Leo Tolstoy Archive
Written: 1908
Source: From RevoltLib.com
Transcription/Markup: Andy Carloff
Online Source: RevoltLib.com; 2021
Another time Pharisees came to Jesus and began to ask him whether a husband can leave his wife and take another wife. And Jesus said to them: “You know that a child can have only one father and one mother. That is established by God. And therefore people must not violate what was established by God. If a person violates what was established by God, and lets his wife go, and moves in with another, he does the triple evil – to himself, to his wife, and to other people. He does evil to himself by getting used to lewdness. He does evil to his wife when he leaves her by driving her to sin. He does evil to other people by seducing them through setting a bad example of the adultery.” And the disciples said to Jesus: “It is too hard to live with one wife. If one has to live with one wife until death, regardless what kind of person she might be, then it is better not to marry at all.” And Jesus told them: “You could not marry; but only if someone wants to live without his wife, then he has to be completely clean and not to think about women. It’s good for someone to live that way, but who cannot do that, he has to marry and live with one wife until death and not be seduced by other women.” (Matthew 19, 3-12)
Questions:
1) What is the female seduction?
2) Why no one should change wives?
3) What is the evil, if a man divorces his wife?
4) What did Jesus' disciples respond to his words?
5) And what did Jesus answer them about that?