"Christ's Teaching on Divorce and Riches" 

MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE - 19:1-15

The Pharisees asked the question about marriage because it was one of the "burning issues" of that day, and they wanted Christ to commit Himself and thus divide the people against Him. We know that marriage could be only broken by adultery. Jesus reminded the people of the original law of marriage set up in Eden. We find in this passage, three "laws" of marriage discussed. 

1. The Original Law - (19:4-6), (Gen. 1:27-28), (Gen. 2:18-25) God instituted marriage back in Eden, long before the Mosaic Law. The Bible gives at least four reasons for marriage: 
       1.  To continue the race (Gen. 1:25)
       2.  for companionship and enjoyment (Gen. 2:18)
       3.  to avoid fornication (1 Cor. 7:1-6)
       4.  to illustrate the relationship between Christ and His Church (Eph. 5:22-23)
   God's original purpose was that one man should wed one woman, and only death should break that union (Rom. 7:1-3). Marriage is basically a physical union ("the two shall become ONE FLESH"), It should be an union of minds and hearts, too. The marriage union is even stronger than family ties, for a man is to leave Father and Mother and cleave unto his wife. It is a sacred union, for Jesus said that God joins a man and woman together.
2. The Mosaic Law - (19:7-8, Deut. 24:1-4)
   Sinners are always looking for excuses, and the Pharisees appealed to 
   Deut. 24:1, trying to show that Christ and Moses were in conflict. It is important that we realize why Moses gave this law, and what the law really stated. Moses did NOT COMMAND divorce; Christ said the God PERMITTED it, "because of the hardness of men's hearts." Moses did command that the divorced woman be given a bill of divorcement, to protect her and to make it more difficult for the man to divorce her for some temperamental cause. Notice that the woman was forbidden to return to her first husband, but that she could marry another man. The phrase (some uncleanness) means "a matter of nakedness" and suggest immorality on the part of the woman. This law was a temporary one for Israel, and not permanent for all men.
3. Christ's Law- 19:9-12
   Christ clearly states that divorce is permitted for only one cause - FORNICATION. This is a sin against the body (1 Cor. 6:15-18) and so a sin against the marriage union, which is a physical union. The word "fornication" as used in the Bible seems to include a number of sexual sins; Mark 7:21 speaks of "fornication", while Acts 15:20, Rom. 1:29 and 1 Cor. 6:13 indicates that "fornication" covers sexual sins in general. It is commonly agreed that fornication is used of sins committed by the unmarried, adultery by the married. Jesus states that divorce for any other reason makes the parties guilty of adultery if they remarry. SEE Matt. 5:27-31; Luke 16:18, and Mark 10:1-2. There are but two things that can break the marriage union: death and fornication. The response of the disciples (10-12) indicated they did not understand God's will regarding marriage. While the Bible does not teach celibacy, it does recognize that not all are supposed to be married. Paul indicated this in (1 Cor. 7:7). Paul himself had refrained from marriage that he might better serve God, but this is not the will of God for all His servants. A person must find God's will for his life and be sure to marry "in the Lord." ( 1 Cor. 7:39)

RICHES AND SALVATION - 19:16-30

These are five questions and answers given by Christ:

1. "What good thing shall I do?" (16-17) We must admire the rich ruler for his humility, desire for spiritual truth, and courage. Christ's reply was intended to emphasize His own deity. "Either I am good, or I am not God," is what he implied. He wanted the young man to realize he was dealing with God and not a mere human teacher of the law.
2. "Which commandments?" (18-19) Christ told him to keep the law, not because the law saves, but because we must be convicted by the law before we feel the need to be saved by grace. This young man knew the law, and the law had served as a schoolmaster to bring him to Christ (Gal . 3:24). Now the law was serving as a mirror (James 1:22-25) to show the young man his real need. Notice that Christ said nothing about keeping the Sabbath. Nine of the Ten Commandments are repeated in the NT, but the one about the Sabbath is not. It belongs to the ceremonial law, not the moral law.
3. "What lack I yet?" (20-22) We have no reason to doubt that the young man had kept all the commandments, at least outwardly. But as he faced the perfect law of God, he should have thought of the one that said, "Thou shalt not covet", and that great command, "Thou shalt have no other Gods before me." His wealth was his god, but he would not admit it. Why did Jesus tell him to sell all and give it to the poor? This is not how a man is saved!! No, but this commandment pointed up his real problem: He was COVETOUS. Christ told the sinful woman at the well to call her husband, and this command brought her to the place of confession and repentance. Sad to say, the young ruler would not confess his sin or change his mind. He went away sad; the woman in John 4 went away rejoicing.
4. "Who can be saved?" (23-26)
   The disciples were amazed: if a rich man can't be saved, then who can be saved? They were still under the OT idea that riches meant the blessing of God on your life. Mark 10:24 indicates that the rich have a hard time being saved because they rust in their riches. READ Paul's admonitions in 1 Tim. 6:6-10. God can save a rich man if he will trust God. He saved Abraham, who was rich, and also Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathaea.
5. "What shall we have?" (27-30)
   Peter is quick to compare himself with the rich ruler and point to his own self-sacrifice. Jesus tenderly assures His own that they will get their rewards in the kingdom age (regeneration) when earth shall be "born again.) He cautions them not to make themselves "first" because the first shall be last. He illustrated this with the parable in the next chapter and shows that MOTIVE for service is more important than anything. If Peter served Christ only because of the promised reward, then he needed to examine his heart and motives. Peter grew from the "how much will I get?" attitude of Matthew 19 to the "such as I have I give thee" attitude of Acts 3:6; and so this is what we must do also.