Matthew 19
Summary. In this chapter, the Lord Jesus interacts with various individuals, including Pharisees, children, a rich young man, and the disciples. There is a gap of time and places between the events presented in Chapter 18 in Galilee and the events reported in this chapter, which take place in the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. It is believed that the events in Chapter 19 took place in some unspecified locations within the region of Judea beyond the Jordan River, which is called Judea, even though geographically it was not within Judean borders. Many people living there were Jews, and many people in that region have been converted to Judaism. This chapter focuses on the Lord Jesus preaching and teaching the way to come to the Father to the lost sheep of Israel who were scattered among other nations in foreign lands. The Lord points to the way for all to come back to the Father to receive a chance to be called His children again. Then and now, the way is found by believing in the Lord Jesus and following His teachings. When the Lord Jesus started to minister in this region, crowds began to follow Him. In this chapter, our Lord presents three main teachings. 1) Teaching about divorce and marriage. The Lord created male and female, but humans do not want to accept that they are created for one another to become one flesh and not divorce. The two options presented in this chapter are to be together with someone in this way or to be alone. 2) Teachings about entering the kingdom of the heavens. The Lord Jesus uses the blessing of the children, the encounter with the young rich man, and the disciples to teach important lessons about the way to enter the kingdom of the heavens. The focus of these teachings is related to the heart and the actions of a person. In order, the Lord teaches the following: a) have an innocent heart in following the Lord’s teaching; b) follow the commandments from your heart and practice them; c) the work has been done already by the Lord Jesus, so there is no more work to be done for salvation, we only need to believe and follow the Lord Jesus; d) abandon in your heart the inner attachment to riches and family and become free in hearing the purpose of the Lord for you; e) have your heart cleansed by the blood of the Lord Jesus. 3) Teachings about the new world to come. The new world (the regeneration) is the world that has the Lord Jesus sitting on His glorious throne, ruling His people, and it is beyond what the human mind can understand (see Comments Matthew 19:28).
[1]
And it came to pass when Jesus had finished these words, He departed from Galilee, and came to the region of Judaea beyond the Jordan;
Comments Matthew 19:1
The Lord went beyond the Jordan River to gather the lost sheep of Israel, which had spread out and lived among the natives of the land. The Lord went in there to gather them, calling them out to Him and gathering them together. The verse shows that the Lord came for all humans, no matter how difficult the world may be. He always traveled to give the good news to all the people. This was part of showing His love for people and opening the way for people to come to God.
Q: What happened on the route between Galilee and Judea beyond the Jordan? A: Many things are missing that are not mentioned in this verse. There is a gap of time and a gap of places between the events reported in Chapter 18 in Galilee and the events reported in this chapter, which took place in Judea beyond the Jordan. The Lord stopped in many other places along the route between Galilee and Judea beyond the Jordan. His mission was to save the lost.
Q: Did Matthew 19:1 err in stating that Judea was beyond the Jordan? A: No, “and came into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan” is correct. It is believed that the region referred to in this chapter was called “Judea beyond the Jordan” due to the people living there. There were many Jews from Judea who settled there, and many natives of the land had converted to Judaism.
Q: What happened on the route between Galilee and Judea beyond the Jordan? A: Many things are missing that are not mentioned in this verse. There is a gap of time and a gap of places between the events reported in Chapter 18 in Galilee and the events reported in this chapter, which took place in Judea beyond the Jordan. The Lord stopped in many other places along the route between Galilee and Judea beyond the Jordan. His mission was to save the lost.
Q: Did Matthew 19:1 err in stating that Judea was beyond the Jordan? A: No, “and came into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan” is correct. It is believed that the region referred to in this chapter was called “Judea beyond the Jordan” due to the people living there. There were many Jews from Judea who settled there, and many natives of the land had converted to Judaism.
Comments Matthew 19:2
The Lord showed His mercy by healing the people.
[3]
And the Pharisees came to Him , tempting Him , and saying, Is it lawful to divorce his wife for every cause?
Comments Matthew 19:3
“And the Pharisees came to Him.” These are Pharisees from Judea beyond Jordan who grew up there, were taught there, and were mixed with the people of that region.
Q: Why did these Pharisees come up with this question to tempt the Lord? A: The question came about because of the way of life. The people of God had different rules of life because they were required to follow God’s Law, as given through Moses, which differed from the laws of the people in that region. God’s law makes them different and separate. They lived in the same region, but they had to follow a different law of life. If a Jewish man divorces a Jewish woman and takes a woman of the region to replace the first wife, in that case, that man commits adultery unless the Jewish wife was unfaithful. Also, the right of the firstborn cannot be transferred to the child born through adultery; the right of the firstborn must be to the people of God (see Ezra 9:1-2; Ezra 10:10-11).
Q: Why is it that their question is viewed as a tempting question? A: Because of the answer the Lord gives, that is the temptation: they wanted to check the Lord Jesus’ answer with the knowledge of the people taught in the land. The Lord has an answer, unlike the Pharisees, who claim to be taught but do not know the real meaning.
Q: Why did these Pharisees come up with this question to tempt the Lord? A: The question came about because of the way of life. The people of God had different rules of life because they were required to follow God’s Law, as given through Moses, which differed from the laws of the people in that region. God’s law makes them different and separate. They lived in the same region, but they had to follow a different law of life. If a Jewish man divorces a Jewish woman and takes a woman of the region to replace the first wife, in that case, that man commits adultery unless the Jewish wife was unfaithful. Also, the right of the firstborn cannot be transferred to the child born through adultery; the right of the firstborn must be to the people of God (see Ezra 9:1-2; Ezra 10:10-11).
Q: Why is it that their question is viewed as a tempting question? A: Because of the answer the Lord gives, that is the temptation: they wanted to check the Lord Jesus’ answer with the knowledge of the people taught in the land. The Lord has an answer, unlike the Pharisees, who claim to be taught but do not know the real meaning.
[4]
And answering, He said, Have you not read that He who made from the beginning made them male and female,
[5]
and said, On account of this will a man leave his father and mother, and will be united with his wife; and the two will become one flesh?
[6]
Therefore, they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has united together, let not man put apart.
[7]
They say to Him , Why then did Moses command to offer a bill of divorce, and to set her free?
Comments Matthew 19:4-7
In these verses, people come to be against the teaching “the two will become one flesh.” They could not accept a man and a woman becoming one flesh, and this was because of the problem of authority and subordination: the woman was under the man. If they become one, they are equal. At that time, men could not accept becoming equal to women. The pride of men plays a big role in their lives, and equality is unacceptable, but men forget they are born through women (see 1 Corinthians 11:11-12).
[8]
He says to them, Moses for your hardness of heart allowed you to set free your wives; but from the beginning it has not been so.
Comments Matthew 19:8
The reason why Moses commanded one to give a certificate of divorce was to eliminate slave wives. As much as men have wealth in life, they collect more wives, and men’s pride will ignite. When a man has more than one wife, one of them will be more favored and becomes above the others, and the lower ones are no better than slaves. If the unwanted wife did not get a certificate of divorce, in that case, there was nothing left for the life of that woman but to be a slave, but the Lord does not want any of His children to become slaves. This law was to be used only among God’s children (see Exodus 21:7-11).
[9]
And I say to you, that, Whoever may put away his wife, except for fornication, and may marry another, commits adultery; and he who marries her that is put away commits adultery.
[10]
The disciples say to Him , If the case of the man is so with the wife, it is better not to marry.
Comments Matthew 19:10
The disciples saw marriage as trouble; they implied that it would be better not to marry a Jewish woman to avoid complications.
[11]
And He said to them, Not all hold this word, but only those to whom it is given.
[12]
For there are eunuchs, who were so born from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs, who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs, who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of the heavens. The one who is able to receive it, let him receive it.
Comments Matthew 19:11-12
“The one who is able to receive it, let him receive it.” Some have received the gift of being born without the lust of the flesh. If they do not have that lust of the flesh feeling, it is a gift not to suffer; if they do have the feeling, let them get married.
[13]
Then were brought to Him little children, that He may lay the hands on them, and may pray; however, the disciples admonished them.
Comments Matthew 19:13
Q: Why did the disciples admonish the people? A: The disciples admonished the people because they all felt the same way toward children, that they were not important for promoting the ministry. They all wanted the Lord Jesus to rest, but by bringing children, the Lord Jesus had no rest. The disciples did this out of love for the Lord.
[14]
And Jesus said, Permit the little children, and do not forbid them to come to Me ; for of such belongs the kingdom of the heavens.
Comments Matthew 19:14
The Lord teaches that to enter the kingdom of the heavens, adults should have the same way of heart as little children do; the Lord is pointing out that we should accept the teaching and believe as little children do.
[16]
and behold, one having come to Him , said, Teacher , what good shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
Comments Matthew 19:16
This passage tells us how some people think they can do some good deeds that are worth being counted as deserving to be in heaven. The perfect deed has been done already; the innocent Lamb of God has already shed His blood to cover the world of sin. For us, only one thing needs to be done: trust, believe, and accept the deed the Lord Jesus has done. Then, come to the foot of the cross under the blood of the Lord Jesus and repent, be baptized, and follow His teachings.
[17]
And He said to him, Why do you ask Me about what is good? One is good; but if you desire to enter into life, keep the commandments.
Comments Matthew 19:17
This teaching shows us the Trinity of God: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. The verse also proves that time has no meaning for the Lord because the Lord already knows what will happen to him (the young man). The Lord’s answers will always point out to who He is.
[18]
He says to Him , Which? And Jesus said, You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness,
[19]
Honor the father and the mother and love your neighbor as yourself.
Comments Matthew 19:16-19
Notice how the conversation starts in these verses. The man did not come first to glorify God; his inner heart was shown in the question. He asked, “What good shall I do?” not “What can God do?” This question was very self-centered. Besides, in those times, all the commandments of God were taught from childhood. He learned the commandments but did not practice them, and then came to ask the question, “What good shall I do?” Many of us today do not learn the commandments. We have the Bible, but we do not read and meditate on the teachings of the Bible, and we end up making simple or big mistakes against the teachings of the Bible.
[20]
The young man says to Him , All these I have kept. What still do I lack?
Comments Matthew 19:20
“… What still do I lack?” The man’s answer to the Lord shows that he, himself, has doubts about his salvation. If he had kept all the commandments, he would not doubt to enter eternal life. We, all believers, should ask ourselves if we keep all the teachings of the Bible and compare the answers.
[21]
Jesus said to him, If you desire to be perfect, go, sell what you possess, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in the heavens; and come, follow Me .
Comments Matthew 19:21
This person, because of the riches of this world, had a hardened heart to follow the Lord completely. This verse is close to all of us because when we ourselves think we have things, our hearts do not completely rely on the Lord. If we cannot let go of the things of this world, the riches become a chain on our legs, and we can’t walk far in faith as that chain gets heavier and heavier. We must see with our inner eyes (the eyes of the soul) and heart that the riches of this world mean nothing in the world to come.
[22]
Now the young man having heard the word, he went away grieving; for he was one having many possessions.
Comments Matthew 19:22
This verse shows what this man is about; the earthly riches captured his heart. Great sorrow takes hold of a person when the person must give up the riches of this world. This young man is an example for all to see; following the Lord Jesus and leaving the riches behind is not easy for anyone to do.
[23]
And Jesus said to His disciples, Truly I say to you, A rich person will enter into the kingdom of the heavens with difficulty.
[24]
And again I say to you, It is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God .
Comments Matthew 19:23-24
Note that the Lord says that it is difficult for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of heaven, but not impossible. The root of difficulty is shown in the previous verses, and it relates to obedience. Greed and obedience go in parallel; when a person is greedy, it is hard to be obedient and follow the Lord Jesus.
[25]
Now having heard, the disciples were amazed greatly, saying, Who then can be saved?
Comments Matthew 19:25
Q: Why were the disciples amazed? A: It is the same nowadays, when you see a rich person, you believe that they are blessed by God. So, if those whom you believe are blessed by God cannot enter the kingdom of God, then who can enter? This realization is their amazement.
[26]
And Jesus looking on them said to them, With people this is impossible; however, with God all are possible.
[27]
Then answering Peter said to Him , Behold, we have left all, and followed Thee ; what then will be to us?
Comments Matthew 19:27
All the disciples had left everything and followed the Lord Jesus, and all of them had this question in them: By following the Lord Jesus now, what do they get in return? This question is a common one, then and now. Peter’s question came from worry; for the disciples at that time, it was harder to understand what they would get in return by following the Lord Jesus. They did not know about the resurrection yet, but those who come after will know about it from the Bible. The resurrection, which is the reason for people nowadays to follow the Lord Jesus, is different from the disciples’ reason. We follow after the Lord Jesus because we expect life after death, but the disciples at that time followed by faith from teaching.
[28]
And Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me , in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit upon the throne of His glory, you also will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Comments Matthew 19:28
The new world (the regeneration) is the world that has the Lord Jesus sitting upon His glorious throne, ruling His people, and it is beyond what the human mind can understand. The new world here refers to a physical world that will appear to all people to see at the same time at the second coming of the Lord Jesus to Earth (see John 14:1-4; Matthew 25:31; Luke 22:28-30; 2 Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 20:4-6). God the Father will literally open the sky so that all people living on Earth at that time will see this new world where the Lord Jesus sits upon His glorious throne. The Father Himself does this action of opening the sky. The Father puts His hand through the sky and separates the sky to open it like a tunnel. The Holy Spirit, which dwells on the Earth, will open the eyes of the chosen ones all at the same time to see the Lord Jesus sitting on His glorious throne (see Acts 7:55-56). All eyes will see this new world and the Lord Jesus’ throne (see Revelation 19:11-16).
“… you also will sit on twelve thrones” refers to the final twelve apostles that will sit on twelve thrones, ruling in the new world with the Lord Jesus.
“… you also will sit on twelve thrones” refers to the final twelve apostles that will sit on twelve thrones, ruling in the new world with the Lord Jesus.
[29]
And everyone that has left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or children, or lands, for My name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life.
Comments Matthew 19:29
You could use this verse to justify salvation by works, but this verse actually refers to the heart. The Lord Jesus has already done the work, so there is no more work to be done for salvation; we only need to believe and follow Him. In this verse, the Lord does not mean that you abandon your family but that you abandon the inner attachment of the heart to your family to become free in hearing the purpose of the Lord for you. The person who does this will have a special calling or purpose to serve the Lord, but this will not mean abandoning their family. The family is one in the Lord; you can separate for a while for work purposes, but you do not abandon the family; it is never the Lord’s will to separate completely (see 1 Timothy 5:8).
[30]
However, many first will be last, and last first.
Comments Matthew 19:30
The meaning of this verse can be linked to verse 29, referring to the cleanness of the heart. This verse refers to people who have a heart that is as clean as a newborn baby and think no wicked things inside of them; this kind of heart can be counted as following the teachings of the Bible. These people look as though they are the first to go to heaven, but there is one problem with their hearts: they have yet to open their hearts to accept the Lord Jesus. On the other hand, you have the hearts of mature persons that do not look clean, yet they have opened their hearts to the Lord, and their heart is cleansed by the blood of the Lord Jesus; these look as last, but in fact, are the first to go in the kingdom of the heavens (see Matthew 21:31). The heart of the mature person that is cleansed by the blood of the Lord Jesus that is the one to be first (see Luke 18:9-14).
Life and Faith Applications. 1) Christians should not divorce; the only cause of divorce allowed by the Lord is when adultery is involved. 2) As in this chapter, if it is for a man who cannot be alone, he should marry. 3) We, as parents, should pray for our children and lay hands on them regularly. 4) There is no work we can do to be saved; the Lord Jesus has already done the work; we only need to believe in Him and follow His teachings. 5) Abandon your inner attachments to riches and family to become free in hearing the purpose of the Lord for you. 6) The family is one in the Lord; you can separate for a while for work purposes; however, you must not abandon the family completely, for it is never the Lord’s will to ask anyone to separate from the family.