WHEN JESUS HAD finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. 2Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
3Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”
4“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ 5and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? 6So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”
7“Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”
8Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
10The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”
11Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. 12For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”
13Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
14Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
16Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
17“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.”
18“Which ones?” the man inquired.
Jesus replied, “ ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
20“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
21Jesus 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.”
22When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24Again 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.”
25When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
26Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
27Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”
28Jesus 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. 29And 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. 30But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”
Original Meaning
THE GREAT GALILEAN ministry has ended. Galilee was the primary focus of Jesus’ earthly ministry, with the city of Capernaum the primary headquarters (see comments on 4:12; 8:14). Tremendous crowds witnessed his teaching and miracles. But Jesus’ popularity began to fade when the crowds realized he was not going to establish the political, militaristic kingdom that they desired (see comments on 13:10–17). Jesus and the disciples now begin the momentous journey to Jerusalem, which will culminate with the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection in the first week of April, A.D. 30.1
Journeying Through Judea to Jerusalem (19:1–2)
THE ROUTE THAT Jesus and the disciples take from Galilee to Judea goes through the region Matthew calls “beyond the Jordan” (19:1). This is most likely Perea, the land just east of the Jordan River that lay between Samaria and the Decapolis. Along with Galilee, it was administered by Herod Antipas, with a largely Jewish population.2 The fortress Machaerus, where John the Baptist was beheaded, was located in the southern region of Perea. Jesus’ reputation from his healing ministry in Galilee has preceded him, for large crowds follow his movement through the region. Similar to his compassion demonstrated in Galilee, he heals them.
It is difficult to determine which events in Matthew’s narrative of the nearly six-month journey to Jerusalem occur in Perea and which in Judea, though the final event does occur in Jericho (20:29–34), which is located in Judea. Following the Community Prescription (ch. 18), Matthew records events that reveal what life is like in his community of disciples, including the sanctity of marriage (19:3–12) and the value of the kingdom over all else, including status (19:13–15), wealth (19:16–29), rewards (20:1–15), rank (20:20–28), and capability (20:29–34).
Sanctity of Marriage in the Community (19:3–12)
ON HIS JOURNEY to Jerusalem, Jesus is confronted several times by religious leaders who “test” him, trying to get him to incriminate himself through misinterpreting the law according to their traditions. Pharisees arrive, continuing the opposition that those in Galilee (e.g., 12:1–2) and those who traveled from Jerusalem (e.g., 15:1) carried out. They now focus on divorce by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”
The question of divorce (19:3–9). The expression “for any and every reason” is unique to Matthew, reflecting his remembrance of this controversy. A hotbed of discussion surrounded the interpretations of Moses’ divorce regulation.3 The leading Pharisees of Jesus’ day debated the grounds for divorce that Moses established, who allowed a man to divorce his wife if he “finds something indecent about her” (Deut. 24:1). The debate focused on the word “indecent.”
The Mishnah tractate Giṭṭin (“Bills of Divorce”) records the differing interpretations (m. Giṭ. 9:10). The more conservative school of Shammai held to the letter of the Mosaic law and said that the word “indecent” means “unchastity.” The more liberal school of Hillel interpreted “indecency” to mean that “he may divorce her even if she spoiled a dish for him.” The esteemed Rabbi Akiba, who belonged to the school of Hillel, later added, “Even if he found another fairer than she,” demonstrating that divorce was being granted for the most superficial reasons.
Jesus brought up marital faithfulness and divorce in the Sermon on the Mount as an example of the way that the arrival of the kingdom of heaven brings to fulfillment the Old Testament. He used it also as an example of the way that current interpretations were causing the intention of the Old Testament to be violated (see comments on 5:31–32). Here he uses the same argumentation but addresses the Pharisees directly, who were guilty of that violation.
Jesus goes back to the beginning of creation to demonstrate God’s intention for the institution of marriage. He quotes Genesis 2:24 to note that God designed his human creatures as male and female, with marriage a permanent bond of a man and woman into one new union that is consecrated by physical intercourse. God “hates” divorce, because it tears apart what should be considered a permanent union (cf. Mal. 2:16). So Jesus avoids the Pharisaic argument and demands that humans should go back to God’s intention and understand that marriage is part of God’s original design.4 Divorce separates what God brought together (Matt. 19:4–6).5
But the Pharisees think that they have trapped Jesus, for they point to the Mosaic law that allowed a husband to give to his wife a certificate of divorce: “Why then . . . did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?” Since sinful abuse of a marriage partner was a harsh reality in the ancient world, Moses instituted a regulation designed to do three things: (1) protect the sanctity of marriage from something “indecent” defiling the relationship; (2) protect the woman from a husband who might simply send her away without any cause; and (3) document her status as a legitimately divorced woman, so that she would not be thought a harlot or a runaway adulteress. The Pharisees insist that if Moses allowed divorce, then it must be a valid option for a marriage partner to consider.
Jesus counters by once again going to God’s original intention with marriage: “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.” Somewhere in each relationship that experiences divorce, something has gone wrong that shouldn’t have. So Moses gave God’s prescription for dealing with sin. Jesus emphasizes that divorce should never be understood to be a morally neutral option. It always evidences the presence of sin, the hardness of heart.6 The Pharisees are focused on the wrong issue. They are not looking at God’s original intention but at Moses’ prescription.7 With the arrival of the gospel of the kingdom, the reversal of the fallen order has begun, which means the redemption of marriages as well. Hard hearts can be regenerated and the divorce certificate made obsolete.
However, as did Moses, Jesus allows for an exception to protect the nonoffending partner and to protect the institution of marriage from being an indecent sham.8 Such an occasion occurs when a person has committed porneia, which the NIV appropriately renders “marital unfaithfulness.” In a phrase unique to Matthew (see also 5:32), Jesus states, “I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness [porneia], and marries another woman commits adultery” (19:9; my emphasis). Since “adultery” is already specified by another word (moicheuo; 5:27–28; 19:9), porneia must be something less specific than sexual infidelity, but, following the Mosaic intention, more than a frivolous excuse.
The semantic range of porneia includes whatever intentionally divides the marital relationship, possibly including, but not limited to, related sexual sins such as incest, homosexuality, prostitution, molestation, or indecent exposure.9 Later rabbis declared that divorce was required in the case of adultery (putting the offending party to death as Moses prescribed in Deut. 24:1–4 was no longer practiced), because adultery produced a state of impurity that, as a matter of legal fact, dissolved the marriage (m. Soṭah 5:1; m. Yebam. 2:8).10 Jesus does not require divorce but allows it to occur to protect the person violated. Divorce without this exception creates adultery, the despicable nature of which he has declared in the SM (5:27–30), because an illicit divorce turns both parties of a new marriage into adulterers. However, if a divorce is granted under the exception of porneia, remarriage is permissible.11
The exception clause is consistent with Joseph’s behavior as a “righteous” man in the infancy narrative (1:18–25). When Mary becomes pregnant through the Holy Spirit in the betrothal period, Joseph first learns of her condition without knowing of its supernatural origin. As a righteous man, it is appropriate for him to obtain a certificate of divorce because he thinks she has committed adultery. But he does not carry through with the divorce after the angel of the Lord appears and tells him his wife-to-be has not been unfaithful.
The question of singleness in the community (19:10–12). The disciples do not seem to catch the full meaning of Jesus’ statement, so most likely after the Pharisees leave, they approach Jesus for more complete understanding (cf. 13:10; 15:12). They now understand that marriage is far more of a permanent, unbreakable commitment than even they may have treated it, but they misunderstand the commitment to mean a torturous obligation. If that is the case, they mistakenly surmise, it is better not to marry (19:10).
Although the disciples may have been making a somewhat cynical suggestion, Jesus picks up on their comment in a positive way to suggest that for some it is God’s will to remain single, and it is only for them to accept it (19:11). Jesus does not contradict his earlier confirmation that the right order of God’s creation is for men and women to marry and remain so permanently (19:4–6), but neither is he going to adopt the disciple’s cynical attitude toward a life of singleness. Singleness is an appropriate alternative for those for whom it has been given as their lot in life, whether they are a literal (either born or man-made) or figurative eunuch (19:12).
Some eunuchs have been born without the capacity for sexual relations, such as those born without properly developed genitalia.12 Others have been castrated for official functions, especially those in some cultures, like the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:27), who were castrated in order to be officials in a court among royal women. Still others have adopted abstinence because God has made an exception for their particular work in the kingdom of heaven, such as John the Baptist and Jesus himself. Paul points out that some, on the basis of extreme situations in the church, would serve better if they were single (1 Cor. 7:7–9). But nowhere in Scripture is celibacy seen as a higher form of spirituality than being married.
The Kingdom Community Belongs to Children (19:13–15)
THE SUBJECT OF children naturally arises after marriage. “Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them.” Placing hands on children for blessing had a long history in Israel, primarily when passing on a blessing from one generation to another (cf. Gen. 48:14; Num. 27:18). But bringing children to Jesus for his blessing irritates the disciples, and they rebuke those bringing them. The disciples probably do not want the children brought to Jesus because they had an insignificant societal status and are interrupting what they consider to be more important matters of proclaiming the kingdom of heaven.
But the scene is reminiscent of the way in which Jesus used little children as metaphors of discipleship when counteracting the glory-seeking of the disciples. Jesus once again turns prevailing societal values on their head to show that the low position of children in society illustrates the humility necessary for entrance into the kingdom of God (19:14; see comments on 18:1–5). Childlikeness is not only a prerequisite for entrance to the kingdom but is also a necessary lifetime characteristic for Jesus’ disciples. As weak, defenseless, vulnerable children, they must continue to maintain dependence on their heavenly Father for the purpose, power, and significance of their life of discipleship.13
Thus, Jesus confirms these values for those in his kingdom by placing his hands on the children (19:15). This is a symbolic demonstration, not an actual conferral of kingdom life, as some in church history later construe it to mean.14 Through this act Jesus displays to his disciples and to the crowds the essential nature of the characteristics of kingdom life that are to be produced in them. The disciples will desperately need this reminder when all thought of glory, power, and greatness is removed with the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus.
The metaphorical lesson on discipleship should not displace the literal lesson concerning children. It is their very weakness and vulnerability that often enable little children to be most receptive to Jesus’ message. Before hardness of heart sets in from experiencing the hurts of this life, vulnerable children can learn to trust the message of hope and salvation that is found in the gospel. Jesus’ gentle openness to them, his compassionate touch, and his protective words elevate them from being marginally irrelevant to being valuable objects of his gospel outreach.
All humans are equally precious to Jesus, and this picture of Jesus’ tender touch of the little children has become an emblem of missionary and humanitarian efforts for the church throughout history. The community of disciples sees in Jesus’ actions a picture of how it must overcome the irritation of those first disciples and devote itself to the spiritual and physical care not only of children, but of all those who are helpless, hurting, and marginalized.
It is also important to recognize that little children bring with them as new disciples a perspective that is unique to them. We can learn much by valuing the contributions of children and seeing their spiritual growth and development not only in terms of their future development but also in what they can also contribute now. Often, children endorse attitudes and insights that we lose as we grow in discipleship. Jesus validates the unique perspectives of these little ones who correctly perceive the true nature of the kingdom, and we do well to learn from them.
The Tragedy of the Rich Young Man (19:16–22)
THE INCIDENT OF the rich young man appears in all three Synoptic Gospels (19:16–22; Mark 10:17–22; Luke 18:23). While each writer discloses that the person is rich, they reveal his further identity somewhat differently: Matthew calls him a “young man” (19:20), Mark simply states he is a “man” (10:17), and Luke alone calls him “a certain ruler” (18:18). This young man (between twenty to forty years old) is some kind of religious lay leader, possibly a Pharisee (because of his scrupulous adherence to the law). These people often were well off financially since they were among the retainer class. In first-century Palestine the Roman occupiers allowed a form of self-rule, and within Judaism the religious leaders exercised that leadership.15
Addressing Jesus with a title of respect (“teacher”) that acknowledges the help he can receive from his learning and mastery of Scripture, the young man evidently has experienced a need in his life to perform some kind of righteous deed that will assure him of having eternal life. “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”16
This young man seems to believe that there is something deficient in obeying the law to gain eternal life. Jesus gets the young man to focus on God alone as the Good, to whom he must come to gain eternal life (19:17). Jesus is not denying he is good or that he is equal with God, but he is trying to get the rich young man to see that only in understanding God as good can he discover that good deeds beyond the law do not obtain eternal life. Jewish writings exhorted each person to bless God as the truly good: “For rain and good tidings he should say, ‘Blessed is he, the good and the doer of good’ ” (m. Ber. 9.3).
Jesus goes on: “If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.” Jesus takes the young man back to obeying the law as the expression of belief in the truly good being. The good God has written his good will for his people.17 Connected to the preceding discussion of entering the kingdom of heaven as a child, the rich young man should display obedience to the law as the source of all good, including eternal life. This is not to earn life eternal; rather, it is humbly to obey the law in childlike faith in God’s goodness.
Jesus approaches the concept of eternal life here from three perspectives, all of which combine to give a clearer understanding of that one phenomenon. (1) Eternal life is entering a form of existence that differs from the human existence into which one is born (19:17). One enters that form in the here and now, but it continues after one’s physical death (cf. 25:46). (2) Eternal life is equal to entrance into the kingdom of heaven (19:23), which looks at one’s life in the continual presence of God and his kingdom, which has both present and future, spiritual and physical, realities (see comments on 3:2; 4:17). (3) Eternal life equates to being saved (19:25), which looks at one’s existence from the perspective of deliverance from the judgment that accompanies sin. It is rare to find these three perspectives in one passage.
In 19:18 the young man responds to Jesus’ directive to obey the commandments by asking, “Which ones?” Jesus replies by giving a representative listing of the law, including five of the commandments in the second part of the Decalogue (cf. Ex. 20:1–17; Deut. 5:7–21) and the second of the two greatest commandments (Lev. 19:18; cf. Matt. 22:36–40). With unblinking confidence, the young man (identified for the first time as “young”) declares that he has kept them all. And he does not mean only those commandments cited by Jesus, for he understands these commandments as representative of the entire law. His obedience to the law is complete.
Although it may seem presumptuous for the young man to say he has kept all the commandments, he is not alone. When Sirach called his readers to obey the law, he calls them to acknowledge the power of their own free choice and challenges them, “If you choose, you can keep the commandments, and to act faithfully is a matter of your own choice” (Sir. 15:15). When Paul recounted his former life as a Pharisee and viewed his obedience to the law, he considered himself “as to righteousness under the law, blameless” (Phil. 3:6; NRSV).
But obedience to the law still does not satisfy this young man. He senses that he still lacks something: “What do I still lack?” This is the place where he needs to be. Jesus could have challenged him further to find where some lack of obedience might be found and corrected, but the issue is not one of external performance. The Pharisees prided themselves on their righteousness accomplished through obeying the law. Instead, Jesus takes the young man to the inner place where his values are formed (his heart) and challenges him to see what is his most cherished value—in essence, the ruling god of his life. Without the truly good God ruling him, he will continue to lack. Note how Paul, when he went to the inner place of his heart and examined himself in the light of the inner urge to covet, realized that he was fully sinful (cf. Rom. 7:7–12).
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.” The young man has almost certainly given to the poor in the past, because the giving of alms was one of the pillars of piety within Judaism, especially among the Pharisees (see comments on 6:1–4). But giving to the poor can be done out of the abundance that a person has. It can give a person an even greater sense of power and personal pride. Jesus instead calls this young man to address the central lack in his life. His wealth has become his means to personal identity, power, purpose, and meaning in life. It has, in a real sense, become his god. Thus, Jesus calls him to exchange the god of wealth for following him as the one true God.18 He will continue to lack until he becomes like a child—powerless, defenseless, and needing his Father’s influence (see 18:1–4; 19:13–15).
The response of the young man comprises one of the truly heartbreaking verses in Scripture: “When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.” The young man knows that Jesus has correctly pinpointed what is lacking in his life. He knows what issues are at stake. His many possessions have captivated his heart, and he cannot exchange this god for Jesus (cf. 6:21–24). So he goes away with great distress (cf. 26:22, 37), knowing deep in his heart that his decision has eternal consequences. He knew all along what he was lacking for eternal life, and when he is offered it by Jesus, he rejects the invitation to life.
The Gracious Reward for Those Who Follow Jesus (19:23–30)
THE DIFFICULTY OF rich people entering the kingdom of heaven (19:23–26). Jesus uses the incident of the rich young man as an object lesson for the disciples: “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.” This man illustrates a basic principle of this life—wealth is a heady intoxicant, because it provides most of the counterfeits that fool a person into thinking he or she does not need God. The wealthy person is the opposite of the child. The child has no power, no defense, and no personal resources to accomplish what he or she wants in life. To become like a child is to receive God into one’s life, who will then supply what is lacking (18:1–5; 19:13–15). But the rich person is self-sufficient, having the resources to be powerful, to protect oneself from deprivation and hardship, and to make of oneself whatever one wants.
To illustrate the difficulty of a rich person entering the kingdom of God,19 Jesus draws on an analogy using a camel, the largest land animal in Palestine, and the eye of a needle, the smallest aperture found in the home (19:24). If not for the seriousness of the issue, the analogy would bring a chuckle to Jesus’ listeners as they envision the impossibility of the huge, humped, hairy, spitting beast fitting through the tiny eye of a common sewing needle. And it just may have been Jesus’ intent to lighten the mood with this ridiculous mental picture, because he wants to shock the crowd into seeing that even the absurdly impossible is possible with God (19:26).20
The disciples are shocked at Jesus’ statement about the difficulty of wealthy people entering the kingdom of God, because wealth was often equated with the blessing of divine favor (Deut. 28:1–14). Abraham’s wealth was assumed to be a reward for his obedience as a God-fearing man (Gen. 13:2), and the psalmist declares of those who fear the Lord, “His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever” (Ps. 112:1–3). If those who seemingly are the most blessed of God cannot be saved, then who can be (Matt. 19:25)? Notice that the disciples understand that “entering the kingdom of heaven/God” (19:23–24) is equivalent to being “saved” (19:25), which in turn is equivalent to entering and obtaining eternal life (19:16–17).
Jesus knows that riches can keep people’s eyes off of God. But he also knows God’s operation in the lives of people and says that even if it is impossible with humankind, if a rich person truly trusts God, God will make it possible (19:26). The rich young man has a deep-seated recognition that something is lacking in his life. Jesus points him to the inner problem, the wealth that is the ruling force in his life, and by exchanging his wealth for Jesus as his Lord, he will indeed become Jesus’ disciple, enter the kingdom of heaven, and find eternal life. But the young man finds this too difficult, so he turns away. Other rich persons, such Joseph of Arimathea (27:57) and Zacchaeus (Luke 19:9–10), did find salvation by becoming Jesus’ disciples. All we need to do is to acknowledge what rules our lives and exchange that treasure for the treasure of Jesus as one’s God (cf. Luke 14:25–33).
Reward for following Jesus (19:27–30). Once Jesus has made this dramatic statement, Peter steps forward once again as a spokesman for the disciples: “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” Peter gets Jesus’ point, but not fully. He rightly understands that the focus is not solely on the rich person but on all people, because it provides a pattern for anyone. He and the others have left all to follow Jesus (4:18–22). But Peter should have left it there. He has already entered the kingdom of heaven and found salvation. Instead, he focuses on rewards. Jesus will acknowledge the rewards they will receive, but Peter’s self-seeking for rewards sets up the parable in 20:1–15, which is a subtle rebuke to that self-seeking.
In Jesus’ response to Peter, the plural “them” (19:28a) implicates the rest of the disciples with Peter’s question: “I tell you the truth, at the renewal [palingenesia21] 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.” In Titus, Paul refers to individual regeneration that each person experiences who is born again by the Spirit of God as he or she enters the kingdom of heaven (cf. John 3:3; 2 Cor. 5:17; 1 Peter 1:3). But individual regeneration looks forward to the renewal Jesus refers to in Matthew 19:28. Palingenesia here refers to a future time of renewal, the hope that was basic to Jewish expectation of Israel’s future national restoration.22
Although “judging” can indicate condemnation of Israel for rejecting Jesus as national Messiah,23 the idea of Jesus as the Son of Man and the Twelve r uling or governing is paramount (cf. Rev. 3:21; 20:6). Condemning Israel would bring no great pleasure to the disciples, but reward would, which was the point of Peter’s request (Matt. 19:27). Jesus predicts a time of renewal when the Twelve will participate in the final establishment of the kingdom of God on the earth, when Israel will be restored to the land and the Twelve will rule with Jesus Messiah.24
Although there will be a specific salvation-historical reward for the Twelve in relation to Israel at the time of the establishment of the kingdom of heaven on earth, there will also be reward for all who become disciples of Jesus: “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.” In distinction from the rich young man who has turned away, any who examine themselves and give up their own little gods to follow Jesus in discipleship, whether that little god is family or possessions or territory (cf. 10:34–39; Luke 14:25–33),25 will receive the reward of the full realization of their inheritance of eternal life.
Jesus ends by showing that serving him and the kingdom of heaven for the primary purpose of receiving rewards and gaining personal prominence is the least noble of motivations for a disciple (19:30). Those who serve for the purpose of gaining rewards will be last, but those who serve for the motivation of obeying Jesus’ summons will be first (cf. 20:1–16).
Bridging Contexts
THE TRANSITIONAL PHRASE in 19:1, “When Jesus had finished saying these things,” not only marks the beginning of the narrative of Jesus’ travel through Perea and Judea en route to Jerusalem, but it also marks the end of Jesus’ fourth discourse. Matthew signals the conclusion of each of Jesus’ five primary discourses with a similar phrase (7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1). But the themes developed in each of the discourses continue to be woven into his ministry, so that the narratives of his activities are illustrations of the revelation he has given in the discourses.
This is readily seen in the interplay of the themes found in the fourth discourse with the narrative that follows. The Community Prescription of chapter 18 delineates the church as the community of disciples who witness to the reality of the presence of the kingdom throughout this age. Their witness comes both through their declaration of the gospel message and through their example of living out the gospel as a family of faith that is characterized by humility, purity, accountability, discipline, reconciliation, restoration, and forgiveness. Chapters 19–20 illustrate those community themes. The community of Jesus’ disciples is not a theoretical concept but the concrete expression of the way the kingdom affects real-life relationships. They illustrate how disciples are to be taught to obey everything that Jesus commanded (28:20). Some of those principles are portrayed through negative examples of what destroy community life.
Hardness of heart. With his usual incredible insight into the human condition, Jesus states that the reason for the Mosaic certificate of divorce is because “your hearts were hard” (19:8). We might have expected Jesus to point out specific sins; instead, he looks at the condition of the heart. Hard hearts destroy a marriage in a variety of ways. (1) A hardened heart resists the will of God for the individual and for the marriage. This kind of person wants her own way and sins against God’s way. So sin enters into the relationship and defiles the purity of the oneness of the marriage bond. A hard heart begins to break the oneness that God had initiated.
(2) A person with a hard heart resists opening himself to his spouse. If love is commitment to a person, then hate is rejecting a person, and there is no more appropriate illustration of those truths than in a marriage (see comments on 5:43–47). For whatever reasons, ranging from the most trivial (e.g., a spouse’s loss of youthful looks by aging) to the most complex (e.g., the accidental loss of a child in a car accident driven by one’s spouse), it is possible to start hardening one’s heart to the one to whom the husband or wife used to be so committed. The spiritual, emotional, and relational openness to each other that they once enjoyed is cut off, the commitment turns gradually to outright rejection, and the unity of the marriage is violated.
(3) A heart that is hardened cannot receive or extend forgiveness. This becomes the most tragic, because with this kind of hardening a person withdraws into one’s own little world, recreating reality by rationalizing sinful activities and attitudes, casting blame on everyone else, and developing a veneer of bitterness that warps all relationships. This kind of person refuses to repent and accept God’s forgiveness and refuses to extend forgiveness to the spouse. The wife can never measure up to her husband’s expectations, or the husband to the wife’s expectations, and their former oneness is destroyed.
A related kind of hardening of heart occurs when one partner in a marriage has been continually hurt by the other. Each time the hurt occurs, the one who is hurt hardens the heart toward the spouse so that he or she won’t be hurt again. Lack of trust leads to hardening against restoration and to isolation, where that person may seek companionship elsewhere, destroying the relationship.
It is from these kinds of hard hearts that sinful activity emerges. God weeps over these relationships, but to keep the hardhearted person from destroying his or her spouse, divorce was permitted. Likewise, Jesus allows divorce when porneia issues forth from a hard heart (we will explore some of the implications below).
We have seen that Jesus’ teaching in the Community Prescription reveals the antidote for hard hearts—humility, purity, accountability, discipline, reconciliation, restoration, and forgiveness—whether the hard heart is within a marriage or within the church. Jesus warns each of us to regularly check our hearts to gauge our love for our spouse and for brothers and sisters within the community of disciples. The best starting point is to join humility with forgiveness, both asking for it from God and others and extending it in the way God has extended it to us.
Treasures on earth. The tragedy of the rich young ruler is that he preferred the treasures of earth to the treasures of heaven (19:21), preventing him from exchanging this “god” of his life for discipleship to Jesus. The truth that astounds the disciples is that those things that they have associated with God’s blessing, especially wealth, is actually what prevents the rich young man from entering into the kingdom of heaven and joining the community of disciples.
But what is true as a warning for those outside the community holds true for us within the community. The “god” of our lives that we abandoned when we followed Jesus can rise up again to lead us astray. This is the subtlety that lies behind each of the temptations to sin about which Jesus warns the community (e.g., 18:6–9). When a person humbles himself to become vulnerable like a little child, the rest of the community must look out for him and help him overcome the allure of life. As soon as Peter steps forward to trumpet what he and the others have sacrificed and to inquire about their reward, the treasures of the old life beckon. In this case Jesus gives us the clue with his subtle chiding of Peter for wanting to be first (19:30), in the same way that each of the disciples competed over who was the greatest (18:1; see also 20:20–21). Jesus’ disciples are responsible not just to themselves but also to each other, to help maintain purity and accountability to the ever-present Jesus (18:20).
Contemporary Significance
COMMUNITY. The kind of community that Jesus sets forth in the Community Prescription and then illustrates in chapters 19 and 20 goes far beyond what many of us think of when we consider “community.” It goes to the deepest hurts and needs and scars and offers a prescription of healing that will draw disciples of all walks and backgrounds together in the name of Jesus. It becomes a workable paradigm for any location, any time, and all types of people.
Randy Frazee is the pastor of an exciting church in Arlington, Texas. As his ministry has developed over the years, he has come to recognize that community is one of the most essential needs of his people and one of the foundational features of the church. Pastor Frazee writes of the “connecting church.” He illustrates how the church overcomes three problems by connecting people to three crucial ingredients of community. Biblical community overcomes individualism by connecting people to a common purpose, which overcomes the problem of isolation by connecting people to a common place, and then overcomes the problem of consumerism by connecting people to common possessions. His thoughts reflect the principles that we have seen unfolded in Matthew’s fourth discourse and the following narrative.
There is much wisdom, practical advice, and experience in his book. As Frazee says himself, “the most profound thought of the book is this: Biblical community is the life of Christ on earth today. When the church is fully functioning, it exudes the presence, power, and purpose of Jesus Christ.”26 The life of Jesus becomes the life force of the church as we witness to the reality of the kingdom of heaven. Our witness comes through both our declaration of the gospel message and our example of living out the gospel message as a family of faith characterized by humility, purity, accountability, discipline, reconciliation, restoration, and forgiveness. Two primary areas call for our attention: the sanctity of marriage and the “god” of one’s life.
The sanctity of marriage. Performing a wedding is one of the great joys of pastoral life. I get to spend extended hours for several months of premarital preparation with the couple. I help them explore themselves and their relationship together and understand the nature of marriage as God intended it. Then, on the day of the wedding, it is my privilege to unite them in Christ. The pure elation on those beaming young faces, often with tears of joy streaming down, brings us close to one of the pure intentions for men and women, because it was God himself who established and made holy the relationship of marriage.
In Genesis God said of his creation of Adam, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him” (Gen. 2:18). Solomon writes that “he who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD” (Prov. 18:22). The apostle Paul, writing his letter to the church at Ephesus, described marriage as like the relationship between our Lord Jesus Christ and the church. It is an intimate relationship. It is a holy and sacred relationship. In Paul’s words, it is a relationship of mutual submission and love (Eph. 5:21–33).
Those words strike at the heart of the purest ideal for marriage. If you ask most people why they desire to be married, they will describe their reasons in terms of “getting.” But a real marriage is a relationship of giving. Marriage as God intended it is unconditionally giving ourselves to each other, looking for ways of meeting the other’s needs, and seeking for our partner’s happiness, even above our own. The beauty of this kind of marriage is that when we unconditionally give ourselves to each other—body, mind, and spirit—what we have together is far greater than what either would have separately.
This kind of marriage sounds impossible in today’s world—and it would be, except for one important point. The same God who established marriage gives the courage and the strength to complete that marriage. Those who receive the love of God in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ have an inexhaustible store of love for each other by which they can commit themselves to what God wants to do through them to serve each other. Thus, marriage is a mystical union and a source of grace to all who enter it under the blessing of God, and it remains a bond of peace with Christ at the center. This is what marriage will be, if we beautify and enrich it by our tender care, our attention to the little things, and our patience and sacrifice to each other.
Divorce is not an option. One of the points I emphasize from the first to a prospective bride and groom is what exemplifies unconditional commitment to each other is that they should never consider divorce to be an option. You remember the vows:
I take you to be my wedded wife/husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part. According to God’s holy ordinance, I pledge you my life.
A bride and groom are committing themselves for life, for the long haul. Part of my responsibility in premarital preparation is to get them to own that commitment and to understand clearly the difficulties that will come and how to walk through them together.
Many today do not make that kind of vow. Their vow is conditional, whether they say so or not. The favorite expression of the court is that couples divorce because of “irreconcilable differences,” which can describe most anything, from career goal conflicts to property rights disputes to personality differences. Divorce is considered a morally neutral option.
The Pharisees debated the meaning of Moses’ exception because, in the more liberal school, the divorce certificate was becoming an option. If a husband was disinclined toward his wife, he could simply dismiss her with a divorce. Jesus condemns that attitude because it violates God’s intention of the permanence of the marital union. A marriage that is centered in Christ vows from the first to remain together no matter what comes between them.
Divorce is an exception. So if divorce is not to be considered an option, why does Jesus allow it? As with God’s allowance through Moses, Jesus allows divorce as an exception because some destructive sin has entered into the relationship and destroyed the union God established. Divorce is permitted to protect the nonoffending spouse. By allowing divorce as an exception, Jesus is condemning the hardness of heart that leads to sinful behavior and is indirectly proposing a renovation of the heart, as seen through his kingdom program, which will affect these areas of life. Allowing divorce and presenting the certificate to protect the rights of the injured party prevents further damage in a fallen world.
Adultery and desertion. In the case of porneia, which we understand to be basically equivalent to adultery but includes anything that intentionally divides the marital relationship (e.g., incest, homosexuality, prostitution, molestation, indecent exposure27), divorce and by extension remarriage are permitted. The apostle Paul included another exception: desertion by an unbelieving partner (cf. 1 Cor. 7:12–16).28 Together, Jesus’ and Paul’s teachings address the two main components of the marriage covenant—interpersonal intimacy culminating in sexual relations and personal allegiance or loyalty. “Both infidelity and desertion break one half of the marriage covenant. Unfaithfulness destroys sexual exclusivity; desertion reneges on the commitment to ‘leave and cleave.’ ”29
In our day Christians must hold up the permanence of marriage as the intended design by God and not consider divorce as a morally neutral option. As with any other sin within the community, restoration is the intended goal. Those within a marriage that is experiencing either of these exceptions should not see divorce as mandatory; they should seek all avenues to have the sinning partner repent and attempt to restore the marriage to a healthy state. This is not easy because of the hurt that has been experienced, with the resulting absence of trust. But the reality of kingdom life that Jesus advocates is just the divine source of healing and recovery that brings the Spirit’s regenerative powers into all relationships within the community.
We in the community of faith must take seriously our responsibility in supporting those going through these difficulties. Those committing the sin that breaks the marriage bond need our attention to try to bring discipline and restoration. They are the wayward sheep whom we must go after (18:10–14). Those who have experienced divorce and have been the offended party need our full acceptance. Usually they feel like second-class Christians with permanent disgrace; they need the fellowship of our community.
The sanctity of singleness. Those who have chosen to remain single as the expression of the way that they believe they can best serve God need us as their community of brothers and sisters. Jesus declares that celibacy is an acceptable lifestyle for those for whom it is given by God. Paul expands on Jesus’ statement to indicate that if one remains unmarried, one is in a position to be undistracted by the amount of work that goes into taking care of one’s family responsibilities, and the kingdom of God receives benefit (1 Cor. 7:27, 39–40).
Unfortunately, many of our churches endorse marriage as a sign of maturity, and those who are married tend to get the more “responsible” ministry opportunities in the church. Single people are seen as those who have not “settled down” yet. We should reevaluate the way we view and value single people within our ministries.
Reconciliation and restoration. We should also take seriously the reality of divorce and remarriage that falls outside these exceptions. Reconciliation and restoration are ultimate goals that come only through repentance and forgiveness. Divorce is not the unpardonable sin, but we tend to go to extremes with those who have unbiblically divorced and remarried. We either relegate them to an outcast status with permanent stigma, or else we glibly act as though it never happened. The themes of repentance, forgiveness, restoration, and reconciliation that marked Jesus’ community prescription in chapter 18 must guide our thinking in all of these situations.30
The “god” of a person’s life. In this chapter, the rich young man’s wealth prevented him from entering the kingdom of heaven (19:23). From this we learn that one should be careful of the “deceitfulness of wealth” (cf. 13:22). This passage does not suggest that wealth is wrong, however (cf. 27:57; Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus, was a rich man), but it does suggest that there is something about wealth that can choke off the effectiveness of the gospel and keep one from entering the kingdom. The rich young man sensed a lack in his life that could not be filled with his own religious efforts. It could only be filled with the perfection that comes through entering the kingdom of heaven and experiencing the inner transformation of heart; those two things would have set him on the path to be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect (see comments on 5:48). The inner change will produce a transformation from the inside to the outer.
The treasure of our lives. It must begin by exchanging the treasure of one’s life for the treasure of heaven. Jesus knew full well the controlling issue of the rich young man’s life—it was his wealth, which provided him power, significance, and status. It become the god of his life; it determined his values, priorities, and ambitions. Jesus called him to exchange it for following him in discipleship in the kingdom of heaven. The young man’s turning away is tragic, but it becomes a powerful illustration even in our own lives of the way we need to keep short account of what is ruling our lives. Even Christians can misplace their allegiance, so each person must be honest with himself or herself to know what is the treasure of the heart.
At stake is Jesus’ place as the messianic Savior of each individual’s life. Jesus wants to be God, not only of the universe but also of our individual lives if we are to find salvation and if we are to make progress in our discipleship. In any crowd of people there will be a mixture of priorities that drive individual lives. In order to claim Jesus as Savior, each person must exchange the “god” of his or her life to have Jesus as God. The cost varies from person to person according to the god of each person’s life, but it must be faced.
Each of us faces the daily challenge in our growth as his disciples. Jesus still calls us to be honest about what rules our lives. It could be a drug addiction or a boyfriend. It could be the pursuit of a Ph.D., the acceptance and respect of peers, or an insatiable need for pleasure or the toys of life. The joys, securities, and comforts these pursuits temporarily offer may not appear to be bad, but they are when serving self is the real motive.
Peter and rewards. Peter’s response shows that he too is driven by a less-than-pure treasure in heaven (19:23–30). The rich ruler refused to exchange his wealth for following Jesus, and Jesus then warned his disciples about the danger that riches pose to a person’s eternal salvation. Peter flaunts the sacrifice that he and the other disciples have made to follow Jesus and boldly asks, “What then will there be for us?” (19:27). His question reveals a wrong motive. He is driven by serving Jesus and the kingdom of heaven for the primary purpose of receiving rewards and gaining personal prominence. Jesus acknowledges Peter’s sacrifice and does say that he will be rewarded, but this is the least noble of motivations for a disciple. The paradoxical statement about the first and the last (19:30; cf. 20:16) declares that those who serve with the primary motivation of receiving rewards will be last, and those who serve only in order to respond in obedience to Jesus’ summons will be first (cf. 20:1–16).
So what rules our lives? What must be dethroned as that which is keeping us from experiencing freedom and fullness of life? Jesus calls us to come and follow him, so that he can save us from our old way of life and offer us a new way. We must surrender that which governs us and accept a new ruler. Only under the rule of the kingdom can we be transformed into true sons and daughters of God, directed by his Word and Spirit so that we can do his will on earth.
Christians throughout the ages have had to pay the cost of surrendering their earthly pleasures and securities to follow Jesus alone, for the gods of materialism and pleasure-seeking are not new. Augustine, one of the theological giants of church history, was similarly held captive by these “gods.” After his conversion he wrote:
The very toys of toys and vanities of vanities, my ancient mistresses, still held me; they plucked my fleshy garment, and whispered softly, “Will you cast us off for ever? and from that moment shall we no longer be with you for ever?”
I hesitated to burst and shake myself free from them, for a violent habit said to me, “Do you really think you can live without them?”
But as the Spirit prompted Augustine to read Paul’s words to the Romans, he was set free from their power over his life:
I seized, opened, and in long silence read that section on which my eyes first fell: “Not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying; but put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” [Rom. 13:13–14].
No further would I read; nor needed I: for instantly at the end of this sentence, by a light as it were of serenity infused into my heart, all the darkness of doubt vanished away.31
Augustine struggled with philosophical doubts about the truth of Christianity. He also struggled with his own moral depravity. Says historian Will Durant of Augustine’s conversion, “Surrendering the skepticism of the intellect, he found, for the first time in his life, moral stimulus and mental peace.”32 As he gave up the pleasure gods that ruled his life and allowed Jesus to rule, Augustine discovered a reality of existence he had never before known.
Salvation is not earned. It is received by faith through God’s grace. But at the same time salvation is costly. It cost Jesus his life, and it costs us our lives as well. C. S. Lewis recognized what Jesus’ challenge to count the cost of the relationship with him meant. He saw that we are called to place our lives into Jesus’ hands so that he can perform the task of transforming us completely into his image. Lewis explains this powerfully from Jesus’ standpoint:
That is why He warned people to “count the cost” before becoming Christians. “Make no mistake,” He says, “if you let me, I will make you perfect. The moment you put yourself in My hands, that is what you are in for. Nothing less, or other, than that. You have free will, and if you choose, you can push me away. But if you do not push Me away, understand that I am going to see this job through. Whatever suffering it may cost you in your earthly life, whatever inconceivable purification it may cost you after death, whatever it costs Me, I will never rest, nor let you rest, until you are literally perfect—until my Father can say without reservation that He is well pleased with you, as He said He was well pleased with me. This I can do and will do. But I will not do anything less.”33
Being a disciple of Jesus is for those who have counted the cost and want real life, eternal life, received from a Savior who came to earth to seek and to save us and who lovingly, persistently, transforms us into his image. These are tough words if we fear and resist him. But they are words of hope, promise, peace, and joy if we are tired of ruling our lives ourselves.