Focus:
kjv@Revelation:14:12 @ Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
(
FaithOfJesus thread begun by r
RandyP )
Today's Verse:
kjv@Matthew:19:1-12
kjv@Matthew:19:1 @ And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan;
kjv@Matthew:19:2 @ And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.
kjv@Matthew:19:3 @ The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
kjv@Matthew:19:4 @ And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
kjv@Matthew:19:5 @ And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
kjv@Matthew:19:6 @ Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
kjv@Matthew:19:7 @ They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
kjv@Matthew:19:8 @ He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
kjv@Matthew:19:9 @ And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
kjv@Matthew:19:10 @ His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.
kjv@Matthew:19:11 @ But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.
kjv@Matthew:19:12 @ For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.
Today's notes:One Flesh
Context:
- Before - Unmerciful Servant
- After - of such is the kingdom
What is man believing/doing?:
- tempting the Lord to catch Him at His word
- committing adultery by remarrying without proper grounds for divorce
- committing adultery by marrying a divorcee who had not proper grounds
- putting asunder otherwise valid marriages by their loose doctrine
- some becoming or being made eunuchs
What is making man to believe/do as he is doing?:
- the desire to destroy Jesus
- allowance of the law because of the hardness of hearts, a further loose interpretation of Moses' law kjv@Deuteronomy:24:1-4 as to the meaning of "uncleanness found" in the wife
- the writ of divorcement supposedly clearing the wife from the previous marriage
- the leniency of the assembly
- being born eunuch, physically made so to avoid temptation/adultery, a committed vow to chastity typically for religious reason or service to a king.
Notes:
Chastity is not set as a requirement to service in the early church. At least one of the disciples Peter was married. Tradition hold's Peter's wife as quite active and influential in the early church as well. There are circles where the notion of Paul having been a widower is volleyed about though largely unsubstantiated. The others may or may not have been or become married, entirely speculation on both arguable sides. While it could be considered that leaving one's wife may perhaps be required in some cases to follow Christ, it was never defined as divorcing one's wife in order to do so.
Does the temptation work? Did they get Jesus to say what they needed? Perhaps so, but not to the result they had intended. A yes or no answer only had a fifty percent chance of differentiating their cause from the Nazarene's, and likely would have ingratiated Him to some portion of the audience. It seems more likely that they were trying to draw Him out on this "Moses allowed" comment not expecting Him to have made it so persuasively.
There remains the academic question as to how much other Moses might have allowed, however Jesus does not at all seem to be criticizing it, only the condition of the heart for which it was made. The theological implications may be better contemplated in a more suited forum.
Key Messages:
What does this say about our present condition?
- In modern terms it is often thought that God more than anything want's individuals to be happy. As they are not finding happiness within their marriage it is supposed that God is leading them elsewhere. Little accountability need be drawn to the marriage or God, very little interpersonal means/method/skill developed, the blissful are no more than bark floating down a culvert.
- The happiness of one at the expense the souls of three others? Because one grew too tired? Didn't expect problems? Didn't know what they were getting into? Is having themselves some sort of mid life crises? The response may be that one does not believe that; the fact regardless is that Jesus did.
Further Resources:
Comment Board:Matthew:19:1-12
index:FAITHOFJESUSDEVOTION - Devotional Index
strkjv@Matthew:19:1-12 rwp@Matthew:19:1-12 mhcc@Matthew:19:1-12
FaithOfJesus2 - Devotion Index
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