Matthew 19
19
Chapter 19
Jesus teaches about when a man sends his own wife away
1When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he went away from Galilee. He went to the part of Judea that is on the other side of the Jordan River. 2Large crowds followed Jesus there. He made the sick people well again.
3Some Pharisees came to talk to Jesus. They wanted to see how he would answer their question. They asked, ‘Can a man send his wife away so that she is no longer his wife? Is it right for him to do that for any reason he chooses?’
4Jesus replied, ‘You surely have read about this in the Bible. At the start, when God created the world, he made people male and female. #19:4 See Genesis 2:24. 5Because of this, a man leaves his father and his mother. God joins him and his wife together. The man and the woman become like one body. 6They are not two separate people any longer. They have come together as one person. God has put them together to be husband and wife. So nobody should make them separate.’
7Then the Pharisees said to Jesus, ‘Moses said that a man could write a letter to say that he and his wife are no longer married. Then the man can send the woman away. Why did Moses say this?’
8Jesus answered them, ‘Moses said this because you people did not want to obey God. All these things were different at the start, when God made the world. 9But now I say to you: A man must not send his wife away and marry another woman. If he does that, it is the same as if he had sex with another man's wife. A man may only send his wife away if she has had sex with another man.’
10Jesus' disciples said to him, ‘You say that this is what it is like for a man and his wife. Then maybe it is better if people do not marry.’
11Jesus replied, ‘Not everyone can agree with this idea. But God has helped some people to agree with it. 12There are several different reasons why a person may not marry. Some men cannot have sex. They were born like that. Some other people cannot have sex because people did something to them. Some people choose not to have sex. They do not marry because then they can work better for God and his kingdom. Anyone who can agree with this idea should do it.’
Jesus wants children to come to him
13Then some people brought their little children to Jesus. They wanted him to put his hands on each child's head. They wanted him to pray for them. But the disciples told the people that they should not do that.
14Jesus said to them, ‘Do not stop the children. Let them come to me. People must become like these children so that God can rule their lives. That is what the kingdom of heaven is like.’ 15So Jesus put his hands on each of the children's heads and he prayed for them. After that, he went away from that place.
Jesus meets a rich man
16One day a man came to Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he asked. ‘What good thing must I do so that I can live with God for ever?’
17Jesus replied, ‘Why do you ask me about a good thing? Only God is good. Nobody else. If you want to have real life, then you must obey God's laws.’
18The man asked Jesus, ‘Which laws must I obey?’
So Jesus replied, ‘Do not kill anyone. Do not have sex with anyone who is not your wife. Do not rob anyone. Do not say things that are not true about people. 19Love your father and your mother and obey them. Love other people as much as you love yourself.’
20‘I have always obeyed these laws,’ the young man replied. ‘What else must I do?’
21Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be completely good, then you must do this: You must sell everything that you have. Then give the money to poor people. If you do that, you will have many valuable things in heaven. Then come back and be my disciple.’
22When the young man heard this, he went away. He was not happy. He was feeling sad because he was a very rich man.
23Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘What I say is true. It is very difficult for rich people to let God rule in their lives. 24The hole in a needle is very small. A camel cannot go through it! But I tell you, it is even more difficult than that for a rich person to let God rule in their life.’
25When the disciples heard this, they were even more surprised. They said, ‘So perhaps God will not save anyone!’
26Jesus looked at them and he replied, ‘For people, it really is impossible. But God can do it. God can do everything.’
27Peter said to Jesus, ‘Look! We have left everything that we had. Now we are your disciples. What will we receive because we have done this?’
28Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I tell you this: One day God will cause all things to become new. I, the Son of Man, will sit on my great throne as King and I will rule that new world. You who are my disciples will also sit like kings on thrones. You will judge the people of the 12 tribes of Israel. 29Some people have left their homes. Or they may have left their brothers or sisters. Or they may have left their mother or their father. Or they may have left their wife or their children or their fields. They have done that because of me. God will give those people many more things than they have left behind, even 100 times more! And after they die, they will live for ever with God. 30But many people who are very important now will become the least important. And many people who are not important now will become very important then.’
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Matthew 19: EASY
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MissionAssist 2018
Matthew 19
19
Jesus Teaches about Divorce
(Mk 10.1–12)
1When Jesus finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went to the territory of Judea on the other side of the River Jordan. 2Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
3Some Pharisees came to him and tried to trap him by asking, “Does our Law allow a man to divorce his wife for whatever reason he wishes?”
4 #
Gen 1.27; 5.2 Jesus answered, “Haven't you read the scripture that says that in the beginning the Creator made people male and female? 5#Gen 2.24And God said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife, and the two will become one.’ 6So they are no longer two, but one. No human being must separate, then, what God has joined together.”
7 #
Deut 24.1–4; Mt 5.31 The Pharisees asked him, “Why, then, did Moses give the law for a man to hand his wife a divorce notice and send her away?”
8Jesus answered, “Moses gave you permission to divorce your wives because you are so hard to teach. But it was not like that at the time of creation. 9#Mt 5.32; 1 Cor 7.10–11I tell you, then, that any man who divorces his wife for any cause other than her unfaithfulness, commits adultery if he marries some other woman.”
10His disciples said to him, “If this is how it is between a man and his wife, it is better not to marry.”
11Jesus answered, “This teaching does not apply to everyone, but only to those to whom God has given it. 12For there are different reasons why men cannot marry: some, because they were born that way; others, because men made them that way; and others do not marry for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven. Let him who can accept this teaching do so.”
Jesus Blesses Little Children
(Mk 10.13–16; Lk 18.15–17)
13Some people brought children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and to pray for them, but the disciples scolded the people. 14Jesus said, “Let the children come to me and do not stop them, because the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
15He placed his hands on them and then went away.
The Rich Young Man
(Mk 10.17–31; Lk 18.18–30)
16Once a man came to Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what good thing must I do to receive eternal life?”
17 “Why do you ask me concerning what is good?” answered Jesus. “There is only One who is good. Keep the commandments if you want to enter life.”
18 #
Ex 20.13–16; Deut 5.17–20 “What commandments?” he asked.
Jesus answered, “Do not commit murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not accuse anyone falsely; 19#Ex 20.12; Deut 5.16; Lev 19.18respect your father and your mother; and love your neighbour as you love yourself.”
20“I have obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else do I need to do?”
21Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come and follow me.”
22When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he was very rich.
23Jesus then said to his disciples, “I assure you: it will be very hard for rich people to enter the Kingdom of heaven. 24I repeat: it is much harder for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.”
25When the disciples heard this, they were completely amazed. “Who, then, can be saved?” they asked.
26Jesus looked straight at them and answered, “This is impossible for human beings, but for God everything is possible.”
27Then Peter spoke up. “Look,” he said, “we have left everything and followed you. What will we have?”
28 #
Mt 25.31; Lk 22.30 Jesus said to them, “You can be sure that when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne in the New Age, then you twelve followers of mine will also sit on thrones, to rule the twelve tribes of Israel. 29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake, will receive a hundred times more and will be given eternal life. 30#Mt 20.16; Lk 13.30But many who now are first will be last, and many who now are last will be first.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.