JANUARY 27 READING…Matthew 19
Our reading today continues with the teachings of Jesus. Jesus was on the shore of the Sea of Galilee where He was ministering to the people. Once again, the Pharisees came to try and trap Jesus with their understanding of the Word…they never seemed to understand that they could never trap the Author of the word they were quoting, but incorrectly applying. They asked about whether it was lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason. Jesus answer begins with God’s plan for His creative order. In Jesus’ answer He affirms that biblical marriage is between a man and a woman…and He destroys the notion of the perverted idea of homosexuality and gay marriage. Then He says, “What God has joined together, let no man separate”. The Pharisee’s response was an attempt to pit Jesus against Moses. Jesus turns it back on them by saying Moses allowed divorce because of the hardness of your hearts…not because it was part of God’s plan. Then Jesus gives the only legitimate reason to allow divorce…that is sexual immorality. Then some children were brought to Jesus and His disciples tried to keep the children away. Jesus made it clear that He was always available to the children, and that neither His disciples or anyone else should try to keep the children away from the Savior.
The last part of our reading is about the encounter Jesus had with a rich young ruler. The man came to Jesus, calling Jesus “good teacher”, and asking about what he could do to have eternal life. Jesus reminds him that only God is good…Jesus was not denying that He was good, but in a subtle way revealing who He eternally is, God. Jesus told him that if he wanted to enter into life he needed to keep the commandments…which we know that no one can possibly do. But the man wanted clarity…so he asked Jesus which commandments. When Jesus responded the man claimed that he had kept these from his youth, and wanted to know what else was required. So, Jesus told him that he needed to go sell all that he had and come follow Jesus. This made the man sad, because he had great wealth…so he walked away from Jesus. Then Jesus shared with His disciples the difficulty for a rich man to enter heaven…and just so we understand for anyone to enter heaven. Jesus’ last statement is true for all of us when it comes to salvation…” With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible”. Lest we think that Jesus was requiring something of this young man that He does not require of us…we must understand that when we come to Jesus we are to come with empty hands, that way nothing stands in between us and the Lord’s call to follow Him. This is true for us all.
Please share your thoughts from today’s reading.
TOMORROW'S READING…Matthew 20
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