The Math That Changes Everything

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh." 
Matthew 19:5-6 (NIV)

Ever wonder why Mayberry was such a peaceful town on The Andy Griffith Show? Nobody was married! Andy, Aunt Bea, Barney, Floyd, Howard, and Goober were all single. The only married person was Otis, and he stayed drunk all the time!

The reality is that marriage is hard work. But Jesus explains something mathematically impossible that makes it worth it. In marriage, 1+1=1. Matthew 19:5-6 says a man and woman "become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh." When God sees a parent and child, He sees two. When He sees siblings, He sees two. But when He sees a husband and wife, He sees one.

This is marriage's primary purpose. It’s not just about having children, it’s about two people becoming one. That's why divorce is so devastating. You're not dividing two; you're trying to split one. 

Go back to the math you learned in school. Think about how a prime number cannot be divided. That's what God does in marriage. He takes a male and a female and makes them indivisible.

Instead of sighing because your marriage feels impossibly hard this week, pause before going to bed and spend some time praying together: "God, you've made us one. Help us remember we're on the same team." Then take your spouse’s hand, and commit to fight for your marriage, not against each other.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for making my spouse and I one flesh. When we feel divided, remind us we're indivisible in Your eyes. When we think more about being right than being righteous, help us fight for unity, not against each other. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.