Matthew 19: Divorce and Wealth

Matthew 19: Divorce and Wealth

Collin Leong.  May 6, 2025

(1-12)  Divorce (Mark 10:1-12)

(v1-2) After Jesus finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went to the other side of the Jordan. Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there. 

Jesus crosses the river towards the land of Jordan. It was known as Perea at that time. This area was ruled by Herod Antipas, who also governed Galilee, meaning Jesus was still under his jurisdiction while in Perea.  

(v3-9) Some Pharisees came to Jesus to test Him. They asked Him whether it is lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?  Jesus answered by asking them if they have read Genesis, where God created male and female, and said that the man will leave his parents and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh?  So they are no long two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate. 

The Pharisees then asked Him why did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away. Jesus replied that Moses permitted divorce because your hearts were hard, but it wasn't like that in the beginning. Jesus told them that anyone who divorce his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery. 

The Pharisees were testing Jesus on whether he knows the Moses law. When Jesus answered no one should separate what God has joined together, the Pharisees were elated as this wasn't part of the law. (See Deut 24:1).  However, they did not expect Jesus to go higher than the law, towards what was originally in the mind of God when He designed marriage.

In biblical terms, a hard heart is one that is closed off to love, mercy, and reconciliation. Many people in ancient Israel were unwilling to work through marital difficulties, leading to broken relationships. Because of this hardness of heart, Moses allowed divorce as a concession, not as an ideal.

Jesus clarified that this was not God's original intention—marriage was meant to be a lifelong covenant. However, sexual immorality violates the sacred bond between husband and wife. Faithfulness is a core foundation of marriage. When one spouse is unfaithful, it damages trust, often beyond repair.

Paul later expands on this in 1 Corinthians 7:15, allowing divorce if an unbelieving spouse abandons their partner. This shows that grave violations of the marriage covenant—whether through infidelity or abandonment (by the unbeliever) can justify divorce.

It is also interesting that when a divorce happens WITHOUT sexual immorality, the male and female are not allowed to marry another person, as it would be an adulterous relationship. The reason is because God does not recognize such divorce. As far as He is concerned, you are still married with each other, at least in your spirits. God does not look for a marriage certificate or a divorce certificate to know whether you are married or you are divorce, as these are inventions of man. God has His own laws, and God's law should be our highest priority. 

(v10)  The disciples said to Him that if this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry. 

In Jewish society at that time, divorce was relatively common, and many followed the more lenient interpretation of the law.  The disciples may have felt that if divorce was not easily permitted, then marriage itself could become a burden if things went wrong.

(v11-12)  Jesus said to his disciples that not everyone can accept this, unless to those whom it has been given. As examples, there are eunuchs who are born that way, and eunuchs who have been made by others, and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it. 

Jesus acknowledge that not all are called to marriage. His example are people born as eunuchs, meaning they cannot marry due to physical conditions. Some eunuchs are made by others - these are men who were castrated to serve in royal courts. 

Lastly some just made their own decision not to marry, and remain celibate to dedicate themselves to serve God. This teaching aligns with Paul's marriage details in 1 Corinthians 7, where he speaks about remaining unmarried to focus on God's work. People who chose to remain unmarried to focus on their mission are Paul, John the Baptist, Elijah, and Jeremiah (who was commanded by God not to marry - Jeremiah 16:1-2)).

(v13-15) Jesus Blesses The Children (Mark 10:13–16; Luke 18:15–17)

Little children were brought to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuke those who brought them. Jesus told them to let the children to come to Him and not to hinder them, as the kingdom of heaven belongs to them. After He placed his hands on them, He went from there.

Jesus said the kingdom of heaven belongs to people such as the children. Children are known to be humble and trusting. Are we like the children, or do we have a lot of pride, doubts and unteachable? 

(v16-30) The Rich Young Man (Mark 10:17–31; Luke 18:18–30)

(v16-17)  A man came to Jesus and asked: "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"  Jesus replied: "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments." 

Note that some manuscript has the man called Jesus "Good teacher", which is used by NKJ version. The reply that Jesus gave was “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

NKJ is saying that if the man calls him "Good Teacher", then He should also believe that Jesus is God, because only God is good. NIV, on the other hand, is saying that nothing is good except God. I guess both ways are also true.

(v18-26)  The man ask Jesus, which commandments? Jesus quoted 5 of the 10 commandments, do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, and honor your father and mother. He also added "Love your neighbor as yourself" which comes from Leviticus 19:18. 

The young man said he has done all this, and asked Jesus what else is missing. Jesus said if he want to be perfect, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and he will have treasure in heaven. Then he can follow Jesus The young man went away sad, as he has great wealth. 

Jesus turned to His disciple and told them that is difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle that for a rich man to enter heaven.

The disciples were astonished and asked who then, can be saved? Jesus answered: "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (v26)

The phrase the "eye of the needle" has two interpretation. One is the literal meaning, i.e. the hole of the needle where the thread passes through. The second one is a small gate in Jerusalem where a camel can only pass through by kneeling and removing its load. While the second explanation is more exciting, as it meant that you need to humble yourself and unload all your possession. However, that language used for this sentence literally mean a real needle and a real camel. 

Jesus is saying that it is impossible for them to enter heaven by themselves; however, God can make it possible, if they are willing to prioritize God over their possessions and surrendering themselves to Jesus. Note that this applies to rich and poor people. 

(v27-30)  Peter told Jesus that they have left everything to follow Him. So what will happen to them? Jesus told them that when things are renewed and when He sits on His glorious throne, they will sit on the twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 

And everyone who has left houses or family members, or fields (jobs) for His sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. (See Matthew 20 for the explanation of this sentence.)

The apostle John has a vision where he saw the throne of God in Revelation 4. Surrounding the throne were 24 smaller thrones where 24 elders were sitting. From what Jesus said, 12 of these thrones are for the 11 disciples (minus Judas) and probably apostle Paul. The remaining 12, I believe, will be other faithful men from modern history.

As what Jesus had told the rich young man, that he will receive treasures in heaven, if he was willing to leave his possessions and follow Jesus. Many Christians have left their lucrative jobs to become a full time church worker or missionary. Those who spent time getting rich may be famous on earth, but they will be unknown in heaven. The question for ourselves is, what have we left behind to follow Jesus? 

Appendix

Note that having money and wealth is not a sin. 1 Timothy 6:10 says “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

Other verses that spoke about money:

Hebrews 13:5 – “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”

Matthew 6:24 – “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Ecclesiastes 5:10 – “Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.”