Jesus weighs in on the controversial subject of divorce. His opponents want him to land on one side or the other of an issue so his support can be divided. Jesus doesn鈥檛 appear to be intimidated and reminds them of God鈥檚 ideal for marriage. He also delivers counter-cultural messages by valuing children and not valuing wealth. As he tells his followers of his coming death, his disciples react by vying for prominence. How sad after all the time they have spent with Jesus, they still don鈥檛 understand.
Life does get complicated, but it鈥檚 important to point people back to God鈥檚 ideal. When achieving God鈥檚 ideal requires the cooperation of another person or undoing what can鈥檛 be undone, God鈥檚 ideal may not be achievable. Jesus makes it clear we don鈥檛 follow the norms of the culture but God鈥檚 desires.