Dear Christian friends:

The family is the basis or foundation of a nation. History shows that when the family became weak and failed the nations collapsed.

Today in the USA we see that our families are weak and failing. Men are living together with men and women with women. Gays and lesbians are multiplying. A man and a woman will live together for a time but not get married. Of those who do get married, one-half later get a divorce. Many families today have only a mother and no father or only a father and not a mother. Our state and church institutions are full of orphans. Aids and other venereal diseases are epidemic. It seems that the USA is near collapse. Russia will not destroy our nation. We will destroy ourselves by our own sin and wickedness, by our rebellion against God's laws and ways.

Also we Christians are often agreeing with the unbelievers and are accepting their wrong ways. We need to hear again of God's law and way for the family. We need to repent and become a good influence on our nation.

In our text Jesus reminds us about God's law and plan for the family. He reminds us that


1. God has instituted marriage.
2. God blesses married couples with children.

Marriage is God's idea and plan for the happiness of the people. Marriage is not man's idea or plan. God has established marriage and He protects it with His laws. Many people today do not believe that and accept that.

In our text Jesus refers back to the beginning of the world when God made Adam and Eve. Jesus says, "When God made the world in the beginning, He made them male and female." (verse 6)

First, Jesus shows with these words that marriage is God's idea and plan. God made Adam a male and God made Eve a female. God did not make Eve a male like Adam. He made a woman to have sexual union with a man. God did not make Adam and Steve; He made Adam and Eve. Gays and lesbians are rebelling against God's marriage plan! We Christians must not agree with gays and lesbians that their way of living is right. We must call them to repent.

Secondly, Jesus shows here that sexual union should be between one man and one woman in marriage. A man should have sexual union only with his wife, and a woman should have sexual union only with her husband. Married persons must not do adultery, and unmarried persons should refrain from sexual union and wait until they are married. God has decided that sexual intercourse should happen between a man and a woman in marriage. This is for the protection and support of the family. With sexual permission and pleasure is joined responsibility and commitment. This is God's arrangement!

And this responsibility and commitment in marriage is for a person's whole life, until death. In our text Jesus says, "A man shall leave his father and mother, and live with his wife; and the two shall become one flesh. They are not henceforth two, but one flesh. Therefore, the two God has joined together, let not man separate." (verses 7-9) God does not want married persons to get a divorce. He does not want married persons to do adultery or other wrong things that cause divorce. When a man marries a woman and has sex with her those two become one flesh. They are not anymore two but one. They are promised to each other and responsible for each other until death. They should not do adultery, but love each other and keep each other until death separates them.

As many of you know, this is not easy. We have problems and troubles in marriage because we are sinners. In our text we read that the Pharisees asked Jesus, "Does our Law permit a man to divorce his wife?" Jesus said to them, "What did Moses command you?" They answered, "Moses let a man write a divorce paper and send away his wife." Jesus answered, "Moses wrote this Law for you because you have hard hearts." (verses 2-5) We also have hard hearts like these Jewish people. We are often stubborn and selfish. Therefore we do wrongs and sins against one another. Also husband and wife often do wrongs and sins against each other. We need God's mercy and help in marriage. Husband and wife need Jesus. As God forgives the husband and wife their sins against Him in Jesus' name, so the husband and wife must learn to forgive each other in Jesus' name. If husband and wife both believe in Jesus and forgive each other in Jesus' name, they can continue to love each other and not get a divorce. With God's help in Jesus they can stay married until death.

So we see that God has established marriage and protects it with His good and wise laws, and in His mercy keeps it. We Christians need to believe this and tell the world. We also need to know that God blesses a married couple with children. This also many people today do not believe and accept.

We read in the Bible, "God created man in His own image, in the image of God created in Him; male and female created He them. And God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and multiply." (Genesis 1:27-28) One of the purposes of marriage is that babies can be born into the world and can be protected and raised up to become good people on the earth. Parents should receive their children as blessings from God. They should remember that they do not own the children. God owns the children. Parents are the stewards of the children for God. They should raise up and train their children to know God and believe in Him and serve Him all their life on earth. God expects that of the parents.

Again, this is not an easy responsibility. Parents need God's help. In our text we read how some parents brought their children to Jesus that He could touch them and bless them. So parents today must bring their children to Jesus in Baptism, in Sunday School and in church. Parents have the responsibility to see that their children learn God's Word. The church can help them in that duty.

God has established marriage and the family for our good. Let us believe this and obey His laws about marriage and the family. Then God will bless our homes and nation.

Amen.