Matthew 19 – Marriage, Divorce, Celibacy, Humility & What Has Your Heart

Matthew 19 – Marriage, Divorce, Celibacy, Humility & What Has Your Heart

Text: Read Matthew 19

May 21, 2020

Jesus Always Healing People

The beginning of this chapter gives us yet another reminder about the healing power of Jesus. Everywhere He went, He was healing people. It is good to stop and reflect on this for just a moment. Is Jesus still alive? Yes. Is He still healing people? Yes. That means if we have any sickness in our body, we can remember that we can take it to the Lord, and He will always say yes. We may not know how He will heal us in a given situation, but if we have the faith to believe He will, then it will be done for us as we have believed.

Matthew 8:13

Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.

Marriage, Divorce & Celibacy

Reasons for divorce and the sanctity of marriage are the topic in this section. We also see something about reasons for not marrying to be set apart for God’s service. There were specific guidelines laid down in the Old Testament for getting a divorce. It was always due to marital unfaithfulness.

Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Isaiah. Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Malachi all mention the reasons why the Lord was permitting divorce. But if we look at what Malachi says, the bottom line is that God hates divorce.

Matthew 2:16

“For the Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce, for it covers one’s garment with violence,” Says the Lord of hosts. “Therefore take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.”

The rulers in Jesus’ day were always looking for a way to trap Him with their questions to see if He would go against what was written in the law. They were wanting to hear Him say that people could get divorced for any reason, but Jesus didn’t go there. While God gave justifiable reasons to allow it in the Old Testament, Jesus explained in the New Testament that when God created a man and a woman, He intended for them to be joined together for life. There’s no good reason for divorce unless, as Jesus said, one of the partners commits sexual immorality.

When a man and a woman come together, they literally become one flesh. They are joined together as one unit, even though they each have their own spirit inside of them. Verse 6 tells us that what God joined together, let not man separate.

Nowadays, the whole sanctity of marriage has been turned into something it was never intended to be. Men are marrying men, and women are marrying women. People are getting divorced for all kinds of reasons. Many times, they just stop applying themselves to the relationship when the newness of the wedding wears off. Over time, they just grow apart from each other.

The Bible makes it clear that homosexuality is an abomination to the Lord, but many won’t hear it. They refuse to acknowledge it. This can be studied out in both the old and the new testaments. Others like the idea of a wedding and all the excitement that goes with it, but do not feel that they need to be obligated for life.

This is a matter of the utmost importance. Why? Because God ordained marriage. After all, Jesus is called our Bridegroom. We are His betrothed, His bride to be (yes, male or female, you are a bride of Christ if you are born again). God joined us together with Jesus to be married, and that is to be a holy and very sacred union for all eternity.

Isaiah 54:5

For your Maker is your husband, The Lord of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth.

All through the New Testament, Jesus talked about the bride and the Bridegroom, referring to us with Him. Let’s look at the parable about the invitation to the wedding feast.

Matthew 22:1-14

And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said:  “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son,  and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come.  Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.”

But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 

Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.  Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’  So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.  So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.  Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’  “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Look at this in the book of revelation.

Revelation 22:17

And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

So we see that the whole issue of marriage was patterned after God marrying us – His born again children. One day we will be His spouse and He will be ours. It’s a forever thing. That’s how marriage was designed to work from the very beginning. Our marriage to Him won’t be exactly like an earthly marriage of course, but it will be pure and holy and everlasting. 

Even though all are invited to be with Jesus as His bride in heaven and in the new earth forever, not all will come. Though He bids us to come, He will not force us. He will allow those who don’t come to go the other way – though it would break His heart.

Finally, some will not marry for the reason of inability to consummate the marriage due to a physical abnormality. Still others will make the decision to set themselves apart for the service of the Lord to be without the distraction of a spouse. Paul did not marry, and he spoke a lot on this.

1 Corinthians 7:32-35

But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord. But he who is married cares about the things of the world—how he may please his wife. There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband. And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction.

A Word About Humility

Yesterday, in Matthew 18, we looked at humility in more detail. Jesus had made it clear to the disciples that being like a child is what God looks at as great in His kingdom. Why? Because kids are humble, not proud. As adults need to be just like that. We can come to the Lord in a lowliness and meekness – aka, humility.

Humility is described as a mild and gentle temper. Patient with people. Humble people are submitted to the Lordship of Jesus as not only their Savior but their Lord. This means they are willing to allow Him to be the ruling factor in their lives. It is laying down our own will. Humble people are opposed to pride and arrogance. God hates pride.

Proverbs 16-19

These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.

James 4:6

But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

What Your Heart?

This story shows a man who had been a great Jewish man. He obeyed the Jewish laws and he obviously worked hard to attain great wealth. This was all good. The day He spoke with Jesus, he was given the chance to see even greater things in his young life. Jesus told him that all he would have to do to inherit the kingdom of heaven would be to sell his goods and follow after Him.

Did this mean he could not have wealth? No. We can only imagine the great things he would have experienced as he went with Jesus. The whole thing here was that Jesus put His finger on the one thing that had a hold of his heart more than serving God. It was his money. He would rather keep the money than go with Jesus. So that day, he showed where his heart really was.  

In verse 23, Jesus told His listeners that it was harder for a rich man to enter heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. He meant that people whose heart were not for God, but for their possessions, would have a tough time getting in because they were not loyal to the Lord.

Next, we see the disciples mentioning that they had indeed left everything to follow Jesus. They wondered how they could enter the kingdom of heaven because they had money. They were business men. Jesus answered, saying,  

“With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (vs 26)

The wonderful thing is that one can be rich and follow Jesus. The only problem here was that the money had more of the young man’s heart than Jesus did, and the Lord will not take second place. He gave the disciples a wonderful answer and promise about what they would get for leaving everything for Him.

Matthew 19:28

So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, 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 wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

We see that God made others rich in the Bible – in fact very rich. He wants us to have more than enough so we can be used by Him to bless others and advance the gospel around the world. That takes money. Here we see that the Lord would bless His followers greatly and the very best part would be eternal life with Him. Nothing on this earth could compare to that.

Reflection

I have had my experiences with marriage and thank God that the right one finally came along, though later in life. The good news is that when we get connected with the spouse that God chooses for us, it is unbeatable and unbreakable. A reflection of what being married to Jesus would be  like.

For a long time I thought I would never marry again after a failed marriage, but the Lord had a better plan. One day in a church, I met the man I would marry. It caught both of us off guard and we were delighted to realize quickly that we were God’s choice for each other. And I can say that even the best of marriages will have their challenges. People are different, one from another. Things will come up. But with the Lord’s Holy Spirit at work in us, we can be loving and forgiving toward each other and move on.

This chapter teaches me a lot about how much God helps us when we humble ourselves before Him. We get a lot of grace and help from Him when we do.

It also reminds me that I need to keep God first. I have had issues with addictions in my life, and by His grace, I have come a long way from where I once was. Though it is a continual battle with the flesh and the enemy at times, I am learning more to lean on His everlasting arms. I am learning to receive more of His love and forgiveness, so I am not inclined to turn to something else to fill my heart.

All of my successes in my life were only possible to achieve WITH God. Apart from Him, I could do nothing. Rich people, the sick, broken, and addicted people can all get into heaven with the help of God. And for me, for you, and all people, our help comes from the Lord in the form of His precious Son Jesus – the Christ. Thank God for Jesus!

We have to remember that God never condemns us for falling short of His glory which we do every day, but He wants to give us the grace to come closer to Him and get better and better with things that have troubled us.

I hope this blessed you as you read it.

How About You?

What speaks to you the most in this chapter? Will you take it to the Lord in prayer? He will help you if you do.

Questions or comments? Email me at: Hannylynn05@gmail.com