Matthew 19:16-22 – Wealth can be a hindrance to life’s richer experience

Jesus had just talked about the need to have childlike nature to experience the effect of the Kingdom of heaven. What Jesus was referring to was about coming under the sovereign rule of God. Childlike trust and dependence on God are certainly needful to entering that realm of God’s rule. What we see in these verses is not a man who was living a life trusting and depending on God, but in himself and his riches. Matthew tells us that he owned many property, implying that he was wealthy. From the way he said that he had kept the commandment regarding his relationship with man, we know he was essentially a good person. He must have been listening to Jesus and was impressed with the moral excellence the Lord had presented and wanted to go for it.

 

He came to Jesus addressing Him as teacher and asking Him how he could have eternal life. He probably expected Jesus to prescribe some steps for him to follow. Having eternal life is not about following a program. It is about following a person, the Lord Jesus. His response to him was like pouring cold water over his enthusiasm. But He wasn’t. He was seeking to wake him up to the spiritual realities. Jesus first asked him a question, “Why are you asking me about what is good?” Then He followed-up by saying there is only One who is good. Essentially Jesus was redirecting his perception. He was looking at doing good things to obtain eternal life. Jesus wanted him to see that it was not doing the good things that He needed to gain eternal life. It is knowing God, the only One who is good that he could experience eternal life.  

 

Jesus continued by telling him to keep the commandments, referring to the Ten Commandments given through Moses. Elsewhere, Jesus had summarised it to two – you shall love the Lord with all your heart, and soul, and mind; and you shall love your neighbour as yourself. Notice that when the man asked Jesus which one he should do, the Lord only pointed him to those that had to do with loving his neighbours. So cocksure that he had kept all that the law requires, he answered saying that he had kept them since his youth. Then Jesus challenged him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

 

Why did Jesus tell him to divest of all his wealth to follow Him? He knew that despite of all his praiseworthy piety, he had one major obstacle – his wealth. It was the preoccupation of his life, so that he was living in continual transgression of the first commandment – to put God first in his life. His wealth had caused him to shift his trust from God to materialism. He needed to turn away from his wealth and follow Jesus. On hearing that, the rich young man went away grieving, for he loved his wealth more than eternal life that he came seeking for.

 

The fact is this: having a right perspective of wealth can be spiritually beneficial.  Wealth shows us how hollow material things can be, but when we handle and use it rightly for Christ, we can enhance our spiritual growth. As we imagine the rich young man trudging sadly and slowly away, we are reminded that wealth is deceitful. Remember what Paul told Timothy, “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.”

Matthew 19:13-15 – God’s Kingdom belong to the childlike

Jesus had caused much bewilderment by His revolutionary teachings concerning marriage, divorce and celibacy. Much of what He said have left great impact even in the church today. What he said about children is no less staggering. We are all too familiar with the adage that says, “Children are to be seen and not heard.” This was the common notion in Jesus’ day too. Children have neither status nor rights until their adulthood. But children matters and have much to teach us.

 

In these few verses we are told that some children were brought to the Lord presumably by their parents. They were brought to Jesus so that He could lay hand on them and bless them. However, the disciples thought they were a major disruption. So they rebuked them, and very likely the parents who brought them too. Like most people, the disciples must have felt that the children were rowdy and too young to understand the things of the Kingdom.

 

However, to the Lord children are a welcoming sight. So He said to the disciples, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”  Why did Jesus say so? Children are usually more sensitive to the things of God than we adults are. They are trusting, sincere, honest, simple and dependent, and they do not exaggerate about their achievements or importance. They are also so full of energy and adventures and are constantly exploring. Unlike adults, children don’t disguise their words. They do not try to camouflage what they say. They will describe things as they see it without feeling embarrassed.  No wonder the Lord says that the Kingdom belongs to people such as these. Hence we read that Jesus laid hand on those children who were brought to Him and blessed them.

 

The qualities of children are peerless in the kingdom of God. Truly, they can provide markers for doing life in the Kingdom. So Jesus debunked the assumption that children are irrelevant. Instead, He is telling us to be more childlike – simple, honest, sincere, trusting and open to adventure with Him. Are we?      

Matthew 19:10-12 – Celibacy and Christian service

In verse 10, the disciples made a startling remark. They said to Jesus, “If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.” It revealed what was in their hearts on hearing Jesus’ very demanding teachings concerning divorce. It could well be that they themselves were entertaining the common ideas that any Jew had. Too bad for them they heard the master’s instruction.

Is it not true that we do not always fully understand the wisdom of God? Just think of it, if divorce is a thing that God allows us to do at will, then man will always take the easy way out. We will always choose the path of least resistance. Look at it this way, God intents for us to work out any difficulty we may encounter in our marital relationship and to resolve any conflict. Remember the vows we have made on our wedding day. It’s a commitment we have made to stay devoted to the relationship in good times as well as the bad –in richer or poorer, in sickness or in health etc. Remember, it is till death do us part! Perhaps like the disciples, many in our days also think that Jesus’ instruction is unrealistic.

In verse 11 Jesus told them that not everyone can accept what the disciples were proposing – to stay unmarried. Jesus then described three categories of people who would stay single. Firstly, he said that there are those who can’t get married. They are people who are physically incapable of sexual relationship and had been like that since birth. Then He referred to a second class of people, those that made themselves eunuchs. In the ancient world, we know that there were those that would deliberately castrate themselves in order to serve in a royal or rich household. The purpose is to keep their employers from worrying that they would misbehave with the women in the household. Thirdly, there are those who chose to be celibate and stay unmarried, to give themselves wholly to the work of God and His Kingdom.

Celibacy is not something that everyone can enter into. For one who chooses to be a celibate, the Apostle Paul said that they could devote himself more fully to serve the Lord. They have less family concerns and can focus and concentrate on the ministry. We all know that celibacy is not God’s demand. But in serving the Lord, we must know that some sacrifices must be made to deal with the demands of our flesh. For God’s sake, let’s be willing to make them!  

  

Matthew 19:1-9 – Marriage and divorce

Jesus left Galilee and was now in the region of Judea beyond the Jordan and large crowds still followed Him and receiving their healing. This in fact is saying that the popularity of Jesus was growing wherever he went. As usual some Pharisees came to Jesus with some tricky questions. This time around, they were hoping to trap Him on the subject of divorce and remarriage. Bear in mind that the Word of God is like the manufacturer’s handbook for Christians. Pertaining life, relationship with God, with others, in the family at home, at work or in church, it tells us how we can function effectively. It certainly will tell us how to take care of ourselves so that we will perform as God has purposed. Like most manufacturers’ handbooks, the Bible contains instructions on how to correct ourselves when we falter. Who would go to the handbook to find fault with the instructions? The Pharisees in Jesus’ day did exactly that. They came to Jesus to ask Him on the issue of divorce, seeking to snare and discredit Him.

The Pharisees concluded that Moses was consenting to divorce, just because he spoke about it in his law. They assumed that it must be alright to divorce one’s spouse because Moses allowed for laws that regulate it. So the Lord pointed them to God’s original intention. It was never God’s intention for divorce. Quoting from Genesis, the Lord affirms God’s intention for a couple to stick to each other permanently. He further emphasized that no one, not even the spouse himself or herself, should tear it apart. Here comes the tricky question. If what Jesus said is true and it is God’s intention for marriage to be permanent, than why did Moses allow divorce? Jesus’ answer is pure and simple – the hardness of man’s heart. In essence what Jesus is saying is this: the root problem of the human race is the hardness and wickedness of the heart of man. However, Jesus is at work to deal with it. If anyone cares to follow Him and allow His transforming work to take effect in one’s life, He will remodel us to fulfil God’s desired purpose in life and marriage.  

As always, God has made us thinking people and not robots even in the area of marriage and divorce. He want us to make wise and thoughtful decision. The intention of the law Moses gave was to provide time for us to ponder and consider, especially in such a weighty matter like annulling a marriage. It was given to prevent anyone from walking out of a marriage at will. Verse 9 suggests that thoughts of divorce should never be entertained except on the ground of sexual immorality and marital unfaithfulness. Any other reason for divorce would made remarrying an adultery. While divorce is an option, a person can still choose to be magnanimous and forgiving. Whatever the case may be, as believers we should make it our aim to practice chastity before marriage, fidelity in marriage, and a lifelong commitment to our married partner. Let’s not entertain any thought of divorce.

Whether we detect it or not Jesus has come to move us, His followers, forward and closer to God’s intended purpose. He has come to take the people one level up and the Law of Moses is not the only avenue that would guide the people. Jesus is in the process of changing and transforming us and made us new from the inside out. Let us work with Him to have a transformed life!

Matthew 18:23-35 – Why practice forgiveness?

Still on forgiveness, Jesus tells a parable in these verses. For personal health, survival and even our eternal wellbeing, exercising forgiveness is no longer a choice but a needful experience to incorporate in our daily living. In this story, Jesus provides two powerful reasons why all believers should develop a forgiving spirit. It tells of a man who owes his master a debt of gargantuan proportion. It was a debt that even if he were to work all his life, he would never be able to fully discharge it. The master however, heeded his plea for mercy and shown compassion to him, and cancelled all that he had owed. But when it came to a meager debt a fellow servant owed this forgiven man, he sternly refused to forgive his debtor. This man actually had him thrown into prison and would not entertain his cry for forgiveness. He displayed a heart filled with arrogance and devoid of even a small ounce of compassion. His attitude was so hard to stomach even to the bystanders, that they finally reported him to the master. We are told that the master of this wicked and cruel servant had to summon for him, and then meted out severe punishment for him. Of all people, he should have shown mercy for he himself was the recipient of his master’s mercy. But he didn’t. This parable concluded with Jesus saying, “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

Firstly, this parable tells us that forgiveness ought to be shown with the clear perspective that at the heart of it all, we ourselves need God’s forgiveness. Conscious of it or not, we have short-comings on a daily basis. We are always either doing things which we should not do or not doing things that we should. And like it or not, we need God’s mercy and forgiveness every moment in life. If we care to admit, most of the offenses against us are mere smidgens, compared with our offenses against God. If God so freely forgives us so huge a flaw, it would be incongruent for us not to forgive others of far lesser offenses against us.

Secondly, we also need to show forgiveness with the clear perspective of the day of reckoning. There’s coming a day of judgement in which, Jesus said elsewhere, whatever measure we mete out to others will be the same measure meted out to us. Unforgiving people will not be able to find forgiveness on that day. Such people won’t fit into the environment of heaven. They won’t be comfortable in an atmosphere where mercy is not only the treasure but also the content of songs that will be sang forever. If we are to be found in the presence of Jesus as He sits on the throne of His glory to reign, we must practice forgiveness, while still here on earth.

It is sad to see how much anger, spite, unkindness, bitterness, resentment and so on even among purported Kingdom people. It is true that among the Lord’s many instructions, only a few of them would exclude a person who fails to do it, from heaven. The unwillingness to forgive and show mercy are clear indications that would cause a person to be shut out of the kingdom of God. In keeping with the Lord’s Prayer, as we receive forgiveness for our daily trespasses, let’s also forgive others of their trespasses against us! 

Matthew 18:21-22 – Make forgiveness a goal in life

We have all experienced situations where we are at ought with someone. And not once only but many times. Sometimes the cause of disagreement are simple, petty little issues. At other times the cause could be huge and would lead to personal hurt, and we view the person as if he had just committed the “unpardonable” sin. It becomes more difficult when you are hurt more than once, by the same person over the same issue. Here’s the sticky question of “How many times should I forgive a person who had wronged me again and again?” Peter came to Jesus asking that question. He wanted to know if it was enough to forgive a person seven times. The Lord‘s answer must have been humbling for him. He said that he should not only forgive seven times but seventy times seven, which literally is forty-nine times.  

Sometimes we find it extremely difficult to forgive a person once, let alone seven times. And here Jesus had made it even more difficult – seventy times seven. The Lord is not saying that we should bear with all bitterness and anger and simply forgive and forget, and pretend as if nothing had happened. He is encouraging us to make forgiveness and reconciliation a goal in our life’s journey. If we need to tackle the problem head on, we must. And even though confrontation is never easy, we must do it. But there is one thing we must focus on. We must always confront the issue with forgiveness in mind and not revenge.

Think of it this way, if we are keeping scores on the number of times we have forgiven a person, we have in reality not forgiven him. We have merely postponed the time we intend to exact the revenge. The “seventy times seven” is Jesus’ teasing way of saying, stop counting and go for Nike’s motto – Just do it!   

Matthew 18:15-20 – Reconciliation, conflict resolution and forgiveness

 

 

In relating with each other, there bounds to come times when we don’t see eye to eye. We are all individuals with different temperaments and mentality that will cause us to view and deal with issues of life differently. Here are some ways people deal with a conflict and offence. They sideline the offender. They retaliate and seek to make the offender’s life difficult and miserable when they have the power to. Thirdly, they will talk with the seeming offender cursorily and felt justified putting that person at arm’s length. We all probably know of victims who are sidelined by friends, colleagues and even bosses whom they have knowingly or unknowingly offended. This kind of reaction is common among those who do not know Christ Jesus and understandably so. But what’s disturbing is when this kind of attitude is seen and even practiced in the church of Christ. To the Lord, repentance, resolution, reconciliation and forgiveness are important issues in living life in His new community.  
 

What exactly must we do when our views conflict and we get offended by the other person and vice-versa? The Lord in His wisdom teaches us what to do with a person whom in our view is an offender. The first step to do is to show the offender his or her fault in private. When the person recognizes it and repents, we have gained a brother or a sister, and fellowship can and should continue. But if the person stubbornly refuses to listen and acknowledge his or her wrong, take two or more people along to talk to that offender. The reason is obvious. It can be a reality check for the person seeking redress. The offender may have his or her version of the actual story. Therefore, it is needful to bring people who are objective, and not those that would agree with you even when you are wrong. The point is this: any perceived wrong should be adequately proven and affirmed by the mouths of two or three witnesses. If the offender persists to deny despite all the clear evidences, make it known publicly to the fellowship. The word church throws us off. Here Jesus meant the assembly of people much like a cell group meeting in our day. And if at this stage, the person still remains unrepentant, it would become justified to treat the person as an outcast of the community.
 

Together with this tough challenge of dealing with an offender, Jesus promises to be with His people. He does not leave us alone to struggle to be the kind of people, families or communities He wants us to be. The Lord is with us in all these challenges. He tells us here that though we may not be able to see with our naked eyes, yet there is a spiritual dimension where the Lord is at work in the activities we are engaged in here on earth. When we pray together we get the assurance that our prayers are being heard by the Lord. This is a great promise - He is with us when we are gathered in His name to honor Him. However, this is not just a promise but also a caution that He sees and knows exactly what’s in each person’s heart. The steps to address an issue and seek reconciliation may not be easy. It, in fact, is costly. When we courageously take up the challenge to do it Christ’s way, we can anticipate a joyful end.