Matthew 19

CHAPTER 19THEME: Jesus enters Judea; proclaims God’s standard for marriage and only grounds for divorce given; blesses little children; meets a rich young ruler; appoints the apostles to their position in the coming kingdomIn the movement in Matthew, our attention is now directed to the geography of the gospel. Jesus again enters Judea as He moves to Jerusalem for the last time before His crucifixion. There is definite intention in all that He does and says.

Matthew 19:1

JESUS RE-ENTERS JUDEA"When Jesus had finished these sayings"what sayings? The ones we have been considering in chapters 16-18. Having finished what He wanted to say in Galilee, He moved south and came into the borders of Judea, beyond Jordan, meaning the east bank of the Jordan River. The movement is in a physical and geographical sense now. Up yonder in Caesarea Philippi He announced that He was going to Jerusalem to die. He moved down into Galilee, and He spent time in that area around the Sea of Galilee. Capernaum was His headquarters, and He even crossed over into Gadara. Now He is on the border of Judea.

Matthew 19:2

I want to put two words together and emphasize what has been emphasized before several times. One word is multitudes and the other word is healed. It was not just a few people that were healed; multitudes were healed. I am more and more impressed by this as time goes on. If you are going to be a faith healer, brother, you ought to go to the hospitals and empty them. That is what our Lord did when He passed by; if anyone wanted to be healed, they could be healed. Multitudes were healed!

Matthew 19:3

MARRIAGE AND DIVORCENow the religious rulers come to Him with a question regarding divorce. Our Lord restates God’s ideal for marriage and the grounds for divorce. The Pharisees came to tempt or to test Him. They were after Him, trying to put Him in opposition to the Mosaic system. They brought a problem which is just as difficult today as it was then. “Is it lawful for a man to put away [divorce] his wife for every cause?” That is an equally live issue among Christians in our day. Let me preface this a little by saying that God has given to all of mankind certain things for the welfare of the human family. For instance, He has given marriage for the protection of the home. Marriage is something which God has given to be a blessing to mankind whether saved or unsaved. Another example is that of capital punishment which God gave for the protection of a nation, to protect the lives of its citizens. Also God gave the sabbath law for the protection of the individual, that he might have one day of rest. God gave these laws to protect the individual, the family, and the nation. These were general laws which He gave to all mankind. Later on, He made them specific for His chosen people. Now let’s look at this question concerning marriage. Here it is in the smaller context of the nation Israel, of course. And we look at it today in the light of the contemporary Christian. “Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?”

Matthew 19:4

The Lord Jesus took them back to the very beginning, back to God’s ideal of marriage. The Mosaic Law had permitted divorce on a broad basis: “When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house” (Deu_24:1). As far as the Mosaic Law was concerned, a divorce was not as bad as was marriage to a stranger. For instance, if the priest’s daughter married a stranger, she was shut out from the nation Israel. However, as time went on, the Mosaic Law was made meaningless, and the granting of divorce was done on the flimsiest pretexts, such as burning the bread. As a result, there was a great deal of discussion relative to divorce in our Lord’s day.

Matthew 19:5

This was God’s original plan for man and woman before sin entered the human family. Divorce was not in God’s original plan. Why? Because sin was not in God’s original plan, and divorce is always a result of sin. Regardless of what you may say, there is sin in the relationship somewhere which causes divorce. So our Lord took them back to the original plan of God.

Matthew 19:7

You ought to read Deu_24:1-4 to get the background for their question. Why did Moses permit divorce?

Matthew 19:8

Why did Moses permit it? Because of the hardness of their hearts. You see, marriage was given to mankind, and it is the tenderest and the sweetest of human relationships. There is nothing like it. And, actually, marriage was to represent the relationship between Christ and the church. Therefore, only believers can set forth this high and holy relationship. However, when they fail, and bitterness and hardness of heart enter in, then that marriage becomes a hollow sham, and it is just a mockery of marriage. My friend, marriage is made either in heaven or in hellthere is no third place to make it. When marriage is made in the wrong place, it is in trouble to begin with. Even Christians find that marriage becomes a very shaky proposition. Because of the hardness of the human heart, God permitted divorce. God is merciful to usoh, how merciful! But His ideal is never divorce. I recognize that we are living in a culture which is very lax in this area. There are multitudes of divorced folk who will be reading this book. Let me repeat that the background of divorce is always sin. But, after all, all of us are sinners. Since God can forgive murderers, He can also forgive divorced folk. But we need to recognize that the root cause of divorce is sin. Now our Lord is going to give something new

Matthew 19:9

Adultery breaks the marriage relationship and provides the one ground for divorce. Somebody says to me, “Yes, but here is this poor Christian woman, married to a drunkard!” Or a fine Christian man is married to a godless woman. What about that? Well, believers may separate on other grounds, which seems to be the whole point of 1 Corinthians 7, but divorce is permitted on only one basis, adultery. Divorce was granted for the purpose of permitting the innocent party to remarry. This rule is applicable only to believers; God is not regulating the lives of unbelievers but is holding them to the message of the Cross first. God wants the unbeliever to come to Christ. He is lost whether he is married, divorced, or single. It makes no difference until he accepts Christ. The important thing to note is that for believers He puts down one ground for divorce: adultery. Now suppose there is a believer whose spouse got a divorce on another ground. What about the innocent party? Well, if there has been adultery there, and in most cases there has been, then the innocent party is permitted to remarry. I believe that is the whole thought in this particular case. Now, there is something else here that is important

Matthew 19:10

The disciples are saying, “Well, in that case it would be better to stay single.” Well, you would avoid a lot of troublethere is no question about that.

Matthew 19:11

This is so important, especially in our day. In the verse that follows, our Lord puts down a great principle. Even now the Roman Catholic church is wrestling with this problem.

Matthew 19:12

“There are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother’s womb.” There are some men and some women who do not need to marry. They get along very well by themselves, but that’s not for everybody. “And there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men.” Some churches make a rule that folk in certain positions are not to marry. They have no right to do that. “And there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake.” I know a person who went to the mission field, and before she left, I talked to her. I said, “Look, your chances are nil for getting married out there.” She said, “I have thought that through, and I am willing to make that sacrifice.” She made it voluntarily. Somebody says, “Do you think that the preacher ought to get married? Or do you think the priest should be married?” May I say to you, this is a place where God puts down a principle. He says that it is up to the individual. We have to make that decision for ourselves. Now here is something wonderful

Matthew 19:13

JESUS RECEIVES LITTLE CHILDRENThis passage is ample basis for the salvation of children who die in infancy. It is a fact that no child will reject Jesus if He is presented to the child on a Bible basis. This is one reason why we should get the gospel message to them. Someone might say, “Wait a minutethen everyone could be saved if we reach them as children.” No, this is not true because they reach the age of accountability later. The reason for trying to get the gospel into the hearts of children is so that when they reach the age of accountability they will make a decision for Christ. It is important that this be followed through.

Do not rest on the fact that your child made a decision when he was two, three, four, five, six, seven or eight years old, etc. My daughter made a decision for Christ when she was seven. Ever since that time I have asked her many times if she has really trusted the Lord as Savior. One day she said, “Daddy, why do you keep asking me that question?” I told her I just wanted to make sure. Actually, the decision will be made at the age of accountability. You say to me,“When is that age?” I don’t know.

I just know that it is important to get the gospel to our children. Instead of standing on a street corner and arguing about it, let’s get it to them and then follow through when they reach the age of accountability by doing everything in our power to get them to trust Christ. It is interesting that our Lord, having spoken about the issue of divorce, immediately begins to talk about children. The children are all important in any divorce. A woman once came to me wanting a divorce because she no longer loved her husband. She said, “Because of all the things he is doing, I no longer love him, and I have heard you say that when there is no love, there is no relationship. So I want to get a divorce.” It is true that when there is no love there is no relationship, and that is tragic, but that is not the basis for divorce. I said to this woman, “You tell me that you don’t love your husband, but do you love your children?” She said, “Of course I do, but what has that got to do with it?” I told her that it has everything to do with it. “You are to stay with him as long as you can if you love those children.” My friend, the fact that our Lord said, “Let the little children come unto Me,” ought to make any couple, especially a Christian couple, make every effort to hold their marriage together.

A large percentage of children and young folk who are in trouble with the law come from broken homes. You would be surprised to learn the number of little ones who have been turned away from Christ because of the divorced parents. It is very significant that Jesus ties together the subject of divorce and His loving concern for little children.

Matthew 19:16

THE RICH YOUNG RULERNotice how this young man approaches the Lord Jesus. He addresses Him as Good Master. He is willing to concede that He is good, and probably the enemies of Jesus would not have gone that far. “Why callest thou me good?” I am sure you can see what our Lord was after. When He said, “There is none good but one, that is, God,” He was saying in effect, “If you see that I am good, it is because I am God.” He is directing his thinking so that he might accept Him as the Christ, the Son of God. Then the Lord Jesus flashed on this young man’s life the commandments that have to do with a man’s relationship to his fellowman.

Matthew 19:18

This young man could say that he had kept these commandments, and yet he recognized a lack in his life. The commandments which our Lord gave him compose the last section of the Decalogue which has to do with a man’s relationship to man. The first of the Ten Commandments have to do with man’s relationship to God. Our Lord did not use those because He was leading this young man along in his thinking. However, now the Lord directs his thinking to his relationship to God

Matthew 19:21

“If thou wilt be perfect,” meaning complete. Following Jesus would have led him to see that he was not keeping the first commandments which have to do with a man’s relationship to God. The Lord Jesus was on His way to the Cross. If this man followed Jesus, it would be to the foot of a cross. Something, however, was preventing him from going after the Lord. His riches were his stumbling block. For you and for me it might be something entirely different.

Matthew 19:22

It was his money that was keeping him from the Lord Jesus Christ. In our day there are many things that are keeping folk away from the Lord Jesus. Riches are only one thing; there are multitudes of other things. Actually, church membership is keeping many people from Christ because it puts them into a little cellophane bag that protects them from facing their sins. They feel secure because they have been through the ceremonies or have made their confession, and yet they may be as unconverted as any pagan in the darkest spot on topside of the earth. Today, is there something that is separating you from Christ? Is there anything in the way that is keeping you from Him? Well, it was riches for this young man

Matthew 19:23

This is still true in our daynot many rich, not many noble, not many of the great ones of the earth are Christians.

Matthew 19:24

Many people miss the humor that our Lord sometimes used, and this passage is an example of it. There are some people who hold to the ridiculous explanation that there was a gate in Jerusalem called “The Eye of the Needle,” that a camel had to kneel to pass through it, and that therefore the Lord was saying that a man had to become humble to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Well, that misses the point altogether. Our Lord is talking about a real camel and a real needle with an eye. My friend, let me ask you a very plain question: Is it possible for a real camel to go through the eye of a real needle? I think you know the answerhe won’t make it!

It is impossible. But would it be possible for God to put a camel through a needle’s eye? Well, God is not in that business, but He could do it. And only God can regenerate a man. That is the point our Lord is making here. 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. Many people today think they are going to be saved by who they are or by what they have. You are truly saved when you find out that you are a sinner, a beggar in God’s sight, with nothing to offer Him for your salvation. As long as a person feels he can do something or pay God for salvation, he can no more be saved than a camel can be put through the eye of a needle.

Matthew 19:25

Listen to Jesus’ answer

Matthew 19:26

This is the explanation. As far as any person is concernedregardless of who you areyou are a candidate for salvation if you recognize that you have nothing to offer God but come to Him like a beggar with empty hands. When you come to Him like that, He can save you. With God all things are possible.

Matthew 19:27

JESUS REWARDS HIS APOSTLEIt is easy for us to think that Simon Peter is betraying a very selfish streak here. Did our Lord rebuke him?

Matthew 19:28

Our Lord did not rebuke him. Instead, He told him what a great reward would be his. Likewise, I believe that today, we as Christians ought to be working for a reward.

Matthew 19:29

There is to be a reward for the saved ones who have sacrificed for Jesus’ sake. Many an unknown saint, of whom the world has not heard, will be given first place in His presence someday. In that day I believe that many outstanding Christian leaders who receive wide acclaim in this life will be ignored while many unknown saints of God will be rewarded. What a glorious, wonderful picture this presents to us!