Matthew 19
Ministry in Judea verse 1- 2
And it came to pass – that when Jesus had finished these sayings
HE departed from Galilee
and came to the coasts of Judea beyond Jordan
AND great multitudes followed HIM
and HE healed them there
Pharisees ask question regarding marriage verse 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?
Jesus states the standard for marriage verse 4- 6
And HE answered
and said unto them
Have you not read that HE which made them at the beginning
made them male and female
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?
WHEREFORE they are no more twain
but one flesh
What therefore God hath joined together
let not man put asunder
Pharisees ask why bill of divorcement verse 7
They say unto him
Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement
and put her away?
Jesus gives reason: hardness of heart verse 8- 9
HE said to them
Moses because of the hardness of your hearts
suffered you to put away your wives
BUT from the beginning it was not so
AND I say unto you
Whosoever shall put away his wife
EXCEPT it be for fornication
and shall marry another
commits adultery
and whoso marries her which is put away
does commit adultery
Disciples comment about marriage verse 10
HIS disciples say to HIM
IF the case of the man be so with his wife
it is not good to marry
Jesus’ comments on being a celibate verse 11- 12
BUT HE said to them
All men cannot receive this saying
save they to whom it is given
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
Children brought to Jesus verse 13
Then were there brought unto HIM little children
that HE should put HIS hand on them
and pray – and the disciples rebuked them
Jesus accepts them verse 14- 15
BUT Jesus said – Suffer little children
and forbid them not – to come unto ME
FOR of such is the kingdom of heaven
AND HE laid HIS hands on them and departed thence
Jesus questioned about eternal life verse 16
And BEHOLD – one came and said unto HIM
Good Master
What good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?
Jesus told him to obey commandments verse 17- 21
AND HE said unto him – Why call you ME good?
there is none good but one – that is – God
BUT IF you will enter into life
KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS
He said unto HIM
Which?
Jesus said
You shall do no murder
You shall not commit adultery
You shall not steal
You shall not bear false witness
Honor your father and mother
You shall love your neighbor as yourself
The young man said unto him
All these things have I kept from my youth up
what lack I yet?
Jesus said unto him – IF you will be PERFECT
go and sell that you have and give to the poor
and you shall have treasure in heaven
and come and follow ME
Rich man leaves verse 22
BUT when the young man heard that saying
he went away sorrowful
for he had great possessions
Jesus disadvantage of riches verse 23- 24
THEN said Jesus unto HIS disciples
Verily I say to you
That a rich man shall hardly
enter into the kingdom of heaven
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
Disciples ask who can be saved verse 25
WHEN HIS disciples heard it – they were exceedingly amazed
saying
Who then can be saved?
Jesus answers question verse 26
BUT Jesus beheld them – and said to them
With men this is impossible
BUT with God all things are possible
Peter asks what disciples will receive verse 27
Then answered Peter and said unto HIM
BEHOLD – we have forsaken all – and followed YOU
What shall we have therefore?
Jesus explains disciples reward verse 28- 30
AND Jesus said to them
Verily I say to you
That you which have followed ME
in the regeneration when the Son of man
shall sit the throne of HIS glory
you also shall sit upon twelve thrones
judging the twelve tribes of Israel
AND every one that has
forsaken houses – brethren – sisters – father – mother – wife
children – lands – FOR MY name’ sake
shall receive an hundredfold
and shall inherit everlasting life
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? (647 “divorcement” [apostasion] means dismiss, let go away, send away, divorce, repudiation, or bill of divorce. People have not changed.
DEVOTION: There are always those who want to question God. There are always those who want to find a way around the laws of God. It is not wrong to ask questions of God, as long as, they are not already answered.
Here we have the Pharisees testing Jesus regarding the issue of divorce. They ask if it is all right to divorce your wife. Jesus says that when God created one man and one woman, HE gave the command that they were to leave and cleave to each other. The parents were to be left behind but still honored. They were to become one flesh. They were no longer considered two people but one in the eyes of the LORD.
The Pharisees then brought up the fact that Moses wrote about divorce. He gave the ability to the children of Israel to put away a wife. They asked “why,” and Jesus gave them an answer.
Jesus addresses a question by the Pharisees regarding marriage. The answer was that the people had hard hearts. That has not changed over time. People today still have hard hearts when it comes to staying married to the same person for a lifetime.
We are a selfish people. We want what we want when we want it. Both men and women who claim to be Christians still have the sin of selfishness in their life. They have to fight it on a daily basis. If they don’t fight it, they become selfish. Once they become selfish they want a change in their relationships. They think that another person will love them more or better. This is a lie of Satan.
All relationships take work. Marriage takes work. It is not easy for two people to live together without having problems. God has given us the ability to go to HIM for strength in all areas of our life. HE can strengthen our ability to love our spouse, if we let HIM.
Husbands are to help their wife in all areas of responsibility. That means that they need help with the children, housework, and other responsibilities. Most women work today in the home or outside the home. A husband can’t come home and sit. He can’t come home and make a mess and think that it is the wife’s responsibility to clean it up. Help is necessary.
Wives need to show their husbands respect and love. Many men are going through a hard time today because of the difference in the job market. Some men are out of work. Some men are earning less than their wife. All this can affect a marriage.
None of these things are reasons for divorce. The passage only gives one reason for separation. However, even that can be forgiven by the spouse. We are to be a forgiving people.
One of the problems we face today is that many of those who are attending Church are from divorced homes. They have never had a good example of a Christian marriage to follow. Some of them receive advice from their parents who are divorced which in most cases is not good advice. If someone marries an individual from a divorced home it means that there is going to be more baggage then those who come from homes where both parents are together. This is not always the case but it seems to be true in most cases. Can these individuals overcome their upbringing in a divorced home? This can only happen if they allow the LORD to give them strength and courage to ask for help from those who are living in a Biblical marriage. Only if they don’t allow their upbringing to be an excuse for not changing to what the LORD would have them do. The LORD promises victory to those who follow HIM!!!
What would the world think if all those who claimed Christ stayed in one marriage all of their life? Do you think that would have an influence in our society? We need revival in our marriages. We need husbands who are willing to help their wife. We need wives that are willing to honor their husbands.
In HIS statement HE makes it plain that God created a male and female for the purpose of marriage. It was a man and a woman. Biblical marriage is only between a man and a woman. This marriage makes the two people one flesh. This marriage requires that the couple leave their parents and live on their own.
We are a stubborn people. If something or someone upsets us – we get rid of it. Marriage is entered into with thoughts that if it doesn’t work – we can get out of it easy. The Pharisees taught the same thing in Jesus’ days. God wants one man to marry one woman and live together for all of their lives. Until death do they part.
Is divorce an unpardonable sin? NO. We need to reach those who are divorced but our teaching should be that marriage is for a lifetime. The only one who wins in a divorce is the lawyer. The ones who lose the most are the children. The two parents are being selfish in most cases. Please pray for the marriages of all to last for a lifetime.
CHALLENGE: Help someone who is struggling in their marriage. Pray for the marriages of those in your world.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: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. (2135 “eunuchs” [eunouchos] means an unmarried person who has taken a religious vow of chastity, celibate, one who is by nature incapable of begetting children, or chamberlain.)
DEVOTION: Singleness is something that we talk about all the time when we are not married. Many individuals who are single want to be married. Some think that if they reach the age of thirty they are too old to get married and start wondering what to do with their life. Some are just satisfied with their life as a single.
Jesus explains that some are meant to be single. Some are made single by someone who has influence their life. Others are single because they want to spend their time serving the LORD.
Jesus also says that some people can’t handle being single. It is better for those individuals to marry rather than to burn. Each individual has to make a decision regarding marriage. Once you are married it is for life. It is hard work to stay married to the same individual for all of your life. Men and women are from different planets. God states that the only reason there is divorce is because of the hardness of heart.
Our life in Christ is to be a pure life. It is not easy in the world we are living in because of all the temptations we face each day but we have power from above to face the temptations because HE never send more than we can handle our way. That is a promise from the LORD.
CHALLENGE: If you are single use that time to dedicate yourself to serving the LORD fully and HE will honor your decision.
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: 13 Then were there brought to HIM little children, that HE should put HIS hands on them, and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. (2008 “rebuked” [epitimao] means reprove, to admonish or warn forcefully, command, scold, censure, chide, or express strong disapproval of someone.)
DEVOTION: Children are a blessing from the LORD. Many in our society don’t think children are good for them. We have many who would rather have an abortion than raise children. This is not pleasing to the LORD if they end a life. They could give them up for adoption. There are options for those who are pregnant and don’t want the baby. Ending the life of the baby is not an option a believer should take.
Now we find children being brought to the LORD. The parents want Jesus to pray for them. It is important to parents that their children receive a blessing from the LORD on their life. Jesus prayed over them.
The disciples didn’t like to see this happen. They thought blessing children was a waste of Jesus’ time. They tried to get the children and their parents to go away. The church should not have this type of attitude. Children are important to the LORD.
One of the churches I have attended in the state of Washington has adults put their hands on children who are standing for the purpose of leaving the church service to go to children’s church. Once the children are standing and adults have their hands on them there is an adult who prays for the children. After prayer they leave for their own service. This shows the importance of children in this church.
Training our children is the reason we have them. If we are going to train them in the LORD we must set a good example for them. We must pray for them. We must give them Bible lessons that can help them understand what it means to be a follower of Christ.
If our attitude is wrong the children know it. The attitude of the disciples was wrong. Adults can have a real bad attitude toward children and that is a sin.
CHALLENGE: The Bible teaches us that children are a blessing of the LORD and should be treated that way.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 21 Jesus said unto him, If you would be perfect, go and sell that you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heave: come and follow me. (5046 “perfect” [teleios] means of full age, bring to its end, finished, full grown, mature, complete, genuine, or entire.)
DEVOTION: Here we have a man who thinks he has lived a righteous life. He says that he has kept all the commandments from his youth. He is coming to Jesus to ask HIM a question that he thinks he has the answer. He was probably coming to have Jesus compliment him on how righteous a life he has lived.
He calls Jesus good. Jesus states that only God is good. Why is he calling HIM good? HE wants him to realize who HE is. HE wants him to listen to HIS next statements. HE is going to tell him what he has to do to have eternal life.
What is he going to have to do? He is going to have to give up EVERYTHING and become a follower of Jesus. First, he has to sell all that he possesses and give it to the poor. He has to have no place to go but with Jesus. He has to depend completely on Jesus.
What was his reaction? He didn’t want to give up everything. He wanted to keep him money and possessions and live a good life while in the earth and also be a follower of the LORD. He had a divided heart. Jesus doesn’t like a divided heart.
We sometimes think the same way as this rich young man. We want to have everything. We want to spend some time with the LORD and HIS work and other times with our own habits. We have a divided heart.
CHALLENGE: We need to be single hearted. Our heart must always be serving the LORD. Our heart must always be dependent on the LORD. Let us move on to a fully mature lifestyle for the LORD.
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Parents wanted Jesus to pray for their children verse 13
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Moses – bill of divorcement verse 7, 8
Ten Commandments verse 17- 19
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Creator verse 4
At the beginning made them
male and female
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?
Wherefore they are no more twain, but one
flesh.
What therefore God has joined together,
let not man put asunder
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Jesus verse 1, 14, 18, 21, 23, 26, 28
Great multitudes followed HIM verse 2
Healed verse 2
Laid hands on children verse 13- 15
Said: Suffer little children and forbid them
not, to come to ME, for of such
is the kingdom of heaven
Good Master verse 16
Why call thou ME good? None are good but
one, that is God verse 17
Told man who thought he kept all the
commandments to go and sell
all that he had and give to the
poor and he would have treasure
in heaven and to come and follow
HIM verse 21
Told disciples: With men this is impossible
but with God all things are possible verse 26
Son of man verse 28
Sit on a throne of HIS glory
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
God verse 6, 16, 17, 24, 26
God joined together verse 6
God is good verse 17
Kingdom of God verse 24
All things are possible verse 26
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Little child brought to Jesus verse 13
Neighbor verse 19
Young man had great possessions verse 22
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Tempting verse 3
Putting away wife verse 3, 6, 9
Hardness of heart verse 8
Fornication verse 9
Adultery verse 9, 18
Good works earn salvation verse 16
Murder verse 18
Steal verse 18
False witness verse 18
Not honoring father and mother verse 19
Not loving neighbor verse 19
Loving great possessions verse 22
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Cleave to wife verse 5
One flesh verse 5, 6
Pray verse 13
Forbid not children verse 14
Good thing verse 16
Eternal life verse 16
Keep the commandments verse 17
Honor father and mother verse 19
Love neighbor verse 19
Perfect verse 21
Give to the poor verse 21
Follow Christ verse 21, 27, 28
Saved verse 25
Forsaken all verse 27, 29
Follow Jesus verse 27- 29
Inherit verse 29
Everlasting life verse 29
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Galilee verse 1
Judaea verse 1
Pharisees verse 3
Tempting HIM (Jesus)
Question: Is it lawful for a man to
put away his wife for every cause?
Moses verse 7
Writing of divorcement verse 7
Disciples verse 10, 13, 23, 25, 28
Rebuked Jesus for putting hands
on little children
Jesus said to them
that a rich man shall hardly
enter into the
kingdom of heaven
Jesus said 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 heaven
Asked: Who then can be saved
Told by Jesus that they shall sit on
twelve thrones – judging
the twelve tribes of Israel
Eunuchs verse 11, 12
One came to Jesus and asked
What good thing shall I do,
that I may have eternal life? verse 16
Commandments:
You shall do no murder
You shall not commit adultery
You shall not steal
You shall not bear false witness
Honor your father and mother
You shall love your neighbor as
yourself verse 17- 19
Young man thought he had kept
all commandment from his youth verse 20
Peter verse 27
Told Jesus they had forsaken all
and followed HIM
Asked: What shall we have therefore?
Twelve tribes of Israel verse 28
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Kingdom of heaven verse 12, 14, 23
Eternal life verse 16, 29
Treasure in heaven verse 21
Kingdom of God verse 24
Regeneration verse 28
Christ on the throne verse 28
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QUOTES regarding passage
21–22 Many have taken these verses to indicate a two-tier ethic: some disciples find eternal life, and others go further and become perfect by adopting a more compassionate stance (e.g., Klostermann; DNTT, 2:63). But G. Barth (Bornkamm, Tradition pp. 95ff.) convincingly disproves this exegesis. In particular the young man’s question in v. 20, “What do I still lack?” clearly refers to gaining eternal life (v. 17); and Jesus’ answer in v. 21 must be understood as answering the question. A two-tier Christianity is implicitly contradicted by 23:8–12; and the same word “perfect” is applied to all of Jesus’ disciples in 5:48. Matthew shows no strong tendency toward asceticism. Therefore the basic thrust of 19:21 is not “Sell your possessions and give to the poor” but “Come, follow me.”
What the word “perfection” suggests here is what it commonly means in the OT: undivided loyalty and full-hearted obedience. This young man could not face that. He was willing to discipline himself to observe all the outward stipulations and even perform supererogatory works; but because of his wealth, he had a divided heart. His money was competing with God; and what Jesus everywhere demands as a condition for eternal life is absolute, radical discipleship. This entails the surrender of self. “Keeping the individual commandments is no substitute for the readiness for self-surrender to the absolute claim of God imposed through the call of the gospel. Jesus’ summons in this context means that true obedience to the Law is rendered ultimately in discipleship” (Lane, Mark, p. 367).
Formally, of course, Jesus’ demand goes beyond anything in OT law (cf. Banks, Jesus, p. 163): no OT passage stipulates v. 21. Equally remarkable is the fact that the focus on God’s will (vv. 17–19) should culminate in following Jesus. The explanation of this is that Jesus is prophesied by the OT. The will of God, as revealed in Scripture, looks forward to the coming of Messiah (see on 2:15; 5:17–20; 11:11–13). Absolute allegiance to him, with the humility of a child, is essential to salvation. The condition Jesus now imposes not only reveals the man’s attachment to money but shows that all his formal compliance with the law is worthless because none of is entails absolute self-surrender. What the man needs is the triumph of grace; for as the next verses show, for his entering the kingdom of heaven is impossible (19:26). God, with whom all things are possible, must work. The parable in 20:1–16 directly speaks to this issue. But the young man is deaf to it: he leaves because, if a choice must be made between money and Jesus, money wins (cf. 6:24). (Carson, D. A. (1984). Matthew. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, p. 424). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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The young man affirmed he had kept all these things, but he still sensed a lack (Matt. 19:20). Whether he had truly kept these commands, only God knows. The young man believed he had and yet he knew something was missing in his life. Jesus put His finger on his problem when He told him to go, sell all his possessions and give to the poor, and he would then have treasure in heaven. Such mercy toward the poor would demonstrate inner righteousness. If he were righteous (based on faith in Jesus as God), he should have given his wealth to the poor and followed Jesus. But instead, the man … went away sad (lypoumenos, “grieved or sad to the point of distress”; cf. 14:9; 18:31) for he had great wealth. His unwillingness to relinquish his wealth showed he did not love his neighbor as himself. Thus he had not kept all the commandments, and he lacked salvation. Nothing more was written about this young man; probably he never left all and followed Jesus. He loved his money more than God, and thus he violated even the first commandment (Ex. 20:3). (Barbieri, L. A., Jr. (1985). Matthew. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, pp. 64–65). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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“What lack I yet?” (vv. 20–22) Nowhere in the Bible are we taught that a sinner is saved by selling his goods and giving the money away. Jesus never told Nicodemus to do this, or any other sinner whose story is recorded in the Gospels. Jesus knew that this man was covetous; he loved material wealth. By asking him to sell his goods, Jesus was forcing him to examine his own heart and determine his priorities. With all of his commendable qualities, the young man still did not truly love God with all of his heart. Possessions were his god. He was unable to obey the command, “Go and sell … come and follow.”
The young man went away grieved, but he could have gone away in great joy and peace. We cannot love and serve two masters (Matt. 6:24ff). We can be sure that, apart from Christ, even the material possessions of life give no lasting joy or pleasure. It is good to have the things money can buy provided we do not lose the things that money cannot buy. Unless this rich ruler eventually turned to Christ, he died without salvation, one of the “richest” men in the cemetery. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 73). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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19:21 go and sell your possessions and give to the poor. Again, Jesus was not setting forth terms for salvation, but rather exposing the young man’s true heart. His refusal to obey here revealed two things: 1) he was not blameless as far as the law was concerned, because he was guilty of loving himself and his possessions more than his neighbors (cf. v. 19); and 2) he lacked true faith, which involves a willingness to surrender all at Christ’s bidding (16:24). Jesus was not teaching salvation by philanthropy; but He was demanding that this young man give Him first place. The young man failed the test (v. 22). come, follow Me. This was the answer to the young man’s question in v. 16. It was a call to faith. It is likely that the young man never even heard or contemplated it, though, because his own love of his possessions was such a stumbling block that he had already rejected Jesus’ claim to lordship over his life. Thus he walked away in unbelief. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Mt 19:21). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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19:21 If you want to be perfect. Jesus had just reaffirmed the central social tenets of the Torah, but as its definitive teacher he added his own authoritative directives (cf. 5:17ff). Jesus told the man that in order to be perfect he must sell his possessions and give them to the poor (cf. 1 Cor 13:3). The word “perfect” refers to spiritual maturity or development in godliness, in contrast to the man’s admitted inadequacies (5:48; BDAG 996).
come, follow me. In addition to exchanging his earthly treasures for heavenly treasure (6:20), he should follow Jesus as an itinerant disciple (4:22; 8:22; 9:9), laying up treasure in heaven (6:19–21; 13:44–46). Jesus demanded that the ruler forsake the wealth to which he was devoted, since that wealth was preventing him from loving God and neighbor (6:24). It is striking that Jesus appended his own commands to those of Moses, but this should not be surprising in light of 5:17–19. Genuine obedience to the Torah is determined by Jesus alone. This radical demand for total commitment to the Kingdom is in reality an offer of the gospel of grace, calling the ruler to renounce his reliance on wealth and to commit himself to the Kingdom. This passage serves as further commentary on previous texts in Matthew that juxtapose serving materialism and serving God (6:21, 24; 13:22).
19:22 he went away sad. Jesus had identified the inadequacy haunting this young man, but the man was not yet willing to obey Jesus, become perfect, and obtain eternal life.
19:23 it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus took the incident with the ruler as an opportunity to teach his disciples about the deceitfulness of riches (cf. Mark 10:23–31; Luke 18:24–30). Wealth can desensitize people regarding their deepest needs, just as poverty can alert them to the Kingdom (5:3). (Turner, D., & Bock, D. L. (2005). Cornerstone biblical commentary, Vol 11: Matthew and Mark (p. 252). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.)
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“Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” The question involves one’s ability to earn eternal life by doing. This young man had not yet learned his own utter sinfulness and absolute helplessness.
“There is none good but One, that is, God.” In addressing Jesus Christ as “Good Master,” the young man evidently meant to do Him honor, but Jesus points out the fact that only God is good. All men are sinners (Rom. 3:12). Therefore, if Jesus were only a Man, He would not be good, in this absolute sense. If truly good, then He is God. After this solemn declaration, the Lord Jesus took the inquirer up on his own ground. The law promised life to those who kept it (Lev. 18:5; Gal. 3:12). So the Lord answered, “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” This declaration was designed to show the man his inability to obtain life on that ground, for if conscience were active, he would realize he had violated already the law.
“He saith unto Him, Which?” This was clearly an attempt to evade the full force of the Lord’s words. In reply, Jesus quoted five of the principal commandments and concluded by summing up all of those that refer to our duties to our fellow-men by quoting from Leviticus 19:18, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” It would indicate an unawakened condition of soul if one could face all these and plead not guilty.
If men would seek to gain eternal life by doing good, the law challenges them to perfect obedience. Because all have sinned, it is not possible for anyone to be justified by the deeds of the law. The law speaks with awful force to an awakened conscience, giving one to realize the hopelessness of ever obtaining eternal life by human merit.
“All these have I kept from my youth up.” No doubt these words came from a sincere heart, but they give evidence of lack of real exercise of conscience. Who, knowing himself, could so speak? Outwardly, the life may have been blameless, but if conscience had been active there would have been confession of sin. It was the smug self-righteousness of one who prided himself on his own morality and did not realize the corruption of his heart. The question, “What lack I yet?” in itself indicates how complacent he was—how self-satisfied.
“If thou wilt be perfect, sell … and give … and follow Me.” Jesus so spoke in order to jar him from his ill-founded confidence. How could anyone, who was content to be wealthy, profess to love his neighbor as himself while needy, poverty-stricken people were suffering on every hand. To become a disciple of Christ—to live for others—and thus to lay up “treasure in heaven,” had no attraction for this one who talked so glibly of complete obedience to God’s commandments from his youth up.
In calling upon the rich inquirer to sell all he had and give to the poor, in order that he might have treasure in heaven, our Lord was seeking to make manifest both the deceitfulness and selfishness of the human heart. The challenge to forsake all and follow Christ was a call to yield wholly to His authority, thus to become a disciple in deed and in truth.
“He went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.” It has been well called The Great Refusal. Whatever admiration this man had for the Lord Jesus Christ, whatever inward yearning there was after the spiritual life, all were weaker than his love for his wealth and the place it gave him in the social circles of his day. His “great possessions” stood between him and the salvation of his soul. They meant more to him than the knowledge of life eternal.
“A rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.” As we have seen already the kingdom of heaven is not heaven itself. It rather implies the recognition of and subjection to heaven’s authority while here on earth. It is hard for those, to whom God has entrusted great wealth, to hold everything they possess as a stewardship, which they are responsible to use for His glory. It was not merely the salvation of this young man’s soul that was at stake: Christ was pointing the way to true discipleship.
“His disciples … were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?” They naturally thought it would be easier for those in comfortable circumstances to follow Jesus than for the poor and needy, but throughout the history of Christianity it has often been the poor of this world who have been richest in faith.
“With God all things are possible.” It is only the omnipotent power of God that leads any man, be he rich or poor, to trust in Christ as Saviour and yield obedience to Him as Lord. Every conversion, and every consecrated life is a miracle of grace. Whether men be wealthy or poverty-stricken, or among the fairly comfortable middle classes, as it were, it is only when they have been convicted of their lost condition by the Holy Spirit that they ever turn to Christ for deliverance. In Him all class distinctions vanish, and all stand on one common ground before God.
Just what it was that led the rich young man to talk with the Lord Jesus we are not told. He may have felt within his soul that here was One who spoke with all authority and had therefore the title to claim submission to His words. But he evidently had no sense of his own need as a sinner. He thought of Jesus as a teacher, not as a Saviour. So he was not ready to put Christ first in his life, and, like many thousands since who were somewhat attracted to the Lord Jesus, he went pensively away when he learned the conditions of discipleship.
The Right Use of Wealth. It is not sinful to be rich. It is sinful to make riches the ground of over-confidence, and to enjoy the comforts that wealth can give while forgetting the sufferings of the poor and needy. When God commits wealth to any man it is as a stewardship entrusted to him to be administered for the glory of Him who gave it. It is the love of money, not money itself, that is evil (1 Tim. 6:10). Money may become the means of untold blessing if used in subjection to Christ (1 Tim. 6:17–19).
The disciples had been silent on-lookers and listeners during this colloquy between their Lord and the rich young ruler. But now that the young man had turned away to go on in his selfish course Peter spoke up on behalf of them all, and expressed the concern upon their hearts as to what the final result would be of their own renunciations for Christ’s name’s sake. (Ironside, H. A. (1948). Expository notes on the Gospel of Matthew. (pp. 244–249). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
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Ver. 21. Jesus said unto him, if thou wilt be perfect, &c.] Wanting nothing, completely righteous, according to the tenour of the covenant of works, having no evil concupiscence, or worldly lusts: our Lord signifies it was not enough to be possessed of negative holiness, and do no hurt to his neighbour, to his person, property, and estate, but he must love him, and do him good; and therefore, though so far as he had complied with the law, it was right and commendable; wherefore ’tis said by Mark, that Jesus beholding him, loved him; had an affectionate regard to him as man, and approved of his intentions, seriousness, and actions, so far as agreeable; yet tells him, one thing thou lackest: not but that he lacked many more, but he was only willing to observe one thing to him, as a trial of his love to his neighbour, which is the fulfilling of the law: go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: not that either the law of God, or Gospel of Christ, require this to be done of all men, and at all times; for though it is a duty binding upon all, and always, to relieve the poor and the needy, yet a man is not obliged to give all that he has to them; see 2 Cor. 8:11 nor does either legal or Christian perfection lie in doing this: a man may give all his goods to the poor, and yet be destitute of the grace of God, 1 Cor. 13:3 much less can such an action merit the heavenly treasure of eternal life. Nevertheless of some persons, and in some cases, it has been required, that they part with all their worldly substance, for the sake of Christ and his Gospel; as the apostles were called to leave all and follow Christ, as this man was also; for it is added, and come and follow me: between these two, Mark puts, take up the cross; all which to do, was much more than to sell what he had, and give to the poor; and indeed, in this branch lies Gospel perfection, or to be really and truly a Christian: for to come to Christ, is to believe in him, lay hold on him, receive and embrace him as a Saviour and Redeemer; and to follow him, is to be obedient to his will, to be observant of his commands, to submit to his ordinances, and to imitate him in the exercise of grace, and discharge of duty; neither of which can be done, without taking up the cross; bearing reproach and persecution with patience; undergoing hardships and difficulties, of one sort or another, which attend faith in Christ, a profession of his name, and following him the Lamb, whithersoever he goes. The consequence of this now, not by way of merit, but by way of grace, is the enjoyment of the rich treasures of eternal glory: but this man was so far from complying with the latter, with coming to Christ, taking up the cross, and following him, that he could by no means agree to the former, parting with his worldly substance; and which is mentioned, as a test of his love to God and his neighbour, and to discover his sinful love of the world, and the things of it; and consequently, that he was far from being in a state of perfection. Moreover, it should be observed, that Christ is here speaking, not in the pure language of the law, or according to the principles of the Gospel, when he seems to place perfection in alms-deeds, and as if they were meritorious of eternal life; but according to the doctrine of the Pharisees, and which was this man’s; and so upon the plan of his own notions, moves him to seek for perfection, and convicts him of the want of it, in a way he knew would be disagreeable to him; and yet he would not be able to disprove the method, on the foot of his own tenets: for this is their doctrine; “It is a tradition, he that says this sela, or shekel, is for alms, that my son may live, or I may be a son of the world to come, lo! זה צדיק גמור, this man is a perfect righteous man.” The gloss adds, “In this thing; and he does not say, that he does not do it for the sake of it, but he fulfils the command of his Creator, who has commanded him to do alms; and he also intends profit to himself, that thereby he may be worthy of the world to come, or that his children may live.” And so in answer to a question much like this, the young man put to Christ: “How shall we come at the life of the world to come?” It is replied, “take thy riches, and give to the fatherless and the poor, and I will give thee a better portion in the law.” (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 1, p. 217). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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The ultimate allegiance he wants is that of the heart, for the ultimate universal battle is that of the will against God. The truth of God’s work that abides forever and results in coherence is first lodged in the heart of a person and then in society. To look at the world and to deny God is to open the door into that resulting vacuum for the myriad philosophies and pseudoreligious fancies that may help us run from the past – but only into the arms of an inherent future. (p. 117)
Job finds his answer in stages. He refuses to let one diagnosis or a great one-liner provide the satisfactory explanation for his situation. He starts his journey toward finding his answer for suffering and pain from the assumption of God as the Creator and Designer to seeing God as the Revealer of Truth, to recognizing him as Redeemer and Savior, and finally to experiencing him as the Restorer and Comforter. (p. 118, Has Christianity Failed You? by Ravi Zacharias)
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As Jesus came into Judea, the Pharisees approached Him, testing Him on the issue of divorce. They wanted Him to take sides on the interpretation of Deuteronomy 24:1. The school of Shammai taught it was valid to divorce one’s wife only for adultery; the school of Hillel taught one could divorce his wife for virtually any reason: if she was quarrelsome, if she was disrespectful to her in-laws …the validity for divorce was limitless. What did Jesus say concerning divorce? Which view would He hold?
Jesus answered the Pharisees by emphasizing the permanence of marriage. No one is to break the inseparable, one-flesh union that God has joined together (Matt. 19:6;Mark 10:9). “The first human male and female were intended solely for each other; the principle involved in their creation was that their union was complete and indissoluble” (A.H. McNeile, Gospel According to St. Matthew).
Divorce was not God’s original intent; the permission came “because of your hardness of heart? (Matt. 19:8). This was God’s permissive will but it was not so designed from the beginning. The contrasting expressions are clear: the Pharisees said, “why then did Moses command…” (v.7); Jesus answered, “Moses permitted …(v.8).
Jesus permitted in only one case: immorality (porneia;v.9). This exceptive clause does not occur outside of Matthew (see Mark 10:11-12; Luke 16:18; Rom. 7: 1-3; I Cor. 7: 39). The word porneia is a broad word, signifying immorality before marriage. While some infer the exceptive clause refers to adultery, that is moicheia, a different word that relates specifically to infidelity in marriage.
Why does Matthew along use the exceptive clause? Matthew, in writing to a Jewish audience, is referring to the betrothal period (engagement) during which a Jewish couple was considered “husband” and “wife” and which could be terminated only by divorce. A Jewish couple was normally engaged for twelve months; if she was found to be pregnant during this time, the man could break the engagement, but only by divorce (see Matt. 1: 18-19). Since this was a Jewish custom, the exceptive clause does not occur in Mark and Luke, which were written to Gentile audiences.
Marriage was designed to be permanent – and the disciples recognized this. (March 31, Living the New Testament by Paul Enns)
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1 Corinthians 1
Paul appeals for unity among the Corinthian believers.
INSIGHT
It has been said: God does the work of God and man does the work of man. Man cannot do the work of God. God will not do the work of man. Paul’s exhortation to the Corinthian believers certainly supports this. The Corinthian church had split into factions, following different men. Some said, “I follow Paul.” Others said, “I follow Apollos.” The most pious among them disdained to follow mere men and said, “I follow Christ.” Using the imagery of a husbandman, Paul says, “I planted (brought the message of salvation), Apollos watered (taught you more advanced things), but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). Pursue the work of man with all diligence. And rest in the work of God. (Quiet Walk)
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OUR FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD
…if any man sin… 1 John 2:1
John is concerned fundamentally about our walk with God and our fellowship with Him, and therefore he says, “My little children, these things write I unto you…” because sin always ultimately breaks fellowship with God and therefore immediately casts us off from the source of all our blessedness. It is no use saying you want to walk with God and then deliberately sinning. The moment you sin, fellowship is broken; the moment you fall into transgression, you interrupt the fellowship. The one thing that matters is fellowship with God. I do not know what may await you. You may be tried, you may be persecuted; there may be war and calamity; there may be terrible things awaiting you. The one thing that matters is that you are right with God. That being so, do not sin because sin breaks the fellowship.
Not only that—sin is utterly inconsistent with our profession. It is totally inconsistent with our professed hatred of sin and with our professed desire to be delivered from it. Christians are people who realize and know that sin is the central problem in life, and they therefore say that they want to be delivered and emancipated from it. So if they continue to sin, they deny what they profess to believe. Such a position is completely inconsistent and self-contradictory.
And sin also leads always to an evil conscience. When men and women sin, they are under a sense of condemnation, they are unhappy. I am speaking true to experience, am I not? “Little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.” Sin will rob you of happiness and joy and will give you a sense of condemnation.
A Thought to Ponder: The one thing that matters is fellowship with God.
(From Walking with God, pp. 17-18, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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The Law for Today
“And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?” (Deuteronomy 4:8)
God has never dealt with any nation as closely and fully as He has with Israel, but He nevertheless is directly concerned with every nation as a national entity. He has actually established each nation Himself (Deuteronomy 32:8), even determining the geographical boundaries of each and the time when each would rise and fall (Acts 17:26).
Every nation has a purpose in history, but Israel had the highest calling of all. God personally gave them (through Moses) the finest governmental and legal system any nation ever had (Deuteronomy 4:5-8), and modern governments would therefore do well to emulate these, in so far as possible. In fact, it is amazing that this Mosaic legal code has since served effectively as the basic legal code for all the greatest nations in modern history. This, in itself, is clear testimony to its divine origin and is therefore justification for retaining and implementing it wherever possible, even today.
Sadly, however, modern political and judicial practices are departing further and further from this divine standard. The philosophies of evolution and relativism dominate our schools of law today, and the concept of absolute principles of righteousness and justice, rooted in the nature of God as Creator and in His revelation, are largely being replaced by legislation based on evolving social policies and preferences. Even the Ten Commandments are banned from our schools, despite the fact that they are engraved in the Supreme Court building itself.
It is sobering to consider that God did not even spare His beloved nation Israel when His people departed from His law. Nor will He spare America if our growing rebellion against His Word goes on much longer.
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Look at the Son of God himself. Look how he spent his life. Observe him rising a great while before dawn to pray to God. And yet you and I often in our folly go through an entire day with only casual prayers morning and evening. (p. 176)
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As you approach God in prayer do you always remind yourself that your only right of access is that Christ has lived and died for you, that your sins have been punished in his holy body, that he gave himself for you and that he is now your High Priest, your advocate with the Father? You need the blood from beginning to end. (p. 178)
(A Merciful and Faithfull High Priest by Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Daily Hope
Today’s Scripture Ecclesiastes 10:5-20
A foolish person does not have wisdom in his heart. That is the principle that was noted in yesterday’s devotion. The person who does foolish things gravitates to those actions and thoughts because of inner motivations that rule their life.
Solomon uses four illustrations to demonstrate his point in the rest of the chapter. The illustrations that he uses deals with every area of society and demonstrates that no one is immune from doing foolish activities.
The first act of folly is within the reign of the monarch or ruling person (vv.5-7). The example is of a proud ruler who has his best people behaving like servants and slaves acting as leaders. A wise ruler places his people in positions that allow for the greatest work to be accomplished.
Next, Solomon describes the foolish laborer (vv.8-10). It appears that the laborer was not mindful of the dangers or had become too comfortable of his abilities and did not provide the safety measures needed to keep from being injured on the job. It was not foolish to work in the profession but it was folly to not take time to ensure safety was a priority.
The third example illustrated is regarding speech (vv.11-15). The foolish man’s words are boastful, fanciful and plentiful which causes the listener to become weary of being with such a person. His continual speech keeps the babbler from reaching the destination or even of hearing the directions!
The last person or group who manifests an aura of foolishness is related to the first. This group is the circle of people the king or ruler gathers around him (vv.16-20). “Birds of a feather flock together” is an adage and one Solomon probably would have agreed with. The people who gathered around the leader demonstrated the qualities the leader embraced. If the leader was weak or immature than the qualities of indulgence, apathy and indiscretion become manifest.
Solomon is stating that foolish behavior is present in every area of life. It is displayed in our lives as a result arrogance or overconfidence in ourselves. It is also exhibited when we feel that our superiors are not equal or deserving of our respect or loyalty. When we forget that God is watching and in control, we will be tempted to be foolish and act or speak inappropriately. A quick review of Psalm 5:4-5 will keep us on track; “For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, nor shall dwell evil dwell with You. The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity.” Let us keep in check the words we speak to one another.
With an Expectant hope, Pastor Miller
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