Divorce
Matthew 19When Jesus finished these things, he left Galilee and came into the borders of Judea beyond the Jordan. Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?”
He answered, “Haven’t y’all read that ʜᴇ who made them from the beginning made them male and female,+Gen 1:27 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh?’+Gen 2:24 So that they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no human tear apart.”
They asked him, “Then why did Moses command us to give her a scroll of divorce and send her away?”
Jesus said to them, “Because of the hardness of y’all’s hearts, Moses allowed y’all to divorce your* wives, but was not this way from the beginning. I tell y’all that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”
His disciples said to him, “If this is the case of man with woman, it is better not to marry.”
But he said to them, “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by humans, and there are eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of Empire of Heaven. The one who is able to accept this should accept it.”
Jesus Welcomes the Little Children
Then little children were brought to him so that he would place his hands on them and pray. But the disciples rebuked them. Then Jesus said, “Y’all must let the little children come to me and do not stop them. For the Empire of Heaven belongs to ones like these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he departed from there.
The Rich and the Empire of God
Then a man came to him and said, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to have eternal life?”
Jesus replied, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
“Which ones?” he asked.
Jesus said, “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not give false testimony. Honor your father and your mother.’+Exo 20:12-16 And, ‘You are to love your neighbor as yourself.’”+Lev 19:18
The young man said to him, “All these things I have observed. What do I still lack?”
Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell y’all, it is difficult for a rich person to enter into the Empire of Heaven. Again I tell y’all, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter into the Empire of God.”
When the disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”
Looking at them, Jesus said, “With humans this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Then Peter answered, “We have left everything and followed you! What then will there be for us?”
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell y’all that, in the regeneration of all things when the Son of Humanity sits on his glorious throne, y’all who have followed me will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my name’s sake will receive one hundred times and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and those who are last, first.