»Moses,« He replied, »in consideration of the hardness of your nature permitted you to put away your wives, but it has not been so from the beginning.
»Why then,« said they, »did Moses command the husband to give her `a written notice of divorce,' and so put her away?«
And I tell you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except her unfaithfulness, and marries another woman, commits adultery.«
»Let it be so on this occasion,« Jesus replied; »for so we ought to fulfil every religious duty.« Then he consented;
So the demons entreated Him. »If Thou drivest us out,« they said, »send us into the herd of swine.«
»It was in consideration of your stubborn hearts,« said Jesus, »that Moses enacted this law for you;
Later still He showed Himself to the Eleven themselves whilst they were at table, and He upbraided them with their unbelief and obstinacy in not having believed those who had seen Him alive.
Thus much in the way of concession, not of command.