Presents
Matthew #2545
Yes, Christ also heals our physical infirmities but as in all cases of His healing, it is the spiritual healing that is the most important and lasting for though your flesh is healed, it shall still die, but if your soul is healed it shall live forever.
Jesus Christ has just finished teaching us the extreme importance of being willing to forgive when one has truly humbled himself or herself in repentance. He has shown us by using the analogy of the enormous debt of 10,000 talents of silver vs. the mere debt of 100 pence, the stark comparison of God's willingness to forgive our sins, even those trespasses which we could never even begin to repay, to that of man's unwillingness at times to forgive even the smallest of trespasses his fellowservants commit. This we should keep in our minds and hearts in today's study for it is a most appropriate lesson preceding the next subject on which Christ is going to teach... the subject of divorce.
Unfortunately there are many among the ranks (multitudes) of Christianity who through ignorance and lack of spiritual understanding cause our brothers and sisters much unnecessary pain and hurt through the "hardness of their hearts" which always translates into unforgiveness or worse yet self-righteousness. Those who should know better, those who claim to represent Jesus Christ but yet continue to lay burdens upon and bind our brothers and sisters to the traditions of men which make void the Word of God, shall indeed pay a great price according to their iniquitous works. Today's study of Christ's teachings will give us great insight into the hardness of the hearts of these religious hypocrites who like to set themselves above the children of God and use their own set of keys which are not from the Word of God and therefore cannot unlock truth but which can and do lock the door to the kingdom and therefore to the wedding feast. Matthew 23:13 "But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in."
Again, keep in mind these "sayings" Jesus has just finished with concerning forgiveness and repentance and connect them with the lesson He is now going to teach us. By the way, this is Christ's final departing from Galilee, meaning circle or "circuit", which He has now completed.Matthew 19:1
And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, He departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan;
Mark tells us in his account of this same event concerning the multitudes who followed Him that "as He (Jesus) was wont", which means as was His custom or manner, He also "taught them (Mark 10:1)" as well as "healed them there (Mat. 19:2)." You "see", those who follow Jesus Christ, the Word of God, shall receive both instruction and healing from Him. Yes, Christ also heals our physical infirmities but as in all cases of His healing, it is the spiritual healing that is the most important and lasting for though your flesh is healed, it shall still die, but if your soul is healed it shall live forever. To that end, did you know that there is only one book in Bible that is dedicated to the flesh man, the man who walks under the sun, and that is the great Book of Ecclesiastes.[2] And great multitudes followed Him; and He healed them there.
Now here come the religious leaders of the community with a divisive question and an agenda, which is to entrap Christ so as to be able to discredit the Word of God whereby they can re-bind to their church the people whom Christ has loosed and set free from their churchianity and idolatrous traditions.
This is the way Pharisaical religious hypocrites are because in their "vainly puffed up" (Col. 2:18) fleshly oriented minds they already have all the answers and the "truth" they need... sufficient to run their religion anyway. They ask questions not for the purpose of coming to an understanding of the truth because they hunger and thirst, but for the purpose of "tempting" that they might have cause to accuse or discredit a true man or woman of God and make themselves or their church appear to be right, or worse yet righteous (for they are self-righteous indeed). Jesus Christ knows however that this question is nothing more than a set-up. He also knows that they have Deut. 24:1-2 loaded on their evil minds which they are already in process of "spinning" by using the words "for every cause" so as to make it appear Moses said something which He did not. This was, is, and shall continue to be one of Satan's MOs in deceiving people and keeping them ignorant of Father's Word. He did it in the garden of Eden by explaining to Eve what God really meant by "Thou shalt surely die" in Gen. 2:17 and put a full 180 degree spin on it until he had God's words turned upside down to say "You shall not surely die" in Gen. 3:4! In fact, you may also recall in Matthew 4 when Satan personally tempted Christ that he also tried to spin and twist the 91st Psalm by adding the words "lest at any time" and leaving out the words "to keep thee in all thy ways". Therefore, we shall closely examine what Moses actually said in Deut. 24:1-2 when we get to verse 7.[3] The Pharisees also came unto Him, tempting Him, and saying unto Him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
So the question asked to Christ by the Pharisees is, "Is it lawful to put away (divorce) your wife for every (any) cause?
First notice that Christ did not bring nor recognize any group, sect, nor denomination in giving His answer, but rather went directly to the authority in these matters which is always the Word of God and NOT some man's reasoning or some church doctrine. Jesus Christ often said "It is written!" or "Haven't you read?" when asked a question, thereby leading and setting the example for His servants who are instructed to teach and give answer after the manner of "Thus saith the Lord God" and "It is written" (Ezek. 3:11). Of course in rhetorically asking "Have you not read", He makes the point and exposes their Biblical illiteracy and/or their lack of spiritual discernment and understanding of that which is written while at the same time letting them know where the answers (truth) are found.[4] And He answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
Next, notice that Jesus went right to "the beginning" to answer this question concerning divorce by giving them the reason, the cause (next verse), why God made both male and female and ordained that they become one flesh. This also brings to light the fact that if one does not understand how it was and what happened in the beginning then that person will surely not understand how it is in "these last days upon whom the ends of world are come" (1 Cor. 10:11-13). So Christ first quoted Gen. 1:27 stating that God created (not caused to evolve) both male and female and now He quotes Gen. 2:24 concerning the union of a man and his wife:
In order to understand the answer and the teaching Christ is going to give us to the question of divorce, we must first understand that the reason He made male and female is so that they could unite and become one flesh, or in other words one body even as the body of Christ is one. By the way, check out the word "cleave" in both the Hebrew of Gen. 2:24 and the Greek of Mat. 19:5 and you will discover that the joining together is to be a virtual unbreakable bond as if cemented hard and fast together with a strong glue or adhesive.[5] And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
Personal note: The only adhesive available when my wife and I got married was "crazy glue", which probably explains a lot of what has happened throughout our marriage and why I still remain nuts about her (most of the time). All I can say is that it is a good thing it is really strong stuff.cleave, H1692???? dabaq, daw-bak'
A primitive root; properly to impinge, that is, cling or adhere; figuratively to catch by pursuit: - abide, fast, cleave (fast together), follow close (hard, after), be joined (together), keep (fast), overtake, pursue hard, stick, take.cleave, G4347 ??????????? proskollao, pros-kol-lay'-o
From G4314 and G2853; to glue to, that is, (figuratively) to adhere: - cleave, join (self).
A husband and wife also become one flesh in the body of the child they bring forth. Nevertheless, what God has ordained from the beginning in the joining together of two, man has no business putting asunder.[6] Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
We often hear this verse from the Book of the Beginning, from Genesis, as it is quoted from the Book of Ephesians in wedding ceremonies along with words such as these:joined, bsuzeugnumi, sood-zyoog'-noo-mee,
Greek 4801; from Greek 4862 (sun) and the base of Greek 2201 (zeugos); to yoke together, i.e. (figurative) conjoin (in marriage) :- join together.
As with most of the teachings Christ gives to us, the multitudes and even sometimes His own disciples, only see the "flesh", which is the physical aspect, instead of the spiritual. For example you may recall in Mat. 16 when Christ spoke of the leaven of the Pharisees that the disciples "reasoned among themselves" and wrongly concluded that He was speaking about them not having brought any bread to eat. Christ had to remind them of the miracle of the feeding of the multitudes to bring them up to the spiritual level that they could understand "how that He bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees (Matthew 16:12)."Marriage is a most honorable estate, created and instituted by God, signifying unto us the beautiful union, which also exists between Christ and the Church; so too may this marriage be adorned by true and abiding love."Ephes. 5:30-31
For we are members of His body, of his flesh, and of his bones.[31] For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
To that end, and to reemphasize the point, one must understand the spiritual analogy of what marriage was ordained for in the first place in order to understand the teaching Christ is giving us. That is why He has taken this back to the "beginning" when there was one husband and one wife who were to become one flesh, i.e. one body!
"To put her away" means to send her out of the house. Let us go directly to the command in Deuteronomy and see whether Moses gave the command to give a writing of divorcement for any cause.[7] They say unto Him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
The reason a writ of divorcement may be granted is because "he has found some uncleanness in her". This does not give carte blanche to divorce her for any cause whatsoever. What is uncleanness anyway? Here is Strong's definition:Deut. 24:1-2
When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.
There were also other conditions which were that the divorcement was to be a "written" bill of divorcement which was to be "given in her hand" in front of witnesses and she was to be "sent out of his house", i.e. put away. Now notice the next verse:uncleanness, `ervah, er-vaw', Hebrew 6172; from Hebrew 6168 (`arah); nudity, literal (especially the pudenda) or figurative (disgrace, blemish) :- nakedness, shame, unclean (-ness).
That's the law! Now, here is something else to know and consider before we get right down to the nitty gritty of what Christ is teaching us and that is that Jesus Christ Himself was divorced. That's right... Christ was a divorcee! What a shock that statement is to many people. But you "see", the LORD did find "uncleanness" in His wife, Israel, and He did gave her a "bill of divorcement" and "put her away", i.e. sent her out of His house.[2] And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife.
Here is your documentation from the great Book of Jeremiah:
Josiah means "Founded of Yahveh". Israel, His wife, went after strange gods and played the harlot!Jeremiah 3:6
The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.
Have you ever read the Book of Hosea?
What would the LORD have done had she "turned unto Him", i.e. humbled herself and repented to Him of her trespasses? Hopefully after yesterday's study you can answer that question! And I ask again, "Have you read the Book of Hosea?" Hosea means "salvation" so if you truly want to know about salvation then go study the book titled "Salvation" (Hosea). That's right, it is in the Old Testament![7] And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
Didn't Christ Himself just quote Genesis which is also in the Old Testament?
God "gave her a bill of divorcement". He actually divorced His wife with whom had made His covenant to be an husband unto her and provide for her if she would obey His statutes and commands (see Jer. 31:32). Again, it was she who broke her vows by committing adultery and that is why He divorced her! But now you "see", since Jesus Christ has died on the cross He is free to remarry![8] And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
Jesus Christ also died to pay the price on the cross that we might be forgiven of our heavy burden of sins. If therefore you have "turned to Him" and have been forgiven of all your trespasses, then you are dead and buried with Him which means that you are also free to remarry. If you don't understand that, you really cannot understand salvation because you believe He cannot forgive the transgression of the 7th commandment.
Now back to Mat. 19 where Christ has just said "let not man put asunder" that which God has joined together, to which the Pharisees have countered with "Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?"
Though it was not so from the beginning, Moses "permitted" (suffered) them to put away their wives BECAUSE of the "hardness of their hearts"!Matthew 19:8
He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
Understand that divorce itself is not a sin, but turning away from the commands of God through the "hardness of your heart" is! The apostle Paul talked about this at length in both the 3rd and 4th chapters of Hebrews, referring to 95th Psalm no less than three times in those two chapters. The 95th Psalm concerns the "hardness of your hearts" in the wilderness that Christ is speaking about as the reason Moses "suffered them to put away their wives". Because of the importance of the subject of divorce and the impact it has on people's lives, let's take the time to go there and gain some additional wisdom and knowledge that we may be both "instructed" and "healed"... by following Him.hardness of your hearts, sklerokardia, sklay-rok-ar-dee'-ah, Greek 4641; feminine of a compound of Greek 4642 (skleros) and Greek 2588 (kardia); hardheartedness, i.e. (special) destitution of (spiritual) perception :- hardness of heart.
Remember the servant who came and fell down and worshipped the King in Mat. 18:26? If you humble your heart before Him He will forgive your indebtedness of 10,000 talents of silver, i.e. your trespasses against the "law" (10) times your falling short of "the Glory of God" (1000).Psalm 95:6
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
Do you hear His voice or listen to the religious traditions of men? Christ forgives sin and looses (frees) us from our heavy yoke of bondage. Man is unforgiving and would keep us as prisoners to sin and guilt! The bottom line is that if you have been divorced or even committed adultery and you have turned to Him and asked His mercy and forgiveness, then He will forgive you and you are free, even free to marry. Do not let some preacher or priest or church doctrine based on man's level of forgiveness supercede the mercy of Jesus Christ and keep you in bondage by making you out to be a lower-class citizen. Their hearts are hardened to the traditions of men and they do err for they do NOT know His ways because they do NOT hear His voice.[7] For He is our God; and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. To day if ye will hear His voice,
One cannot be forgiven and free to marry the true Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, if his or her heart is hardened to the idolatrous traditions of men. This is a spiritual matter concerning our marriage to Christ, so in that sense it doesn't matter if you are single, married, or divorced and remarried several times over![8] Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
Our forefathers even saw the miracles He performed as He "loosed" them from the bondage and captivity of Egypt and led them across the Red Sea, yet many still hardened their hearts and refused to walk in His ways.[9] When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.
"This generation" looks forward from the type that was in the wilderness to this generation, this final generation of the fig tree, this iniquitous and adulterous generation. It is evident that many so-called Christian leaders still do not know His ways, which are all contained in His Word. Remember it is Jesus Christ, the Word of God, who has the keys that unlock the truth to His saving grace, that bind up the broken hearted and open the prison to them that are bound (Isa. 61:1, Luke 4:18). These religious hypocrites think God is as unforgiving as they are, even unforgiving to those who have a repentant heart... a heart which is not hardened as theirs is against Father's Word and attuned to man's ways and his unforgiving religious traditions. IF you therefore as preacher, minister, etc., claiming to represent Jesus Christ, bind a burden on a repentant brother or sister who has committed adultery or been divorced by forbidding that person to remarry... you are Big Trouble with the Lord! BIG TROUBLE![10] Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:
That's right! They are not going to be free and enter into His sabbath, His rest wherein their is freedom and serenity and peace of mind. Remember in our last study the "wrath" God had for the unforgiving servant who bound his fellowservant and cast him into prison till he paid a mere 100 pence?[11] Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.
So likewise will those religious hypocrites whose hearts are hardened. True, divorce is not a pretty sight and our Father hates it. But again, the bottom line is that whether or not you are divorced or divorced and remarried, if you have been "buried with Him by baptism into death", and you humble yourself before Him by repenting and asking for His forgiveness, then you are free to walk in newness of life and remarry!Matthew 18:34
And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
Let us repeat Matthew 19:8 before reading verse 9.Romans 6:4
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
The "And" connects this with the "hardness of your hearts". Here is the whole point and again it goes back to the previous lesson we learned about repentance and forgiveness which ties in with Psalm 95:6-7! If you have put away your wife, not because she has committed fornication, but because of the hardness of your heart, then you have a spiritual problem! If your heart is hardened as per Psalm 95:8-10, which means that you "do err in your heart, and do not know His ways (vs. 10)" because you follow the religious traditions of men, then you are already an adulterer (idolater) for spiritually speaking you have already "put away your wife" and married another. You "see", if there is no change in the hardness of your heart, which means that there is no humbleness and repentance, then there is no forgiveness of your trespass, your sin, and quite frankly whether you re-marry or not in the flesh, you remain a spiritual adulterer!Matthew 19:8
He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your heartssuffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.[9]And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
The same analogy applies when the feminine is used which for some reason seems a little easier for people to follow. If you commit spiritual fornication with another man (the other Jesus Paul talks about in 2 Cor. 11), you are an adulterous woman and shall remain so until you repent and turn to Him and ask for His forgiveness. And quite frankly, it doesn't matter who your present mate is, you are still an adulteress if you become one with another body, i.e.you go to bed with Satan when he arives in person as the false messiah. That is why Christ said in Matthew 24:19 concerning this final generation "And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!" He was speaking spiritually, not about women becoming pregnant and bearing children to their earthly husbands, but about women (and men too if you understand the analogy) becoming spiritually impregnated by the lies and deceits of the false messiah the "instead of Christ"! To that end, it is written that there would be a great deal of "marrying and giving in marriage" in these last days as it was in the days of Noah before the flood came and swept them all away (Mat. 24:38). We will discuss that in detail a few chapters from now, but the fact is there is much spiritual adultery taking place even now!
Adultery is used throughout the scriptures, even from the beginning, to show us in real flesh terms we can see and understand, what idolatry is all about. The ironic part of all this is that there are many, many, spiritual adulterers and adulteresses in these last days who go around condemning and/or turning into lower class citizens, those who have been divorced, even though they may have repented of their transgressions and are given new life. Those spiritual adulterers and adulteresses shall one day discover the shame of their own nakedness and then cry out for forgiveness!
The question is: Is divorce an unforgivable sin? No it is not! Is divorce a greater burden than 10,000 talents of silver? No it is not! However, we have already seen that the unforgiveness due to the hardness of one's heart, of even a mere 100 pence for one who has repented, is far worse than divorce.If you do not believe that the price Jesus Christ paid on the cross covers the sins of the humble and repentant divorcee, then you "do err in your heart for you do not know His ways" (Psalm 95:10).
Well, after all that Christ has said regarding marriage and adultery, the disciples conclude that the best thing to do is don't get married! (Wish I would have thought of that earlier in life... just kidding!)
Whoops! Looks as if the disciples are going to need further explanation of this to help remove some of the spiritual sun block. Boy, there sure is a lot of "sun block" used today, isn't there? Nevertheless, this is like the "bread vs. doctrine" analogy, as in the flesh vs. the spirit we spoke of earlier in that Christ left the subject of flesh marriage a while back already. Did you miss it? Perhaps a statement of oversimplification is warranted here, but the fact is that salvation is of the spirit and soul, not of the flesh.You are not going to save the flesh for it is just a temporary dwelling place while we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. You "see", even the death of the flesh is but a "shadow" of death, only a type of the real death! The death of the flesh (which does not kill the soul housed within it) is "appointed unto all men once to die (Heb. 9:27)" to give us an idea of, i.e. to teach us, what the second death is all about, the death of soul which can perish in the lake of fire. That is why Christ said in Matthew 10:28 "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."[10] His disciples say unto Him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.
This applies to marriage and divorce as well. Christian's need to be concerned about the real wedding, the real union, wherein they become one with Jesus Christ, with the body of Christ, which is what the union between male and female shows us, even from the beginning as God made it so! Jesus Christ wants you to love Him and marry Him. You "see", even though you are free to marry whomsoever you choose, He wants you spiritually to remain a chaste virgin until He returns to take His bride. Paul speaks of this in 2 Cor. 11:2 "For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." If you are a fornicator or an adulterer who has become spiritually impregnated by the false messiah, then you are NOT FIT to become His bride. In other words, He is not going to become one with an adulterer for then He would be an adulterer... which can never be! Therefore you better turn to Him and repent and soften your heart to "hear His voice", else you will be on the outside of the wedding feast looking in. We will learn more about this in chapter 22.
The point is, do not let man twist the scriptures and turn the types and shadows into requirements of salvation.You are complete in Jesus Christ and you are to become one with Him, not some religion and not some church system founded upon the traditions of men instead of the Word of God. I know we are spending a great deal of time on this subject of divorce, but many lives and been wrecked and many of our dear brothers and sisters and their children have suffered under the ignorance of men's unforgiving traditions whereby they "bind burdens grievous to be born" because of their own self-righteous hypocrisy, the hardness of their hearts. Study Father's Word and know the truth and the truth will set you free, not bind you! Let's quickly go to Col. 2:
Do you attend some church that has a doctrine forbidding divorcees to remarry or even teach the Word of God? Then it is time to leave.Col. 2:8-19
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Never forget this next verse and the supporting documentation which follows it![9] For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Even circumcision is of the heart, the spirit! Flesh circumcision was only a type for us to "see" so that we could understand that which is spiritual. That is how we understand the invisible things of the spirit.Our Father has given us types and analogies using the things that He has made so that we can relate the flesh things we can see to the spiritual things that are invisible to flesh eyes. In fact, that is written in Romans 1:20 "For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." Are you beginning to "see" why Christ went to the beginning to show why He made them "male and female"? It is to show us through the flesh union of "twain becoming one" our spiritual relationship to Christ.[10] And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power:[11] In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
He forgives all 10,000 talents of silver my friend![12] Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.[13] And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
All religious rituals and blood sacrifices, etc., have been nailed to His cross![14] Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross;
Therefore we have the power and the victory in Him.[15] And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Beware of any man or church who tries to bind you to the traditions of men or the ordinances of old. All the holydays and sacrifices and physical things, even the tabernacle itself, were but "shadows" or types of the real thing they pointed to and taught us about, and that is Jesus Christ.[16] Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Are you one with the body of Christ?[17] Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
That's all religious hypocrites see, the things of the flesh. That is why they cannot understand the answer Christ is giving us concerning divorce and remarriage as it pertains to adultery, which is symbolic in type to show us and teach us concerning IDOLATRY, which is the marrying of another, even a god who is no god![18] Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
Jesus Christ, the Word of God, is the Head of the body! So "beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ". Hear His Voice and harden not your heart to the traditions of men.[19] And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
Now back to Matthew 19 where the disciples have just stated that "it is not good to marry", which is to conclude that one should remain celibate or be as an eunuch who is one who is either unable to marry because of an equipment problem or has chosen to be as if he were a eunuch. Though it is not possible for all men on a physical level to be eunuchs, any more than it is possible for all women to remain virgins on a physical level, it IS possible for all women to remain spiritual virgins and for all men to remain spiritual eunuchs, if they choose to repent of their adultery and turn to Him to be forgiven and then remain undefiled. In other words, Here is Christ's response "to His disciples".
Only those who have eyes to see and ears to hear on a spiritual level can understand what the Spirit says. Remember what Christ said back in chapter 13 when His disciples asked Him why He spoke in parables?Matthew 19:11
But He said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.
Understand that the subject of remaining unmarried as a man (eunuchinity) is the same as a woman remaining unmarried (virginity).Matthew 13:11
He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Are you able to receive this, as in understand what Christ is talking about on a spiritual level? Some men are simply born eunuchs and some men are made eunuchs of men. True it is that in times of old a king or ruler would often castrate the guards who protected his wives or harem so that they could not commit hanky panky. However, there are many men who claim they represent Christ who have made men eunuchs by forbidding them to marry because they were once divorced! Woe unto them! Then there are those who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. True again it is that some men of God in times past did refrain from marrying simply because having a family made it difficult to travel and spread the gospel. However, Christ is speaking concerning those who have spiritually made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake even as their female counterparts have made themselves virgins for the kingdom of heaven's sake.Matthew 19:12
For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.
Again, it is not possible for all men to be eunuchs (physically)... but then again it is (spiritually) because that which Christ will say in verse 26 also applies here: "...With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." All things are possible if you love Him and stay in His Word and remain true to Him. To that end and to conclude today's study, here are the words of Christ recorded by the apostle John:
"Haven't you read?" for "It is written!" Continue in His Word and hear His Voice!John 8:31-32
Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Let the truth of His Word be known that our people can be set free from the bondage and the unforgiveness of the traditions of men. Always remember that you are complete in Jesus Christ who forgives us our trespasses and sets us free![32] And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits;
to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy
Spirit, you accomplish both.
is
Published by:
Rhine
Publishing Co.
E-mail address - americanwisdomseries@verizon.net
If you would like to have your essay
published
as part of the American Wisdom
Series
submit your manuscript to Rhine
Publishing Co
at the address above for consideration,
or e-mail us
at the address shown on our home
page.
Click Here to Return to "The American Wisdom Series" home page.