Matthew: Chapter 19
In chapter 19, we see Jesus in the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan, where as usual large crowds follows him and he heals them.
Divorce
Some Pharisees came to Jesus to test him. They asked him if it was lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason. To which Jesus cites Genesis 1:27 and 2:24, and states, "what God has joined together, let man not separate".
The Pharisees further press on stating that Moses permitted this with a certificate of divorce. To which Jesus clarifies that the reason Moses did what he did was because of the hardness of heart these people had, but not what God intended.
Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery." Matthew 19:8,9
The little children and Jesus
Before Jesus left from that place, little children were brought to him so that he could place his hands on them and pray for them, but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus however calls them to him and states once again that the kingdom of heaven belong to them.
Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14
The Rich Young Man
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| What must I do to get eternal life? |
The remainder of the chapter records the interaction of a rich young man with Jesus. This man, came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?". Jesus replies, "why do you ask me about what is good? There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments." When the man askes "Which ones?", Jesus lists a few of the ten commandments. Then the man says that he has kept all these, and asks, what he still lacks. To which,
Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Matthew 19:21
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| He went away sad, because he had great wealth |
When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. This passage, could be a little hard to digest. Why is Jesus asking someone to leave everything he had, his comforts, and possessions and then follow Jesus. What purpose could it serve?
Jesus remarks to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell 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" (Matthew 19:23,24)
Does this mean that anyone who has abundant wealth, won't be able to enter the kingdom of God? No, rather, its a test to see where one's heart truly lies. Matthew 6:21 reads, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." The idea here is that, we shouldn't prioritize anything above God. And anything which we have, which separates and distances us from God, that is the thing which Jesus tells us to get rid of. This could be habits, could be people, could be traits, each one of us would know in our hearts the thing which makes us stray further away from God. Also, this particular thing, wouldn't necessarily be a vice which is frowned upon by the world, rather, it could be something which is cheered on by the world, and for this very reason, might be disapproved by God. Further, even if and when we identify this particular thing which we need to leave to get closer to God, it won't be an easy task to actually succeed in leaving it. This was the dilemma which the rich man faced. He had great wealth, and he wasn't willing to part from it. Likewise, we wouldn't want to part from things which we hold as treasures. But Jesus has a way for this as well.
When the disciples heard Jesus' comment about the rich man, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?"
Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26
Indeed, it is near impossible to let go of certain things, but when we show willingness to grow closer to God, he will help us in our journey. All we need to do is ask earnestly. Furthermore, we will be rewarded for having our first priority be Christ. The chapter concludes with the following verses which Jesus said as a reply to Peter, who mentions how they, the disciples, have left everything to follow Jesus.
Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. Matthew 19:28-30
To us who willingly goes to the LORD, renouncing everything that is wasteful on earth, and looking towards the divine love because of which Jesus was sent to earth to die for all our sins, there is an eternal reward which is incomparable to anything which we might gain on earth. Let us try to get that reward by the grace of God. See you in the next one. Take care of yourself and each other!
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