More than a piece of paper

According to Deuteronomy, a man who sent his wife away had to give her a certificate of divorce. That document protected her: she could prove she was free to marry again. As a rule, only the man could divorce. The exception for sexual immorality appears only in Matthew.

Jesus puts the responsibility on the man who sends her away. A neatly completed certificate doesn't make it right. You can't let someone go and leave the consequences with her. This saying is painful for many people who have been through a divorce. Churches deal with it in different ways.