TD12: Real Christian Living
Matthew 19
November 27, 2022
Jay Haugh

Jesus addresses the importance of faithfulness in marriage.

Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?” —Matthew 19:3

Shammai vs. Hillel

Shammai – infidelity. Hillel – indecency.

…if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce. —Deuteronomy 24:1

Jesus sides with Shammai.

He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” —Matthew 19:4-6

Marriage makes you one and we’re not meant to tear apart what God joined together.

They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.” —Matthew 19:7-8

God permitted certain things, BUT he also governed how it would be done.

Jesus is training us to uphold marital faithfulness.

[The disciples said] “…it is better not to marry.” —Matthew 19:10

Jesus loves little, inconsequential people.

Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people. —Matthew 19:13

Children have nothing. Children contribute nothing. Children accomplish nothing.

but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away. —Matthew 19:14-15

Jesus thinks that those who have nothing, contribute nothing and accomplish nothing (but are looking for blessing) are precisely who heaven belongs to.

And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” —Matthew 19:16

This man is known as “the rich, young ruler.”

What we accept and esteem is not always what God accepts and esteems.

Salvation is ONLY by God’s grace.

“Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” —Matthew 19:16

His error is thinking that he can do something to earn eternal life!

And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” —Matthew 19:17

Jesus wants EVERYONE to know that no one is good.

“If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” —Matthew 19:17

Jesus is trying to bring this guy to a confession.

Jesus is trying to get this guy to repent.

God never expected perfection, but He did expect obedience.

He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. —Matthew 19:18-22

The central element of a disciple is someone who is humble, broken and dependent on God.

Nobody in and of themselves can be saved.

Big Idea:

God lovingly saves those who come to Him humble, broken and dependent like a child.

STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS

Memory Verse: 1 Timothy 4:7-8
Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

Read Matthew 19:1-12
Shammai was a rabbi who said divorce is not permissible unless there was infidelity. Hillel was another rabbi who said a husband could get rid of his wife for any “indecency.” Which philosophy does most of the American culture follow? What can you do to help people through rough spots in their marriage? Do you have relationships where you are able to discuss serious marital topics with others? If you’re married, how can your small group support/encourage you in it?

If you’re married, why is the view of Shammai and Jesus so challenging? How does this perspective more accurately display the character of God? Have the struggles in your marriage helped grow you in Christlikeness? If so, how?

Read Deuteronomy 24:1-4. Why does the Law of Moses permit divorce? Now that Jesus has provided the Holy Spirit to all believers, are our hearts “soft”? Does Jesus’ direction about permissible divorce apply to non-believers since it is tied to the condition of a person’s heart?

Eunuchs are not part of our culture but a modern parallel we can make is singleness. Do you think our American culture values singleness? What about our Christian culture? What would it look like to live like a eunuch for the sake of the kingdom of heaven?

Read Matthew 19:13-15
What does it mean to be like a child? How do we become like a child?

What is the significance of Jesus laying his hands on the children? What do you think he prayed over them? If you are a parent, what are some ways that you can imitate with your own children what Jesus did? (See also Mark 10:13-16.)

Read Matthew 19:16-30
The Rich Young Ruler is painting a rosy picture of himself by claiming he has kept all the commandments. How are you (or have you been) blind to your own sin? Do you often think less of others and more of yourself? How can we be more aware of our sinfulness?

If someone were to review a list of all of your purchases in the last month, what would they see you value? Is there any amount of money that would satisfy the human heart’s greed for more? Are you living sacrificially to support the mission of God’s Kingdom?

Have you ever been asked to give up something significant in order to follow Jesus? How hard was it to obey and do you have any regrets?

Knowing that our sacrifices for Christ are not in vain, what sacrifices are you willing to make for Christ? Would you sacrifice for Christ even if there was nothing to gain?