Jesus is speaking to a group of people and he makes reference to some culturally current concepts like: "I wish I could have that one over there, and my wife is bothering me, how can I get rid of her."

So what does he say?  He says: "Don't even entertain the idea of having that one over there because you've already got one, and then he says as long as she's faithful to you, you have to be faithful to her."

Then he constructs a hypothetical divorce situation.  He says if your wife has an affair with another man (In our culture, we would say person), you can divorce her, (but nothing says you have to).  People are then quick to conclude on their own that the innocent person is free to remarry, but really it just says that the innocent woman is in a terrible category.

Then he talks about the consequences of the divorce after two people have split up for any reason other than having an affair.  He says the innocent woman will get forced into the position of adulteress, and then the next guy who marries her will commit adultery.  Funny how it doesn't have a name for the guy that initiated the illegitimate divorce, but it's probably safe to say that we can call him an adulterer whether he remarries or not.

It's interesting to see that Jesus made his primary reference to the harm that a divorce would do to the innocent woman.  He didn't say, "You're in big trouble if you do that."  That doesn't mean one wouldn't be.  It's important to note that Jesus doesn't use threatening language.

So here we are in a world where everyone is divorced, or statistically favored to be someday. (I'm married, never divorced by the way) People are going to want to get remarried after divorce and the reasons for their divorces are never clear.  What do we say that's the right thing for them but won't compromise biblical integrity or give license to other people who want to get divorced?

Frankly, I don't know what to say.  If you tell me the answer you want, I'll bet I can come up with a pretty good supportive argument either way, but I don't want to be a lawyer, so I'm not going to do that.

Paul said it is good to remain as you are.

1 Cor 7:26 - 40
26  Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for you to remain as you are.
27  Are you married? Do not seek a divorce. Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife.
28  But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.
29  What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none;
30  those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep;
31  those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them.  For this world in its present form is passing away.
32  I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs--how he can please the Lord.
33  But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world--how he can please his wife--
34  and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world--how she can please her husband.
35  I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.
36  If anyone thinks he is acting improperly toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if she is getting along in years and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married.
37  But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin--this man also does the right thing.
38  So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does even better.
39  A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives.  But if her  husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord.
40  In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is--and I think that I too have the Spirit of God.

I don't think he was talking about the divorce problem.  I think he was talking about how becoming a Christian is more important than anything else.

Jesus had that short talk with the unfaithful woman in John 8:3.  He said stop doing that.

I keep seeing God as more of an advisor to people who have free will.  He says things like, if you do this, I think you've got a shot at success, but  if you do that, I think it's a short cut to unhappiness.  He's worth listening to.  He's been around for a while.  I don't think He likes divorce.

People get a lot of mileage out of this one.  They say the Christians are stuck, but the lucky unbelievers get to try again.  And they usually say that "not bound" in v.15 means the Christian is free to re-marry.

Unfortunately, not bound could also mean "not bound to the other person" so it's okay for the divorce as a single event, but then we're back to silence from this passage on what to say about re-marriage after a mixed marriage.

Just as an aside note, I've got to say the liberals really love this section.  They say v.10 is a strong line from God, but v.12 means that there's lots of stuff in the Bible that we don't have to worry too much about because it's just human opinion and not the inspired authoritative word of God.  I don't agree with the liberal position, but that's another discussion.

This is a hard ball topic.  People will pay big money if you can give them the answer they're looking for, but the real issue is what's the true meaning in these verses.

Maybe legal separation is the best advice in a bad situation.  It allows for future reconciliation.