Did Jesus say adultery is the only grounds for divorce?

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said this about divorce and remarriage: It has been said, “Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.” But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. (Matthew 5:31-32, NIV) The words of Jesus are meant to impart life, but a misreading of this passage can bring condemnation and despair. Women have even been beaten and killed on account of this passage. They’ve been told, “You cannot leave your violent and abusive husband unless he’s been unfaithful.” If your spouse is intimate with another person, you can walk away. But if they beat you, you have to stay there and take it. Really? Was Jesus saying that infidelity is the only legitimate grounds for divorce? Was he deaf to the cries of those suffering domestic violence? Something doesn’t add up. Jesus came to defend women against all forms of violence and abuse. In the first century, Jewish women suffered abuse in the form of quickie divorces and abandonment. This is the issue Jesus was addressing in the Sermon on [...]