Mat 19:13 Then some children were brought to Him so that He
might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. Mat 19:14 But Jesus said, "Let
the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom
of heaven belongs to such as these." Mat
19:15 After laying His hands on them, He departed from there.
This isn’t right. Jesus loved children he even told the
disciples in Matthew
18:4-6 that they needed to become like children. The disciples fell back
into what they were brought up with rather than what Jesus had taught them. In that
time and as we have seen in the current news in the Islamic state the males dominate. The
male is first in everything then the mother and the children last. It was common
for Rabbi’s to bless children but the parents would have been there and most
likely blessed first.
Mat 19:16 And someone came
to Him and said, "Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain
eternal life?" Mat 19:17 And He said to
him, "Why are you asking Me about what is good?
There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep
the commandments."
Only one is good Jesus is referring to the father as the
only one that is good. Also note that the person that asked the question said
what things shall I do. That is the physical not a spiritual thought. Jesus then
laid out the commandments the fifth through the ninth.
Mat 19:18 Then
he said to Him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER; YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY; YOU
SHALL NOT STEAL; YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS; Mat 19:19 HONOR YOUR FATHER
AND MOTHER; and YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." Mat 19:20 The young man said to Him, "All these
things I have kept; what am I still lacking?"
Jesus left out the basic command that can be found in the Pentateuch,
Exodus
20:3 “you shall have no other gods
before me”. The young man should have known this. Money was his first thought and priority, Jesus knew that and challenged him with that issue.
Mat 19:21 Jesus said to him,
"If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions
and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow
Me." Mat 19:22 But when the young
man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much
property. Mat 19:23 And Jesus said to His
disciples, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a
rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Mat
19:24 "Again I say to you, it is easier for
a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the
kingdom of God."
Does this mean that you need to give all you money away?
That was not the point of the lesson. God is first and money is down the ladder
somewhere. If you are rich and a non-Christian the money gives you power and
prestige. If you are rich and a Christian the money is a way that you can help
Gods people. Does it mean that if you are rich you cannot be a Christian? Of
course not but it is easy to see how it can be difficult.
Mat 19:25 When the disciples
heard this, they were very astonished
and said, "Then who can be saved?" Mat 19:26
And looking at them Jesus said to them, "With people this is impossible, but with God all things
are possible." Mat 19:27 Then Peter
said to Him, "Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then
will there be for us?" Mat 19:28 And Jesus
said to them, "Truly I say to you, that you who
have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His
glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve
tribes of Israel. Mat 19:29 "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters
or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, will receive many
times as much, and will inherit eternal life. Mat
19:30 "But many who are first will be
last; and the last, first.
Peter, always the one that asks the wrong questions at the
right time, wanted to know what is in it for the disciples. On the other hand
they had given up everything and believed that Jesus was the Christ so in that
sense it is a valid question. The verses below show that they will be sitting
on thrones with Jesus judging the 12 tribes. They were guaranteed a spot in
Heaven.
Agape
Dave