Day Nineteen – Monday, January 27, 2025

One Year Journey Through the New Testament

Matthew 19

Welcome to our journey through the New Testament!

Instruction About Divorce

Mark 10:1–16; Luke 18:15–17 (Parallel)

1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. ² And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there.

³ The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?”

⁴ And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ ⁵ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? ⁶ So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

⁷ They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?”

⁸ He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. ⁹ And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”

¹⁰ His disciples said to Him, “If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.”

¹¹ But He said to them, “All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: ¹² For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it.”

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Mt 19:1–12.

Points to Ponder:

• At the end of Jesus’ latest parable and instructional teaching, He left Galilee and went to Judea across the Jordan River (modern-day Jordan). Multitudes followed to be healed and were healed.
• Amid all this great ministry, the Pharisees decided to try to trick Jesus with more questions. They asked if a man could divorce his wife for just any reason.
• Jesus quoted Scripture from Genesis and 1 Corinthians saying that marriage is a melding of souls and flesh that should not be torn apart, even saying that once two are joined together as one in the sight of God that no man should attempt to separate them.
• They alluded to Moses allowance for divorce in order to dispute His teaching.
• Jesus, though, said that Moses simply made a concession to satisfy the hard hearts of the people of his day, but Jesus pointed out that divorce was not allowed in the beginning of time. He then pronounced judgment on those who divorce for any other reason besides sexual immorality.
• The disciples stated that because of that reason, it is better not to marry.
• Jesus did not disagree, but pointed out that not everyone could live by that restriction. He stated that some are who can live a life of abstinence, but they are few. He settled in strongly on the truth that marriage was a lifetime commitment.

Allow the Little Children

¹³ Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴ But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” ¹⁵ And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Mt 19:13–15.

Points to Ponder:

• In this passage, the disciples shunned children that were brought to Jesus for prayer.
• Jesus corrected them, though, and invited the children to come and told His disciples not to forbid them. He said that the kingdom of heaven is made up of the childlike.
• Jesus prayed for the children and then they left the area where they were ministering.

Rich Young Ruler (All Things Are Possible)

Mark 10:17–27; Luke 18:18–27 (Parallel)

¹⁶ Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

¹⁷ So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

¹⁸ He said to Him, “Which ones?”Jesus said, “ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ¹⁹ ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

²⁰ The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”

²¹ Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

²² But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.²³ Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁵ When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁶ But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Mt 19:16–26.

Points to Ponder:

• Once Jesus and disciples arrived in a new area, someone came to Jesus (Good Teacher) and asked what good thing he could do to have eternal life.
• Jesus told Him not to call Him good, because no one is good but God. This was a curious response to me. He then advised the young man to keep the commandments.
• He asked Jesus which commandments he should keep.
• Jesus named off some of the basics, and the young man confirmed that he had kept those since a young boy. He asked what else he could do.
• Jesus then told Him something radical. He told him to sell all his goods and give the proceeds to the poor, and follow Jesus.
• When he heard this suggestion, he went away said, unwilling to sell all his goods. He was wealthy and had great possessions.
• Jesus then told His disciples that it is hard for a rich man to go to heaven. He further used an analogy that it is harder for a rich man to go to heaven than it is for a came to go through the eye of a needle. There is a story told that a particularly tight opening was called the “eye of the needle.” Almost everyone had to dismount from a camel to get through it, if at all. May camels still could not fit, and the rider would have to take a path around that particular area. This is supposedly that to which Jesus alluded here.
• The disciples then said, “Who then can be saved?”
• Jesus then utters the very encouraging statement, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” This hopeful statement helps me, when things are hard, to believe for the possiblity that God is able to do what I cannot.

The Apostles’ Reward

Mark 10:28–30; Luke 18:28–30 (Parallel)

²⁷ Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?”

²⁸ So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹ And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. ³⁰ But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Mt 19:27–30.

Points to Ponder:

• Peter announced to Jesus that he and the other disciples had left everything to follow Him. This may have been in response to Jesus’ advice to the rich young ruler. He then followed up by asking what they would have as a reward.
• Jesus told Him that in the regeneration (in heaven) when the Son of Man sits on the throne in glory, those who followed Him, specifically the twelve, would sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
• He promises that anyone who left family or possessions for His sake would receive a hundred old blesssing in return, and have eternal life.
• He offers on caveat, though. The first will be last, and the last will be first. Do not think of yourself highly, but submissively follow Christ.
• Lord, help us to be your humble servants, without needing praise or reward, for Your reward for us in heaven is more than enough.

__________________________________________________________________________

All Scriptures from New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

Join us this afternoon at 5:00 pm for a discussion of this chapter live online. Live@5 with Dr. Greg Sloop can be found on Facebook on the Dr. Greg Sloop page or on the Kannapolis Church of God Facebook page or Youtube page.