Presents
Matthew 19
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.
Christ wanted his disciples to see a picture with their flesh eyes so that they might be able to "see" with their spiritual eyes the real picture of what He was teaching them!
Are you able to receive the sayings of Jesus Christ? Do you listen to His Voice or do you listen to the unforgiving traditions of men which not only make void the Word of God but are used to "bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, to lay on men's shoulders" while the hypocrites who espouse them will not so much as lift a finger to show them how they might be set free and have peace of mind and rest in Him (Matthew 23:4). In this study we are going to learn that "all things are possible with God" because He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the price on the cross that we through belief in Him might have eternal life. The other side to that is simply that without Him, try and try as he might, it is impossible for man to attain salvation!
How quickly the disciples (students) of Jesus Christ, including those of us in this final generation, can forget the simplest of His teachings, so perhaps we should be given a pop quiz from the beginning of the last chapter (18). Question: "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" Here is the correct answer:Matthew 19:13
Then were there brought unto Him little children, that He should put His hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.
Remember Christ went to the trouble of taking a child and placing him in the midst of His disciples that they might see a picture with their flesh eyes so that they might "see" with their spiritual eyes the real picture of what He was teaching them!Matthew 18:4-5
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Then He said this:
Now it seems the disciples are refusing Him to receive little children by rebuking those who would do such an innocent thing as to bring their little children to Him to receive His blessing. Think about what kind of message that sends. Here is Jesus' response and instruction to the disciples complimenting His former teaching that one must become as a little child if he or she is to enter into the kingdom of heaven.[5] And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
Spiritually speaking one had better suffer all "little children" to come unto Christ. The fact is that Jesus Christ was not at all happy with what the disciples did in rebuking those who would bring their infants and little children to Him! Mark tells us of His great displeasure: Mark 10:14 "But when Jesus saw it, He was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God." So that we understand the magnitude of the disciples offense, here is Strong's definition of "much displeased":Matthew 19:14
But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
Don't ignore the children my friend. Jesus Christ loves and blesses "little children" (from infants on up) who are brought to Him. Let them sing "Jesus loves me, yes I know!" The whole point is, as disciples of Jesus Christ we should never try to hinder anyone from coming to or bringing someone to the Lord Jesus Christ to be blessed by Him. We need to remember that both physically and spiritually we must all start out as little children! We must all BECOME as one of these little children and be willing to taken up in His arms and blessed by Him. "For of such is the kingdom of God."much displeased, aganakteo, ag-an-ak-teh'-o, Greek 23; from agan (much) and achthos (grief; akin to the base of Greek 43 (agkale)); to be greatly afflicted, i.e. (figurative) indignant :- be much (sore) displeased, have (be moved with, with) indignation.
Mark explains in more detail what the expression "He laid His hands on them" means which is simply that He picked them up and blessed them. "And He took them up in his arms, put His hands upon them, and blessed them (Mark 10:16)." You "see", Jesus loves the little children, don't you? Remember the song "Jesus Loves the Little Children". Below are the entire lyrics in case like me you only learned the refrain while growing up.[15] And He laid His hands on them, and departed thence.
The last stanza is actually very fitting for the rest of today's study.
Jesus calls the children dear,
“Come to me and never fear,
For I love the little children of the world;
I will take you by the hand,
Lead you to the better land,
For I love the little children of the world.”
Refrain
Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white,
All are precious in His sight,
Jesus loves the little children of the world.
[Alternate refrain:
Jesus died for all the children,
All the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white,
All are precious in His sight,
Jesus died for all the children of the world.]
Jesus is the Shepherd true,
And He’ll always stand by you,
For He loves the little children of the world;
He’s a Savior great and strong,
And He’ll shield you from the wrong,
For He loves the little children of the world.
Refrain
I am coming, Lord, to Thee,
And Your soldier I will be,
For You love the little children of the world;
And Your cross I’ll always bear,
And for You I’ll do and dare,
For You love the little children of the world.
Refrain
Hope you enjoyed that. Now we are going to see an example of a man who would not become as a little child. We will find that this man is "rich and increased with goods and has need of nothing". Does that remind you of anyone? (see Rev. 3:14-22)
What kind of question is that? Can you earn salvation by doing "good things"! If that were the case then why would Christ have needed to come to this earth and suffer and die on the cross? Who needs Him or even needs to know Him if one can do good things using His name and be granted eternal life? This is a serious matter, so take heed and consider carefully what Messiah has to say. Remember too what we learned in chapter 7 concerning doing Father's will, not our own, and it will help in understanding what's going on with this rich man. Let's do a quick review:Matthew 19:16
And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
Matthew 7:21-23
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
There are multitudes of Christian's right now who say "Lord, Lord", "Jesus is Lord", "Praise the Lord" and they do all kinds of "good things", many wonderful works in Jesus' name. They are led to do so by the many false preachers Christ warned us about in Mat. 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 who have come in His name claiming to be His representatives and yet deceive the multitudes by teaching the traditions of men instead of His Word chapter by chapter and line by line. Consequently the people remain Biblically illiterate and thus never get to know Jesus Christ, the Word of God, to even know what Father's will is.[22 ]Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Iniquity is following the traditions of men who teach that if you are a good church-going Christian and a good steward who serves on this committee and does this and that and gives of your tithes and offerings, etc., etc., then you will be in good standing with Christ for all the good things you have done! Really? Better listen to what the Word of God has to say instead of men's ideas. Proverbs 14:12 "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."[23] And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Here is Christ's first response to the rich man.
Christ told the young man to keep Father's Word which in doing so shows that a person truly loves Him. The reality is that this young man was in love with another god, the god of gold and silver. Think about the fact that he was standing right there in the presence of Emmanuel, God with us, and he could not "see" Him!Matthew 19:17
And He said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
Maybe Christ's words in John 14 will help clarify this:
You keep the things you love most nearest and dearest to your heart. This young man kept earthly possessions closest to his heart.John 14:15-17
If ye love me, keep my commandments.
[16] And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever;
Does the Word of God dwell in you? Good thing if He does for His goodness, i.e. His righteousness, is all that is good in you and me for as it is written, "all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. (Isa. 64:6)". That's right, there is none good, but One, that is God![17] Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
This young rich man was blinded to the Spirit of truth by his worldly treasures, his heart's desire, and consequently could not "see" and did not "know" Jesus Christ, the Word of God, though he was standing there beholding Him. He thought of Christ as just a good man, just as many think that the Word of God is just a "Good Book" telling them how to be a "good person"! In fact they usually refer to it as the Bible instead of the Word of God. Think about it!
So the man asked Christ "What good thing he must do", i.e. to be a good person and receive eternal life, to which Christ replied that there is "none good but One, that is, God., "but IF you truly desire to enter into life then "keep the commandments". Now the man asks "Which?"
Matthew 19:18
He saith unto Him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder*, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,[19] Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
* Note: Just for the record since we are discussing the inability of some people to see clearly and understand the Word of God, we often see the 6th Commandment which reads "Thou shalt not kill" in Ex. 20:13 displayed on posters and banners by "do gooder" demonstrators outside a facility that is about to carry out the death penalty of a convicted murderer. Here in Matthew 19:18 we see the 6th Commandment correctly stated "Thou shalt do no murder". If one takes the time to check out the Hebrew word for "kill" in the 6th Commandment he will find that it is "ratsach" which means to murder just like the Greek word Christ used, "phoneus", which also means to murder, as in premeditated (lie in wait) criminal homicide. Here are the Hebrew and Greek words used in the 6th Commandment in the two occasions above:
The penalty according to God's law for committing premeditated (lie in wait) "murder" is the death penalty, i.e. to be executed and sent home to the Father, and it is found in the very next chapter following the 10 Commandments:kill, (Hebrew) ratsach, raw-tsakh', Hebrew 7523; a primitive root; properly to dash in pieces, i.e. kill (a human being), especially to murder :- put to death, kill, (man-) slay (-er), murder (-er).murder, (Greek) phoneus, fon-yooce', Greek 5406; from Greek 5408 (phonos); a murderer (always of criminal [or at least intentional] homicide; which Greek 443 (anthropoktonos) does not necessarily imply; while Greek 4607 (sikarios) is a special term for a public bandit) :- murderer.
The Hebrew word for "put to death" is "muwth", not "ratsach".Exodus 21:12-13
He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.
If the death is accidental then the death penalty is not called for.muwth, mooth, Hebrew 4191; a primitive root; to die (literal or figurative); causative to kill :- × at all, × crying, (be) dead (body, man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy (-er), (cause to, be like to, must) die, kill, necro [-mancer], × must needs, slay, × surely, × very suddenly, × in [no] wise.
Now you know the law of God regarding the sentence to be carried out on one who commits criminal homicide.[13] And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee.
This is an interesting question by the young man who claims he has kept all the commandments of God from His youth up. And for the most part he probably is a fairly "good" person, but he has his priorities upside down and has a big problem seeing himself as he really is, like most Christians of the church of Laodicea.[20] The young man saith unto Him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
The young man didn't think he needed anything, like the forgiveness of an indebted servant who owes 10,000 talents of silver (i.e. has fallen short of the law [10] and short of the glory of God [x 1000]). He just wanted to know what "good thing" he could do to enter into the kingdom of God. Here is Christ's counsel to those who are rich and increased with goods, which coincides with what He is about to tell the young rich man.Rev. 3:17-22
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
The "fire" is the Holy Spirit, even the Word of God, for as it is written in Heb. 12:29 "For our God is a consuming fire." You better sell all you have and buy of Him that precious truth from His Word. Remember what we learned in Mat. 13 concerning the true wealth?[18] I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Well, true to His Word, Christ is now going to tell the young rich man what to do about what he "lacks", which is "perfection" which means maturity in the Word of God. Take note of the word "IF" used again in this verse for it is a matter of choice... your choice![19] As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Unfortunately, this statement went right over the head of the rich man, as it does with most Christians who are blinded by the traditions of men. At this point, even the disciples did not think this out on the spiritual level Christ was explaining, which is simply the same thing He stated before which was IF the man truly wanted to be "perfect", complete and mature, then he needed to keep the commandments, which is to do God's will. All Christ is doing now is expounding upon the will of God, which is to do the work His servants were sent here to do... which is what?Matthew 19:21
Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
Remember Mat. 13? Go "sell all you have" and purchase the field full of spiritual riches and that pearl of great price. Matthew 13:44 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field." Then, once he or she "is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven" that servant becomes as an householder and is to take of that precious treasure and bring it forth to their household! Matthew 13:52 "Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old."
Again, what does a true servant of God do? Does a servant of God spend most of his or her time going to church and helping out with all sorts of good charities like raising money and canned goods to feed the poor? Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with helping people who are down and out, as long as those who are down and out are intent on raising themselves back up to the level of self-sufficiency. And it goes without saying that the handicapped and those who are unable to provide for themselves are another matter.
However, just giving money to the poor does not help the poor beyond the moment. The old adage "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, but teach a man how to fish and you feed for a lifetime" is true indeed. Do-gooder liberals like to feel good (and righteous) by giving of their possessions, or better yet giving of your possessions (like your tax dollars or charitable donations) to those who are willing to play the roles of victims and accept freebies and handouts. Many there are who are infected with the social disease "Itsnotmyfaultism". True Christians accept responsibility and pay their own way.
Now let's go back and reread what Christ said to the rich man.
What is it that the man was to "give to the poor"? It was not All his material goods that he possessed?Again, will giving material goods to the poor "lay up treasure in heaven" for you? No, it will not!Matthew 19:21
Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
The poor are to have the precious pearls of wisdom and truth given to them by those who possess the keys to the kingdom. Because you see, Christ is not talking about the materially poor but rather the spiritually poor, the poor in spirit! Hello!What is it that makes one rich and gives one life? It is the Living Word of God, the gospel of truth!
What has the subject been all along here? Salvation to the poor, to the blind, to the lame, to those LOST children of the house of Israel who wander blindly to and fro in the wilderness. Christ came to save the lost!Matthew 11:5
The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
Jesus Christ paid the price on the cross to make all of this possible. Let us continue the good news and the giving to the poor the precious pearls of His truth that they may come to know Him and be set free. The "meek" to whom the "good tidings", i.e. the gospel, are preached are the "poor" in spirit, not the materially poor.Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Remember we read of those materially rich people of Laodicea
who "art wretched, and miserable, and poor,
and blind, and naked" indeed!
We could go on and on covering again what the "kingdom of God is like unto" but the fact is that one cannot have his or her heart set on studying and teaching Father's Word and still be consumed with coveting the material things of this world. Remember we learned that one cannot serve both God and mammon. One or the other as a matter of priority has to go.
Which will it be for you? You see, what the rich man served was the god of gold and silver, so what he really needed to "sell" was the idol, the golden image in his head, and "buy of Him gold tried in the fire" that he might become rich spiritually! Then he could give to the poor of those riches and lay up store for himself in heaven.Matthew 6:24
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
The young rich man was consumed (as in coveted) with laying up treasures on earth.Matthew 6:19-21
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
If your heart is in giving the true spiritual riches of His Word to the poor, then you shall lay up treasures for yourself in heaven. The ironic part is, that those who love bringing forth out of their treasure the new and old riches to their household, do not do so for the purpose of laying up treasure in heaven. They do it because they love the Lord and they love their brothers and sisters who are held in bondage by man's traditions. The question for all to ask, "Where's your own heart?" This is the generation wherein Jeshurun waxes fat (Deut. 32:15), meaning that it is a time of peace and prosperity. Many do not realize that peace and prosperity brings about a greater spiritual testing (a greater tribulation) than do times of war and conflict. In other words, people are real quick to turn to God when they find themselves frightened in a foxhole or in danger from hanging upside-down in a well. But when they are safe and warm and fat and happy with money in the bank and a fancy car in the driveway, they are quick to turn from God!That is the story of this generation as outlined in the Song of Moses which the overcomers sing in Rev. 15. Here's how the sad story goes: Deut. 32:15 "But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of His salvation." And so it is our people in times of peace and prosperity are drawn away from the Word of God and do lightly esteem the Rock of His salvation, Jesus Christ. Again, where is your heart? What is foremost on your mind everyday when you wake up?[20] But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Here is what happened when the young rich man heard what Christ said about selling all that he had... and to come and "follow Him"![21] For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
The kingdom of heaven will just have to wait until this man "wakes up" and finds that he is spiritually "poor and wretched and miserable". His earthly treasures are where his heart is, though now, even with all his great possessions he has not found the peace of mind that comes from knowing Him, but has rather found distress and unhappiness and conflict in not being able to serve two masters.Matthew 19:22
But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
So now that we have the sad story laid out before us, let us see what we are to learn from all this as Christ teaches His disciples... that would be you if are a student of His Word and one of His followers.
That a rich man shall "hardly" enter into the kingdom of heaven means that it will be very hard or difficult for one who "trusts in riches" (see Mark 10:24) to sell all that he has, unload his idolatrous spiritual baggage, to become as a little child and turn and follow Him....[23] Then said Jesus unto His disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
"Again" He says to restate the point and make clear by illustration what He is saying. Many who read this verse picture in their mind's eye a camel trying to squeeze through the eye of a sewing needle which is not what the "eye of a needle" was. It was a small gate in the surrounding wall of the city that one had to go through during the night when the main gate was closed for homeland security purposes.[24] And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
For a camel to actually go through the eye of a needle, that gate, it had to be completely unloaded of its "burden" and had to physically get down on its knees in order to pass through.
The disciples were totally shocked by this! With their eyes focused on the physical impossibilities of all the things Christ has just taught them regarding adultery, eunuchism, and "honey I shrank the camel", they are thinking that becoming saved is almost an impossible task.[25] When His disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
But... Jesus BEHELD them!
"Beheld them" in Greek is to "em-blepo" which means "to look at intently", to look them in the eyes as if to cause them to spiritually sharpen up and get with the program to "see" and "hear" what He is saying to them. There is nothing man can do to save himself or herself and enter into the kingdom... because there is none good! We are all fall short of the law and the glory of God. He alone is "good"!You may think you are a pretty good Christian because of all the wonderful things you do, but when it comes right down to where the rubber meets the road... unless you unload whatever it is you have on your camel's back and humbly turn to Him in repentance, you'll never get through the gate.[26] But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
The good news is that He has provided a way and made it possible through the blood of the Lamb for ALL to come to Him in repentance and be forgiven and enter into eternal life. And that is His desire (2 Pet. 3:9). Jesus Christ is the "door" through which you can enter into the kingdom and have peace of mind and serenity for ever more.
There's that big little word "If" again. Jesus Christ, the Word of God, is that door. It is your choice to enter in through that door or struggle with your camel and hope you can make it through the eye of a needle!Forsake all the traditions of men and the temporary riches this world has to offer and turn to His Word and hear His Voice this day. Psalm 95:7-8 "...To day if ye will hear his voice, [8] Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness."John 10:9
I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
Good ol' Peter! What an inspired "straight man" he is! Seems he always comes up with just the right questions at just the right moment for just the right teaching to take place. And you've got to love this question which paraphrased reads "What's in it for us?" In other words, what is in store for us who have forsaken all and followed Christ? The point is, however, that Peter is only asking this question because the subject of riches and forsaking all is being discussed because this was not on his mind nor the minds of the other disciples when they were called to follow Him. Remember the account in Matthew 4:18-20, "And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. [19] And He saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. [20] And they straightway left their nets, and followed him."Matthew 19:27
Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
The regeneration is when the kingdom of God is restored on earth at the second advent when the King of kings and Lord of lords returns with the saints of the Most High. Rev. 5:10 "And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth."[28] And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Though they do not desire riches and wealth above the richness and precious wisdom of His Word, servants of God do NOT labor in vain. Our Father pays, as in compensates or rewards, all those who serve Him. To that end, you have an account in heaven, a treasure chest where your store is laid up, and your heavenly Father keeps good track of your eternal annuity... which far outperforms any investment Wall Street ever dreamed of. Besides, it's spiritual wealth and includes the inheritance of ETERNAL LIFE![29] And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
Wow! By the way, have you ever looked up in the sky at night and checked out the vastness of our Father's real estate holdings?
Nevertheless, the point is that our Father is just and right, meaning that He is totally fair, and IF you have the desire to enter into the kingdom of God and are willing to be true to His Word and forsake all others... then you shall receive blessings an hundredfold. "100" in Biblical numerics is "Election of Grace" and "Children of Promise". A word to the wise.
Do you have a purpose for being here at this time during this final hour just before the end of this flesh age? Do you have a destiny to fulfill, i.e. a job to do? You do if you are part of the family (house) of God and you have not hardened your heart to the truth of His voice (His Word) as so many in the wilderness do today.
If you have forsaken all and you follow Him (hold fast to His Word) then you are a chosen vessel and part of His house.Hebrews 3:6
But Christ as a Son over His own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
[7] Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,[8] Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness...)
Matthew 19:30 But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.
Christ is still giving answer to the question Peter asked back in Matthew 19:27 which was, "Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? Thus far, Jesus has told His disciples that "... ye which have followed me... shall sit in the throne of His glory" and everyone that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, etc., for His name's sake shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit eternal life".
Now in reference to
what He just said concerning
the reward of those who have forsaken
all and followed Him, Christ makes the
statement that "many
first shall be last; and the last shall be first"!What
does that mean? It
simply means that many who were
first to forsake all and
follow Him, shall be the
last laborers sent into the vineyard
and those last laborers sent into the vineyard shall be the first ones
to receive their reward. In
other words, when Peter asked on behalf of the disciples what their reward
would be, after answering the question He spoke of you, if
you are one of His disciples in this final generation, who would be the
last laborers He sends into the vineyard, which the following analogy will
confirm. You
"see", it was in the first earth age that
you forsook all and followed Him.
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.