstand. Then restates it from a different perspective. Then restates it again. Keeps hitting the same point and by the end its very hard to misunderstand. If you catch the pattern and consider in total, its very hard to misunderstand.
For example, take Matthew 7:13-29.
13 Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
ok, so lots of people are going to (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman). But that's just murders, rapists, people who hate God, right? Raise your hand if you love Jesus, we're all going to Heavan, right?
15 Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheeps clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So then, you will know them by their fruits.
wait, so its people who look one way, but are not really what they portray? not sure who we're talking about now...
21 Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? 23 And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.
WOW!!! the lots of people going to (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) in verses 13 and 14 call Jesus Lord and think they're serving him!
They lived their life thinking they were serving Jesus, but they ignored what he had told them to, so Jesus is rejecting them.
24 Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it felland great was its fall.
I thought this was just a little nursry rhyme for the kids to sing a song about? In the context it looks like its reiterating how seriously we need to take Bible teaching because the casual "Christians" are in trouble
28 When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; 29 for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
Yeah, no kidding. A lot of churches avoid or ignore what the Bible teaches today. But I guess he covered that back in verse 22.
a bit chilling, isn't it?
