Matthew 19:13-29

About the Text

(14) What did Jesus mean by saying that the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are like little children? See Matt. 18:1-9. Children are simple and trusting, even though they are often overlooked by adults and treated as insignificant in the religious world. But Jesus had great regard for the "little guy," e.g. those who were poor, powerless, weak, and ridiculed.

(17) Why does Jesus question the man's calling Him "good"? Jesus answered this way in order to prompt the man to fully consider the meaning of his question. By calling Jesus a "good" teacher (in Mark 10:17), rather than simply "teacher" as most did (see Matt. 8:19; 12:38; 22:16; 22:24, and 22:36), the man was correctly but unknowingly putting Jesus on par with God.

(17) Jesus said, "If you want to enter life, obey the commandments." Is this true? Yes, eternal life is earned by perfectly obeying God's commandments. The following verses, however, show that someone else must fulfill this requfrement, not us.

(21) Why does Jesus seem to heap upon the man an extra commandment that is impossible to keep? To prove that it is impossible for an ordinary man to keep the Ten Commandments (see Exodus 20) perfectly, in order to gain etemal life. Jesus knew that such a wealthy man would have difficulty keeping the tenth commandment - "Thou shalt not covet..." By giving such a command, Jesus clearly demonstrated that the man coveted material possessions more than he coveted God.

(25) Why were the disciples so astonished at Jesus' teaching? Because His disciples correctly understood that it is impossible for an ordinary man to obey God's law perfectly in order to attain eternal life. How then, can we attain eternal life?

(26) What did Jesus mean by saying, "with God all things are possible"? That God has the ability to grant salvation to the most undeserving (that's all of us!) while keeping the rule, "If you want to enter life, obey the commandments." How? By sending Jesus Christ to perfectly fulfill the requirements of God's law for us. That's why our Savior not only had to suffer on a cross in our place (e.g. to take the punishment for our sins), but He also had to perfectly keep God's Law, in order to give us etemal life. This is why Jesus said, "I have not come to abolish [the commandments] but to fulfill them" (Matt. 5:17). Jesus was completely sinless (Heb. 4:15), and completely obedient (Phil2:8).

Salvation is given to all who believe. Christ did all the work. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." (Eph. 2:8)

(29) If eternal life is a gift, then why does Jesus speak of eternal life as an inheritance to those who have left everything? To give hope and encouragement to those who have sacrificially obeyed Jesus Christ. Although salvation is never merited by our efforts, it comforts suffering Christians to know that they will soon be receiving the heavenly bliss they long for. Also, those believers (who are already saved) who do sacrificially obey Jesus Christ will receive other future rewards. See 1 Cor. 3:10-15.

Insights

The Bottom Line

Seekers, repent and believe in Jesus Christ and you will have eternal life. Believers, don't be afraid to let go of your possessions, for you will be rewarded.

Key Memory Verse

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:25-26)