Jesus went to Judea where the Pharisees questioned him about divorce, hoping to trap Him, but He answered them with a question: "What did Moses command you?" They replied that Moses permitted divorce.
Jesus explained that it was because of the hardness of their hearts that Moses permitted divorce, but truly, from the beginning of creation,
God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.
Later the disciples asked Him about divorce, and Jesus explained that whoever divorces and marries another commits adultery.
Next, people brought their children to Jesus to bless them, and His disciples tried to turn them away. However, Jesus taught them that the kingdom of God is like this, and those who are like children receive the kingdom. Therefore, He held the children and blessed them.
Then a rich young ruler ran to Jesus, calling Him good, and knelt before Him, asking how he may inherit eternal life. Jesus asked why he called Him good when only God is good. He questioned him about the commandments: do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, or lie, honor your parents. The young man said he had kept them from his youth.
Jesus loved him (with empathy) and told him then to give all he had to the poor and he would have treasure in heaven; take up the cross and follow Him. But the young man became sad and went away because he had "great possessions."
Jesus told His disciples that it is difficult to have wealth and enter the kingdom of God. How difficult it is to trust in wealth. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven. The disciples pondered: "Who then can be saved?" And Jesus replied:
With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
Peter, always the spokesmen of the disciples, noted that they had done what He had told the young ruler to do. Jesus responded that there is eternal reward for those who leave their earthly desires, suffer persecution, and follow Him.
As they were going up to Jerusalem, Jesus told them again of His betrayal, suffering, death and resurrection, and they were afraid. Then James and John asked that Jesus would permit them to sit on either side of Him in glory, but Jesus told them that they did not know what they asked or if they were able to drink the cup that He was about to drink. He told them that where they are in glory is not His to give, but whomever is, he is being prepared now.
Of course, the other disciples were annoyed with James and John, but Jesus assured them that whoever wants to be first must be a servant or slave of all and give his life a ransom for many.
Finally, in this chapter, Jesus healed Bartimaeus, and he got up and followed Jesus.
COMMENTARY
MARRIAGE
When the Pharisees asked Jesus about divorce, Jesus flipped their focus onto marriage. God created marriage. Any violation of marriage is sin, in God's eyes. He never intended for divorce. However, He permits divorce for unfaithfulness or sexual immorality or fornication; yet, He still hates divorce. And furthermore, even if people get divorced, for any reason, they can still be forgiven of that sin.
The problem actually regarding marriage is that people do not take marriage seriously and should not get married in the first place. If couples solemnly understood marriage, they would let God arrange their marriage for them, when and with whom.
DEITY OF JESUS
When the rich young ruler referred to Jesus as good, Jesus asked him why he called Him good when only God is good. He wanted him to think about what he had said because he was correct. Jesus is God and He is good.
He also gave him an opportunity to give up what he was trusting in most: his earthly riches. The young man went away sad because he did not want to give his wealth up for Jesus. All of us need to examine ourselves to see what earthly things are we are trusting in more or clinging to more than Jesus. That is what keeps us from following Jesus completely and fully.
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| credit: lifeway |