‘And it came about that when Jesus had finished these words, he departed from Galilee, and came into the borders of Judaea in Beyond Jordan, and great crowds followed him, and he healed them there.' Once Jesus had completed His ministry in Galilee He set off for Jerusalem for the last time, coming i... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And there came to him some Pharisees, putting him to the test, and saying, “Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?” ' This particular group of Pharisees (no definite article) in Judaea clearly saw this question as an acid test of a prophet. Let Jesus now adjudicate on this fun... [ Continue Reading ]
ANALYSIS OF THE SECTION MATTHEW 19:3 TO MATTHEW 22:46. This whole Section may be analysed as follows: a Jesus' testing commences with a question about divorce. b Jesus questions the Pharisees about what the Scriptures say. Scripture has demonstrated that God is the Creator and Lord over all, and... [ Continue Reading ]
A PERIOD OF TESTING - JESUS PREPARES FOR THE NEW WORLD ORDER - JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM - TRIUMPHAL ENTRY - JESUS IS LORD (19:3-22). Having entered Judaea on the way to Jerusalem for His final visit, Jesus enters into a period of testing as to His status as a Prophet, a process which comes to completio... [ Continue Reading ]
MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE IN THE NEW AGE (19:3-12). . Having in chapter 18 laid down the principles on which His new congregation was to run Jesus will now begin to lay down the foundations of life in the new age in relation to marriage, divorce, and celibacy, humility as a basis for life, and attitudes... [ Continue Reading ]
THE TESTING OF JESUS BEGINS. THE PHARISEES CHALLENGE JESUS ABOUT DIVORCE (19:3-6). Jesus is now approaching Jerusalem through Judaea, and whatever route we see Him as taking Matthew's emphasis is on the fact that He has left Galilee and has entered Judaea (Matthew 19:1). Furthermore it is made clea... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he answered and said, “Have you not read, that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, ‘Have you not read?' Jesus then turned their attention to what the Scriptures did say, and that was that God had made man ‘male and female'. The two were to be seen as one. Genesis 1:2... [ Continue Reading ]
“And said, ‘For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?' ” Indeed that was the only ground on which it was right for a man to leave his father and mother. It was so that he might cleave to his wife with the result that th... [ Continue Reading ]
“So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.” And once the two have been joined in this way they are ‘one flesh'. They thereby reflect the image of God, the image of God's own unity. Thus what God has joined together man must not try... [ Continue Reading ]
‘They say to him, “Why then did Moses command to give a bill of divorce, and to put her away?” ' The Pharisees then triumphantly challenged Jesus on the basis of Deuteronomy 24:1. They could not deny what He had said about the creation ordinances in Genesis, but if He was right why had Moses ‘comma... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PHARISEES TRY TO ARGUE HIM DOWN ABOUT DIVORCE (19:7-9). The Pharisees were clearly taken aback by Jesus' words. They had expected Him to come down either on Shammai's side or on Hillel's. They had not expected Him to bring out that divorce was forbidden from the very beginning of creation. They... [ Continue Reading ]
‘He says to them, “Moses for your hardness of heart suffered you to put away your wives, but from the beginning it has not been so.” Jesus' reply was that Moses had not ‘commanded' the putting away of wives, but had simply ‘allowed' it. And that had only been because of the hardness of men's hearts... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And I say to you, Whoever shall put away his wife, except for fornication, and shall marry another, commits adultery, and he who marries her when she is put away commits adultery.” ' Thus in God's eyes if a man puts away his wife and marries another he commits adultery. And anyone who marries the... [ Continue Reading ]
‘The disciples say to him, “If the case of the man is so with his wife, it is not expedient to marry.” ' This comment was probably made by the disciples after the Pharisees had left the scene, the latter no doubt justifying their own position loudly as they went. It may well actually have been base... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS OFFERS THE OPPORTUNITY OF REMAINING UNMARRIED LIKE HIMSELF FOR THE SAKE OF THE KINGLY RULE OF HEAVEN (19:10-12). At this point there is a change of scenery. The Pharisees have probably departed and the disciples are now probably walking along with Jesus and following up on what He has said. It... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But he said to them, “Not all men can receive this saying, but they to whom it is given.” ' Jesus replied, “Not all men can receive this saying, but they to whom it is given.” There has been much dispute as to whether ‘this saying' refers to the disciples' saying in Matthew 19:10, “if the case of... [ Continue Reading ]
“For there are eunuchs, who were so born from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs, who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs, who made themselves eunuchs for the kingly rule of heaven's sake. He who is able to receive it, let him receive it.”. This view of Matthew 19:11 is confirme... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BASIS OF THE NEW KINGLY RULE IS TO BE HUMILITY - JESUS CALLS YOUNG CHILDREN TO HIM TO BE BLESSED, FOR THEY ARE AN EXAMPLE OF THOSE TO WHOM THE KINGLY RULE OF HEAVEN BELONGS (19:13-15). A change of view about marriage has indicated that the Kingly Rule of Heaven was now present among them, and Je... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Then were there brought to him little children, that he should lay his hands on them, and pray, and the disciples rebuked them.' The practise of mothers taking their children from one to twelve years old to the Scribes for God's blessing at certain feasts such as the Day of Atonement was well know... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But Jesus said, “Allow the little children, and forbid them not to come to me, for of such is the kingly rule of heaven.” ' Jesus' however, immediately disabuses them and tells them to allow the children to come to Him, and not to forbid them. The indication is that they are to be always ready to... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he laid his hands on them, and departed from there.' Having given His disciples this further lesson Jesus then laid His hands on the children, and no doubt prayed for them (as they had asked), before ‘departing' and going on His way towards Jerusalem. The children are thus made an important pa... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And behold, one came to him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” ' In Mark 10:17 this is rendered, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?' But that is simply a difference in emphasis in translation from the Aramaic. The young man had the ide... [ Continue Reading ]
THE RICH YOUNG MAN WHO DID NOT HAVE THE HUMILITY AND OPENNESS OF A LITTLE CHILD BECAUSE HE WAS TOO CAUGHT UP IN HIS RICHES AND THUS COULD NOT ENTER UNDER HIS KINGLY RULE (19:16-22). In total contrast to these receptive children who have nothing to offer but themselves was a rich young man whose hear... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he said to him, “Why do you ask me concerning what is good? One there is who is good.” ' Mark has here, ‘why do you call me good?' But both are again conveying the same idea, the one writing mainly for Gentiles, the other for Jewish Christians. It has the same reasoning behind it as Matthew's... [ Continue Reading ]
‘He says too him, “Which?” And Jesus said, “You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness. Honour your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” ' The young man is delighted with the answer that he must keep the co... [ Continue Reading ]
‘The young man says to him, “All these things have I observed. What do I still lack?” ' However, the young man is now disappointed. He had had such high hopes. But all that Jesus had told him was what he had heard before from others. And yet it had not been enough. He did not stop to consider wheth... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come, follow me.” ' So Jesus now gives him his answer, the answer to which He has been aiming. He has claimed to love his neighbour as himself, so let him become like... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But when the young man heard the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he was one who had great possessions.' At these words the young man was stopped short in his tracks. Up to this point he had been convinced that he would do anything that Jesus suggested. But he had not expected this. It was unfai... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I say to you, It is hard for a rich man to enter into the kingly rule of heaven.” ' As the young man walks away Jesus recognises the conflict that is taking place in his mind, and then turns to His disciples and says sadly, “It is hard for a rich man to ente... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BASIS OF THE NEW KINGLY RULE - THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF SALVATION WITHOUT GOD BEING AT WORK (19:23-26). In Matthew 5:3 it was those who had been ‘blessed' by God who were poor in spirit, repentant, meek, and hungry after righteousness. In Matthew 11:6 it was those who had been ‘blessed' by God who w... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And again I say to you, “It is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingly rule of God.” ' Jesus then seeks to make the position even clearer by the use of a well known saying. “It is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when the disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” ' The disciples, who had been brought up to believe that the rich were prosperous because of their piety, were also ‘greatly astonished'. After all the rich could also give generous alms to the poor, co... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Jesus looking on them said to them, “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” ' Jesus now points out that the age of impossibilities has arrived. He simply points out to them that God can in fact save both rich and poor. For while doing this is impossible with men, w... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Then answered Peter and said to him, “Lo, we have left all, and followed you. What then shall we have?” ' Peter's question reflects the growing desire and expectation among the disciples of a future that is unfolding which will shortly result in their receiving their ‘reward' for following Jesus. A... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BASIS OF THE NEW KINGLY RULE - JESUS NOW EXPLAINS THE FUTURE FOR ALL WHO FULLY FOLLOW HIM (19:27-29). In order to fully appreciate what Jesus now says here we need to consider the similar words spoken at the Last Supper as described in Luke 22:24. There the context is specifically that of the di... [ Continue Reading ]
REWARD UNDER THE NEW KINGLY RULE - GOD WILL REWARD MEN AS HE WILLS NOT ACCODING TO THEIR DESERTS (19:30-20:16). All this is now applied in parabolic form to all the servants in God's vineyard. None who heard the story would doubt that God's vineyard was Israel, for Israel is regularly pictured as Go... [ Continue Reading ]