Matthew 19:1-30
1 And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan;
2 And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.
3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
4 And he answered and said unto them,Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
5 And said,For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
8 He saith unto them,Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
10 His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.
11 But he said unto them,All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.
12 For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.
13 Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.
14 But Jesus said,Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
15 And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.
16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said unto him,Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said,Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
21 Jesus said unto him,If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples,Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them,With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
27 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
28 And Jesus said unto them,Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
30 But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.
Matthew’s Good News
Matthew’s *Gospel
Hilda Bright
Chapter 19
Marriage and Divorce 19:1-12
v1 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left the Galilee region. He went to the other side of the river Jordan. This was part of the Judea region. v2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
v3 Some *Pharisees came to test him. ‘Does the *Law allow a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?’ they asked him.
v4 ‘Surely you have read that in the beginning God made everything. He made people, both a male and a female’, Jesus replied. v5 ‘That is why a man will leave his father and mother when he gets married. He will unite with his wife and the two people will become like one person. v6 They are no longer two people, but just one person in front of God. So anyone else must not separate what God has joined together’, Jesus told them.
v7 Then they asked another question. ‘Then why did Moses order that a man can give his wife a divorce letter? Then he can send her away’, they said.
v8 ‘Moses allowed you to divorce your wives because your spirits are hard. But it was not like that in the beginning. v9 And this is what I tell you. Unless his wife has had sex with someone else, a man must not divorce her and marry another woman. If he does do that, he is guilty of *adultery.’
v10 Then his *disciples spoke to him. ‘If that is the situation between a husband and wife, it is not worth getting married!’ they said.
v11 ‘Not everyone can believe that now’, Jesus replied. ‘Only those people to whom God has given it can believe this. v12 Some people have reasons from birth why they cannot marry. Other people have become unable to marry because people have made them like that. And other people have remained single so that they can serve God better. The person who can believe this should believe it.’
Verse 3 Two important *Jewish teachers had different opinions about divorce. The *Pharisees wanted Jesus to decide between those two opinions. One teacher had a strict opinion. He said that there was only one reason why a man could divorce his wife. It was only if she had sex with another man. The other teacher was not so strict with the husbands. He said that a man could divorce his wife if she did not please him in any way.
Verses 4-6 Jesus knew that they had read the *Old Testament. So he reminded them by saying, ‘ Surely you have read....’ The rabbis (*Jewish teachers) often used these words too. Jesus did not speak directly about divorce. Instead, he spoke about God’s purpose for people who get married. God made people both male and female at the beginning (Genesis 1:27). So a man should leave his parents and unite with his wife. They will become like one body (Genesis 2:4). It was not God’s purpose for any person to break the marriage unity.
Verses 7:9 The *Pharisees then referred to Deuteronomy 24:1-4. They asked about what Moses had ordered. Should a man give his wife a divorce letter, and then send her away? Jesus did not agree with the word ‘order’. He said that Moses had ‘allowed’ divorce. And that was only because people do not know how really to love each other. They are weak and they fail. So their marriage unity does not last. God’s purpose was that marriage unity should be permanent. The only exception was if the wife was not loyal to her husband. A wife that is not loyal destroys the unity with her husband.
Verses 10-12 The *disciples thought that the married state seemed difficult. And divorce was impossible from what Jesus said. So it would be better not to marry. Jesus said that not everyone would be able to live like that. God gives some people a special gift. It is only these people who can do this. Jesus gives three examples of people who do not marry:
1. Some people are born with medical problems. It is impossible for them to have children.
2. Sometimes servants worked in a palace among the king’s women. So someone made them unable to have sex.
3. Some people choose to remain single. They think that they can serve God better alone. A man or woman may work in a difficult situation. They would not be able to look after a wife, husband or children properly. Paul says that a married man has to think about his wife. A married woman has to think about her husband. So they cannot think about God all the time. They may not be able to serve God all the time (1 Corinthians 7:1-10; 1 Corinthians 7:32-35). But not everyone who serves God has to remain single. It is for those people whom God wants to remain single.
Jesus and children 19:13-15
v13 Then some people brought little children to Jesus. They wanted him to place his hands on them. They wanted him to pray for them. But the *disciples told the people to take the children away. v14 ‘Let the little children come to me’, Jesus said. ‘Do not try to stop them. People like these belong where God rules!’ v15 So Jesus placed his hands on them, and then he went away.
Verse 13 In those days, people felt that children were not important. So the *disciples thought that Jesus would have no time for children. They tried to stop the parents as they were bringing the children to him. Perhaps the *disciples were trying to protect Jesus. They knew that he was tired. And they thought that the children were interrupting his work.
Verses 14-15 Jesus had already said that only people who are like children will enter where God rules (Matthew 18:2-4). People who humbly trust Jesus belong where God rules (also called ‘the kingdom of heaven’). Jesus welcomed the children. He placed his hands on them and prayed for them.
Matthew placed these verses immediately after the verses about marriage and divorce. When parents have a good relationship, their children feel safe. They can grow into responsible adults. Divorce makes children suffer. They can suffer in many different ways. But they are quite as important as adults. Often they cannot see both parents together any more. They may find it difficult to be loyal to both parents.
A rich young man comes to Jesus 19:16-22
v16 A man came to Jesus one day. ‘Teacher, what good thing must I do?’ he asked. ‘I want to receive life that lasts for ever.’
v17 ‘Why do you ask me about what is good?’ Jesus replied. ‘There is only one person who is good. If you want to enter life, obey God’s commands.’
v18 ‘Which of his commands?’ the man asked.
Jesus told him. ‘Do not murder. Do not have sex with another man’s wife. Do not steal. Do not give false witness. v19 Give honour to your father and mother. And love your neighbour as you love yourself.’
v20 ‘I have obeyed all these commands’, the young man said. ‘What else do I need to do?’ v21 ‘If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions’, Jesus answered. ‘Give the money to poor people, and come with me. Then you will be rich in heaven.’
v22 When the young man heard this, he went away. He was sad because he was very rich.
Verses 16-17 Mark, Luke and Matthew all say that this man was rich. Only Matthew calls him ‘young’ (verse 20). And only Luke says that he was a ‘ruler’ (Luke 18:18). The man wanted to have ‘life that lasts for ever’. He wanted to have God’s life, both on earth and after he died. But he thought that he must work to obtain that life. Many people have the same wrong idea. They think that they must earn their way into heaven. Jesus reminded the young man that only God is good. The young man should have thought about God’s character. Then he would have realised that he could never be good enough. Jesus said that God had said what people should do. The young man must obey those commands. Then the man asked which of those commands he must obey. He still did not understand.
Verses 18-19 Jesus reminded him about 5 of God’s 10 commands. These 5 all deal with relationships with other people. He put ‘give honour to your father and mother’ last. But it comes fifth in the order that we read in Exodus 20:1-17. Perhaps Jesus wanted to make the man think. Had he done everything that he should do for his parents? Jesus also added words from Leviticus 19:18. He said that a person should love other people as much as he loves himself.
Verse 20 The young man replied that he had obeyed these commands. In the legal sense, he had. He had not killed, stolen or lied. But he still felt that he had to do something more for God to accept him.
Verses 21-22 Jesus told him to sell all his possessions. Then he should give the money to poor people. So he would be rich in heaven. Jesus then invited him to come and be a *disciple. Jesus knew that the young man needed to put right his relationship with God and with other people. Money must not be so important to him. Money must not be like a god to him. And he should care about other people if he wanted to be good like God. But the young man could not accept this demand. He loved things and money more than he loved God or other people. He loved himself more than he loved God or other people.
Rich people and the place where God rules in heaven 19:23-26
v23 Then Jesus spoke to his *disciples. ‘What I am about to tell you is true. It is very hard for rich people to enter where God rules. v24 I repeat this. It is much harder for a rich man to enter where God rules. It is harder for him than for a camel to go through the hole in a needle.’
v25 When the *disciples heard this, they were astonished. ‘Then who can God save?’ they asked.
v26 Jesus looked straight at them. ‘With people, this is impossible. But with God, all things are possible’, he said.
Verse 23 Jesus explained about rich people. This was after his conversation with the rich young ruler. It is very difficult for rich people to enter where God rules for two reasons:
1. Because of their wealth, they may not feel that they need God. This is because their money makes them feel safe. It allows them to buy anything that they want. They may believe that their money can rescue them from any problems.
2. Rich people can easily forget that life on earth does not last for ever. They may be like the rich fool in the story that Jesus told (Luke 12:13-21). They may forget about life that lasts for ever in heaven.
Verse 24 People try to explain the picture language that Jesus uses here in different ways.
Some people say that there was a narrow gate in the city wall called a ‘needle hole’. If a camel had a load on its back, it could not get through that narrow gate.
But the words were probably a familiar way to describe a very difficult action. The camel was the largest animal in Israel. The hole in a needle is very tiny.
Verse 25 The *disciples were astonished about Jesus’ warning. They thought that rich people would always have a place in God’s *kingdom. They believed that God gave wealth to people that he approved of. Now they thought that nobody had a chance to enter where God rules.
Verse 26 Jesus did not say that it was ‘impossible’ for a rich man to be his *disciple. Rich people can become citizens where God rules. God will help them, but it is difficult for them to forget their money. Matthew himself left his good job to follow Jesus (Matthew 9:9). Zacchaeus promised to pay back all the money that he had taken from people. He also said that he would give half his money to help poor people (Luke 19:1-10). Also there were Joseph from Arimathea and Nicodemus who were *Jewish leaders (Matthew 27:57-60; John 19:38-40).
The rewards for the *disciples 19:27-30
v27 Then Peter spoke to Jesus. ‘We have left everything so that we can follow you. What will we get?’
v28 ‘What I am telling you is true’, Jesus told them all. God will make everything new again. The Son of Man will sit on his splendid royal seat. Then you who have followed me will also sit on 12 royal seats. You will rule the 12 groups of Israel’s people. v29 Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields because of me will receive one hundred times as much. They will also receive life that lasts for ever. v30 But many people who are first now will be last. And many people who are last now will be first.’
Verse 27 Peter thought that he and the other *disciples were very different from the rich man. The rich man had refused to go with Jesus. The *disciples had given up homes, families and possessions so that they could follow Jesus. Peter wanted to know what their reward would be.
Verse 28 Jesus told them that loyal *disciples would have three special rewards.
1. God will make everything new (Isaiah 65:17). ‘I will make new heavens and a new earth.’ John tells us in Revelation 21:1 that he saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth’. At that time the *disciples will share Christ’s splendid position. Jesus’ 12 special friends will have the right to rule the 12 groups of Israel’s people.
2. *Disciples may need to give up their own family life. But they will become part of God’s much larger family. Everywhere in the world, Christians have brothers and sisters who also believe Jesus. Christians sometimes love each other more strongly than they love their ordinary families.
3. They will have life that lasts for ever.
Verse 30 Jesus warned Peter and the other *disciples. God does not think in the same way that people think. People may decide that someone deserves a reward. They think that a person is really important. They may see them as they are serving God. But God knows whether a person is sincere or not sincere. God knows what a person is thinking. And God understands a person’s actions. So people who are humble on earth may become important in heaven. Those who are important on earth may become not important in heaven.
gospel ~ 1. good news; 2. one of the first four books in the New Testament.New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus.
Pharisee ~ one of a group of Jews who thought that they obeyed all God’s rules. They did not like the things that Jesus taught. They thought that they did not do any wrong things. So, they thought that they were very important and clever.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
faith ~ belief in someone or something; things that people believe about Jesus.
Law ~ the rules that God gave to Moses for the Jews.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
faith ~ belief in someone or something; things that people believe about Jesus.
adultery ~ to steal someone's wife or husband.
disciples ~ those who follow another person to learn from him.
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew or anything to do with a Jew.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
faith ~ belief in someone or something; things that people believe about Jesus.
kingdom ~ people or place that a king rules; or people that God rules.
disciples ~ those who follow another person to learn from him.