Matthew 19
Divorce
“When JESUS had finished
saying these things, HE left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to
the other side of the Jordan.
2 Large crowds followed HIM, and HE healed them there.
3 Some Pharisees came to HIM to test
HIM. They asked, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and
every reason?’
4 ‘Haven’t you read,’ HE replied, ‘that at the beginning THE CREATOR ‘made them male and female,’
5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father
and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?
6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore
what GOD has
joined together, let no one separate.’
7 ‘Why then,’ they asked, ‘did Moses
command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?’
8 JESUS
replied, ‘Moses
permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was
not this way from the beginning.
9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for
sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.’
10 The disciples said to him, ‘If
this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.’
11 JESUS
replied, ‘Not everyone
can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given.
12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there
are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose
to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can
accept this should accept it.’
The
Little Children and JESUS
13 Then people brought little
children to JESUS
for HIM to place HIS hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples
rebuked them.
14 JESUS
said, ‘Let
the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of
heaven belongs to such as these.’
15 When HE had placed HIS hands on
them, HE went on from there.
The
Rich and the Kingdom of GOD
16 Just then a man came up to JESUS and asked, ‘Teacher,
what good thing must I do to get ETERNAL LIFE?”
17 ‘Why do you ask me about what is good?’ JESUS replied.
‘There
is ONLY ONE WHO IS GOOD.
If you want to enter LIFE,
keep the commandments.”
18 ‘Which ones?’ he inquired.
JESUS replied, ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit
adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony,
19 honor your father and mother,’
and
‘love your neighbor as yourself.’
20 ‘All these I have kept,’ the young
man said. ‘What do I still lack?’
21 JESUS
answered, ‘If
you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the
poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow ME.’
22 When the young man heard this, he
went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23 Then JESUS said to HIS disciples, ‘Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is
rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.
24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go
through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom
of GOD.’
25 When the disciples heard this,
they were greatly astonished and asked, ‘Who then can be saved?’
26 JESUS
looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with GOD all things are possible.’
27 Peter answered HIM, ‘We have left
everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?’
28 JESUS said
to them, ‘Truly
I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when THE SON OF MAN sits on HIS glorious
throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging
the twelve tribes of Israel.
29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters
or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will
receive a hundred times as much and will inherit ETERNAL LIFE.
30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are
last will be first.”
