Matthew 19:1-15
19: Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2 And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
3 And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?” 4 He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 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’? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” 7 They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” 8 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. 9 And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”
10 The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” 11 But he said to them, “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. 12 For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.”
13 Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, 14 but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” 15 And he laid his hands on them and went away.
Reflection
Jesus is not afraid to oppose the standards of society wherever they drift from God’s loving design. In these verses he boldly confronts flippant beliefs and practices regarding divorce by reminding the religious leaders of God’s view of marriage and adultery (Matt. 19:3–9). He also challenges his culture’s view of children by blessing them and making an example of their humility (vv. 13–15).
The values of God’s kingdom are not determined by the ever-changing standards of society. Christians must remember that “the way is hard that leads to life” (7:14) and that the path of discipleship often requires us to walk against the tide of popular teachings and cultural beliefs. We will find strength to face these challenges and love our neighbors and one another with the truth as we remind ourselves that Jesus has loved us in truth even when we were going astray.
Romans 16:25-27
25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— 27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.
Reflection
God strengthens us through the preaching of the gospel (the good news) of Jesus Christ, which reveals truths that were previously hidden for “long ages” (v. 25). Christ has come and clarified the story line of the Bible, so that these gospel truths can be made known to all nations for the sake of creating genuine faith in Christ throughout the world (v. 26). God in his matchless wisdom is forever glorified through his Son by the preaching of this gospel (v. 27). This final paragraph concludes the letter to the Romans with praise and worship of the God who has displayed his wisdom and glory through the gracious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is exactly where Romans intends to bring us.
Psalm 34:8-10
8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! 9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! 10 The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
It takes great courage to follow Christ when the world is pressing hard in another direction. He will sustain your faith and obedience as you prayerfully feed on his Word and taste the goodness of his ways.