Latest / Journey Elgin / Journey Through Scripture- Mt 19-20, Mk 10 & Lk 18
Transcript
- Phillip Thomas: It's good to see you today. My name is Philip Thomas, Pastor of Journey here in Ellegan, Texas, and this is our journey through Scripture. All right, as we continue to move chronologically through Scripture, ⁓ we are at the point where Jesus is getting closer to Jerusalem. In fact, next ⁓ will be the ⁓ triumphal entry. ⁓ but ⁓ Jesus has we ⁓ last week we talked about how Jesus was kind of making his way ⁓ from Galilee, from the north to the south, entering into Judea. Now ⁓ today we're looking at him ⁓ kind of some of the things that he's doing in Judea before he gets to Jerusalem. So in Jericho, kind of that that area. So today we're going to be looking in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Matthew nineteen and twenty, Mark chapter ten, and Luke ⁓ chapter eighteen. All right, so what what we see first, this is in Matthew chapter nineteen, verses one through fifteen, Mark chapter six ⁓ chapter ten, one through sixteen. And ⁓ and then there's a little bit in Luke chapter 18 verses 15 through 17. This is where Jesus is talking about marriage and divorce, and then he's also ⁓ blesses the little children. So this is seen in all three of the synoptic gospels. ⁓ the the conversation on marriage and divorce is one that gets lots of ⁓ attention, and ⁓ it it comes from a question that Jesus ⁓ is asked. ⁓ Matthew chapter 19, verse 3 says, The Pharisees also came to him testing him and saying to him, Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason? ⁓ so one, it's important to know that this is not a serious question by the religious leaders. They're using it to try to get get something on Jesus where they can cause more controversy. ⁓ but there were debates. ⁓ about what you know you could do for y ⁓ the justified divorce. And there were kind of two schools of thought. one was that and and both of them ⁓ basically kind of un unfortunately had taken the cultural position that women had very really no authority in this or no voice ⁓ at all. ⁓ so both were just based on how the man wanted to go about it. And and so one said that a man ⁓ you know shouldn't, you know, seek divorce ⁓ unless there is a legitimate reason. But that legitimate reason could basically be anything. Right. So so if the if the man decided that ⁓ in fact there's ⁓ a a writing this is not in scripture but in ⁓ another writings talking about this this kind of line of thinking that if the woman burns his toast, right, that ⁓ the ⁓ you know that that could could be considered reason for divorce. So so basically it was it's kind of leaning towards what we would consider ⁓ no cause, no fault divorce, right? But it could only be executed by the man. ⁓ so that so that's one extreme of views that were out there. The other was that you you could be divorced, but it w it needed to be limited to ⁓ the woman being ⁓ unfaithful, especially in when it came to sexual ⁓ immorality. ⁓ so so there were those two ⁓ basic views. Again, both of them only from the man's perspective. ⁓ it it didn't the the woman never could even ⁓ petition for divorce. There was she had no say. And so Jesus is is responding to that and the way that he responds ⁓ is he ⁓ in verse four of Matthew nineteen, ⁓ he said, Have you not read that he who made them at the beginning made them male and female? For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh, so then they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no man separate. So I think this is interesting that Jesus responds to them first by quoting a scripture that talks about how God created male and female. Right there's no elevation of one over the other. ⁓ that they were viewing things through the paradigm that ⁓ male were superior to women. That that is not what we see throughout scripture. ⁓ that was a cultural thing ⁓ that people practiced. And and so Jesus immediately is kind of pushing back against that. ⁓ he's also saying ⁓ there there there should be no reason that ⁓ ⁓ a a marriage is ripped apart. ⁓ right that ideally that's what God desires. ⁓ and then he even says that Moses gave you the ability to have a certificate of divorce ⁓ because of the hardness of your heart. So divorce itself ⁓ is ne is never something God desires. ⁓ But he he does say ⁓ if s ⁓ whoever divorces his wife except for sexual immorality marries another commits adultery, whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery. ⁓ if such is the ⁓ case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry. So that's what his disciples start start saying, Wow, this is th this is way more than what what we expected. Well it's important for us not to ⁓ take this too far. One, I think it's obvious that God's desire is never for there to be divorce, which is why it's so important who you marry. ⁓ that you marry someone who you are not unequally yoked, right? You marry someone and that's not talking about race. That is talking about someone who has the same belief structure as you, that you have the same ⁓ world view, the same goals, right? So so we should view marriage in this context of of it is a lifelong commitment. ⁓ there is danger when we start moving towards, ⁓ well you know what, we can get married, but then we can get unmarried just as easily. that that is not good for society. We are seeing the impacts of that ⁓ today. ⁓ I also don't think that you can use this as saying that there's never any reason whatsoever that that a relationship needs to end. I think there are ⁓ cases for that. Jesus is pushing back more ⁓ against the the the man woman issue against the idea that divorce can just happen for any reason. He's pushing back against all of that. ⁓ I do believe there are cases for divorce, but it it that our standard should be that no, marriage is so special, it's so sacred, ⁓ that that we're we're choosing and we're going to to find a way to work it out and to maintain that relationship no matter what. ⁓ Unfortunately, we also live in a fallen world where reality happens. ⁓ but ⁓ our ideal should be that marriage ⁓ is between a man and a woman and that nothing ⁓ breaks that that marriage. That's what we should strive for. But what we do is we just start trying to find, well, what are the reasons? And we start finding, know, basically coming up, well, what what are the excuses that I can use? ⁓ to to break this marriage rather than what must we do to ensure that our marriage is successful and lasts the test of time. ⁓ that that both of us choose to to prioritize this relationship over any other earthly relationship. That's where we should be putting most of our effort. But Jesus ⁓ clearly elevates the importance of of marriage. He also ⁓ then we have in ⁓ Matthew, Mark, and Luke where he blesses the little children, ⁓ which is interesting. It's like, well, why does he do this? 'Cause the they come to him and then the disciples say, No, we've we've got better things to do, and Jesus says, you know, let the children come to me, do not forbid them, for such is the kingdom of heaven. ⁓ and there's a couple things that this is. One is, you know, that we We should come to cr ⁓ to God, come to Christ as little children who are not skeptical, who are not come coming up with excuses ⁓ not ⁓ to enter into a relationship with Jesus. so so there's that kind of attitude that a child has. ⁓ but then there's also this is Jesus reaching out. Children were basically in the same position as women in society. They had no real power, had no real authority, had they were second class. There was, you know, the men dominated. And and then women and children were were underneath that. And many people consider them less ⁓ than than men. And so Jesus is making it very clear that is that is not his intention. That is not something that is coming from God. So we see that ⁓ in both Mark chapter ten, Luke chapter eighteen. Then we continue in Matthew chapter nineteen, where ⁓ Jesus has an encounter with a rich ruler, ⁓ where the guy comes up, says, ask him, this is nineteen, ⁓ chapter ⁓ verse sixteen. It says, Good teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life? Isn't that eas interesting? So the rich guy thinks, okay. What what must I do to get eternal life? And and Jesus responds, Well you follow all of the law. And the r r ruler says, ⁓ well I have of course done that, which is probably not completely accurate. And so then Jesus ⁓ takes it deeper and he says, Well, y you have to give all of your wealth away and give to the poor. Now it w Jesus is not asking everyone to give away all of their ⁓ resources, but this guy, he relied on his resources to do everything, right? And so he was coming at this as I'm going to rely on my resources to get into heaven. ⁓ this was a an an inside problem that he was having. ⁓ that that that he was his trust was in his own strength, ⁓ which manifested in the wealth that he had. His trust was not in God. So he wanted to be able to use his own ⁓ means to gain eternal life ⁓ rather than to trust in God. So what Jesus says to him is very, very difficult for him to hear, and in fact he can't do it. So the disciples are are saying, Wow, this is this is really ⁓ harsh, and Jesus kind of goes on teaching about wealth and the the rich man. And says it's it's very difficult for a rich man to enter because they do rely on their own strength. And that's where ⁓ verse twenty-five, his disciples heard it. They said, Well then who can be saved? Right? 'Cause again, they're kind of looking at this still through human eyes. It's like even if someone who is good and who has all this money can't be saved, man, where do we go from here? And Jesus said, he looked down at them and he said, With men this is impossible, but with God, all things. are possible. And then he the wonderful line ⁓ of ⁓ verse but ⁓ verse thirty, but many who are first will be last and the last first. So what Jesus is saying is you are saved through what God has done, who through what He has done for us, not from your own strength. And you know the the world views ⁓ power, wealth, and strength as things that that can ⁓ you can rely on to to earn whatever you want. And g God is throwing that completely upside down by saying the first will be last and the last will be first. So the the ones that this world thinks are last can I are actually are going to have an easier time getting into the kingdom of heaven. ⁓ but they still have to do it the same way as the rich person. Right? They have to give all of themselves, that they have to acknowledge who God is, that He is ⁓ creator. ⁓ the the he has ⁓ provided them eternal life through the forgiveness of sins. They have to do the same thing. It's just harder for those who rely on their own wealth and strength ⁓ to get things done. So then we see that is continue to talk about in Mark chapter ten, ⁓ also in Luke chapter eighteen, ⁓ then we get to Matthew chapter twenty, we have the parable of the laborers. ⁓ this this is the one you remember he goes out and he hires people early in the morning and then he hires people late in the afternoon. They all get paid the same. And at at the end they're very upset. it says in the ⁓ verse thirteen of Matthew chapter chapter twenty. But he answered one of them and said, Friend, I'm I am not doing I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good? So the last will be first and the first last, for many are called, but few are chosen. Again, what is this saying? You know, we we do not earn our way into heaven. When we accept the gracious gift of God, we have the blessing and we need to to live out ⁓ the life he has called us to live. and just because there are those who come to it later in life, that blessing is still theirs. If when they ⁓ choose to accept the gracious gift ⁓ that God gives, ⁓ it is it is theirs fully. ⁓ and I I thought that's interesting. It's the the and of course this is a parable, but what Jesus is saying is the master whenever he has has given, he can give to whoever he wants. He can bless however he wants. And it is actually evil on our part to be jealous and to to to judge, well look, that I'm I'm way better than that guy. I I've been I've been a faithful Christian for years and years and years and here this guy, he just now becomes a Christian and you're gonna bless him with peace and joy and eternal life. That is a worldly way of looking at things. ⁓ we are no longer of this world, ⁓ but we are rather ⁓ of the kingdom of God, and things are different in the kingdom of God. ⁓ you continue on in Matthew chapter 20, ⁓ Jesus ⁓ predicts his death and resurrection ⁓ a third time. and ⁓ you know the disciples are still struggling with this, right? And so they respond again in earthly ways, where you have James and John. That ⁓ and and even their mom comes to Jesus and says, Hey, w I want them to have a place ⁓ in in the kingdom. ⁓ and Jesus ⁓ verse twenty four of Matthew twenty says, And then when the ten heard it, so James and John had asked to have a place in God's kingdom, ⁓ they were greatly displeased with the two brothers, but Jesus called them t them to himself and said, You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lorded over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be among so among you, but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant, and whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. Again, changing the perspective, changing how we we look. ⁓ at at the world, that we don't look through worldly things where it is the those who are rich and powerful ⁓ are the ones ⁓ who who are look looked at to lead, but rather we should serve. so Jesus says that. He you see that in Luke chapter 18, again the third prediction of Jesus ⁓ losing his life. Then you have ⁓ blind ⁓ receiving their sight. ⁓ you see that in Matthew 20, also in Mark chapter 10, Luke chapter 18. ⁓ again Jesus says your faith has made you well. Then in Luke chapter 19, just the first part of Luke chapter 19, ⁓ Jesus comes to Zacchaeus's house, who is a chief tax collector, right? And who is very wealthy. In fact the scripture says he is a rich man. But yet what does Zacchaeus do in contrast the rich ruler. ⁓ Zacchaeus is seeking Jesus. He wants to see this Jesus, and whenever Jesus sees him and ⁓ asks if he can come to his house, Zacchaeus welcomes him in. ⁓ and verse nine of Luke chapter nineteen says, And Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house because he also is a son of Abraham, for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. So obviously, just because you're wealthy doesn't mean you can't come to ⁓ to find forgiveness, to find eternal life. ⁓ Zacchaeus found it, but he was looking and he recognized where where he fell short inside and was willing to give that o up and to give his life to Jesus. ⁓ then you have immediately following the parable of the ⁓ the talents where ⁓ God Or the the the man gives his servants a different amount of of ⁓ money and says, Hey, take care of this until I get back. Two of them invest it, they use it, it and he they are rewarded. One of ⁓ just goes and and ⁓ buries it just so to make sure he doesn't lose it. And what the the point is is that whenever we receive the gifts of God, whenever we receive the Holy Spirit, it means we need to start living out what God has called us to live. We don't just receive it and then keep it all locked up and just keep living the same way that we've always lived. No, we invest it. We make a difference in His kingdom. Because it's it's not just about what we do on the outside. It's not just about what happens on the inside. Both change. And we are changed on the inside and then that leads to change on the outside as well. All right. We are going to look just at three chapters, John ten through twelve, up until the tr triumphal entry in John twelve. So it'll be a short one, but John ten through twelve on All right, we'll see ya then.