“God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous” Hebrews 13:4
10:1-9, The Pharisees were well known for debating the different legit reasons for divorce in their day and time, but despite their differences, they all knew what the Law of Moses said about divorce, Duet. 24:1-4. So why use this question to test Jesus? He was single, he was powerful and he was at the height of his popularity. What kind of test were they making for him? A test to see whose side he would take, because legally, he must say “yes”, then the conversation could digress into taking sides about what reasons were legit and which reasons were not. However, Jesus pointed them to the Father’s will, not the law. A good lesson for each of us today.
10:10-12, Matthew 5:32 & 19:9, Mark 10:11-12 & Luke 16:18, all record the statement from Jesus about committing adultery if someone marries a divorcee. However, Matthew is the only gospel that includes an exception, and it’s repeated! For the innocent spouse who is divorced because of sexual immorality of the other immoral spouse, a charge of adultery is not made, the innocent spouse is free to be married to someone else. At first glance this seems contradictory but it isn’t if we consider that the marriage vow/covenant was broken by sexual immorality, not a certificate of dismissal. The basis of our word having integrity is important to God when making vows, see Matthew 5:33-37. If a hard heart is betrayed & hurt by the sexual immorality of the offending spouse, then divorce is allowed. But if a soft heart is betrayed & hurt by sexual immorality then forgiveness is allowed.
10:13-16, Jesus believes that if Parents want their children blessed, they should bring them to him and he will bless them. Do Parents still believe this? If yes, how do Parents show this to be true? The Church is the hands & feet of the body of Christ and it is our responsibility to “touch” their lives with the love and message of Christ to bless each one of them. Shame on any congregation that neglects children whose Parents bring them! “The Kingdom of God belongs to such”. Christ’s ruling domain over the hearts of men and women is a good way to describe the Kingdom of God. Little children are so ready and able to trust their parents rule over them that they are sometimes endangered by abusive parents. We as Christians have a Sovereign Father in Christ whom we should trust as readily as a little child trusts their mom and dad. For an adult to believe and trust the Father who rules over a Kingdom is to enter God’s Kingdom by doing what God says. Children are a picture of simple trust that illustrates what faith is all about. The remark “receive the kingdom of God like a child” illustrates how everyone is important to God, even people who others regard as insignificant. If they can trust & obey, they are subjects of an Eternal Kingdom in Christ. The powerful victory prophesied by those who receive the Kingdom is made in Daniel 7:13-18. Jesus will return to fulfill this in each genuine Christian. It should be noted that when Jesus performed a resurrection of the dead, the ultimate power, it was upon 2 children and his friend Lazarus. Luke 7:11-18 & 8:40-56, John 11:38-44. We are in the eternal unshakeable Kingdom now, Colossians 1:13.
Epaggelia 