Bible Project: Book of Matthew 19 - New American Standard Bible (2025)

Concerning Divorce

1When Jesus had finished these words, He departed from Galilee and came into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan; 2and large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there.

3Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?” 4And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” 7They *said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce and send her away?” 8He *said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. 9And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

10The disciples *said to Him, “If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.” 11But He said to them, “Not all men can accept this statement, but only those to whom it has been given. 12For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to accept this, let him accept it.

Jesus Blesses Little Children

13Then some children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. 14But 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.” 15After laying His hands on them, He departed from there.

The Rich Young Ruler

16And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” 17And 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.” 18Then 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; 19Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20The young man *said to Him, “All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?” 21Jesus 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.” 22But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.

23And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24Again 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.” 25When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” 26And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

The Disciples’ Reward

27Then Peter said to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?” 28And 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. 29And 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. 30But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.

Bible Project: Book of Matthew 19 - New American Standard Bible (2025)

FAQs

What is the main point of Matthew 19? ›

God made human beings to be male and female and decreed that men should leave their parents, hold fast to their wives, and become one flesh in marriage. Men should not separate what God has joined, Jesus concludes (Matthew 19:1–6).

What does Matthew 19 mean about divorce? ›

Matthew 19:1–12 is Jesus' response to a question from Pharisees about divorce. After establishing that marriage was designed to be lifelong by God at creation, Jesus insists that divorce is unlawful except in the case of sexual immorality. The disciples suggest it would be better not to marry, at all, in that case.

What is the main theme in the book of Matthew? ›

The gospel of Matthew was written around 60 AD by the apostle Matthew. The gospel is set in Palestine and tells the story of Christ's life and ministry. The reality and promise of the kingdom of God is a major theme that runs through the gospel of Matthew.

What does the book of Matthew teach us? ›

As we read through the pages of Matthew, not only do we see Jesus Christ revealed as Israel's King and Messiah, but His coming to earth as God in the flesh reminds us of His deep love for us. Now resurrected and ascended, the Lord Jesus will always be with us, even to the end of time (Matthew 28:20).

What was Matthew's main message? ›

Writing for a Jewish Christian audience, Matthew's main concern is to present Jesus as a teacher even greater than Moses. The evangelist who composed the gospel of Matthew was probably a Jewish Christian, possibly a scribe.

What does Matthew 19 14 teach us? ›

Jesus, though, steps in and insists on allowing the little children to come to Him. He tells the disciples not to hinder them because the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are like children. It is a tender picture, and Jesus clearly cares for the children.

Does God honor a marriage after adultery? ›

But, the good news is that restoring a marriage after an affair is possible, with God's help. In fact, not only can your marriage survive an affair, but your marriage can become even stronger than it was before the crisis. “Nothing is impossible with God,” (Luke 1:37).

Can a divorced woman remarry according to the Bible? ›

The only specific allowance for remarriage after a divorce is for adultery (Matthew 19:9), and even this is debated among Christians. Another possibility is desertion—when an unbelieving spouse leaves a believing spouse (1 Corinthians 7:12-15).

What is the only reason Jesus gives for divorce? ›

Adultery – (Deuteronomy 22:22 and Matthew 5:32) – Part of the covenant of marriage is that one man and one woman would be one flesh, and adultery is the betrayal of the oneness of the covenant. It is the breaking of the covenant vows.

What are the 5 teachings of Jesus in Matthew? ›

In Christianity, the term Five Discourses of Matthew refers to five specific discourses by Jesus within the Gospel of Matthew. The five discourses are listed as the following: the Sermon on the Mount, the Mission Discourse, the Parabolic Discourse, the Discourse on the Church, and the Discourse on End Times.

What are Matthew's three key themes? ›

Key Themes
  • Portrait of Jesus (1:1, 23; 2:2; 14:33; 16:16; 18:20; 21:5–9).
  • The bridge between Old and New Testaments (1:1–17, 22–23; 2:4–5, 15, 17, 23; 5:17–20).
  • God's continuing work of salvation within Israel, extended to all the peoples of the earth through the person and work of Christ (10:5–6; 28:19).

What does Matthew call Jesus? ›

These examples reveal that Matthew uses many titles for Jesus in his Gospel, including Messiah, King, Lord, Son of God, Son of Man, Son of David, Immanuel, etc. All of these have their roots in the Old Testament and point in one way or another to the theme of fulfillment and the coming of the kingdom of heaven.

What makes Matthew's gospel different from the others? ›

Matthew is the most Jewish of the four canonical gospels, containing many references within it to the Hebrew scriptures. In Matthew's gospel, Jesus limits his ministry to the people of Israel. It is clear that Jesus is talking to his fellow Jews.

What is the best lesson in the book of Matthew? ›

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands” (Matthew 22:37-40).

Why is Matthew so important in the Bible? ›

Matthew emphasizes Jesus Christ's lineage in his Gospel. He begins the Book by tracing Jesus's genealogy to the famous Hebrew patriarch, Abraham. This is likely done to increase Jesus's legitimacy as the Messiah with a readership that would have mainly been Israelites like Matthew himself.

What lessons do we learn from the parable of the mustard seed? ›

The Mustard Seed parable highlights the idea that something seemingly insignificant can carry immense significance. Although not the smallest seed known, the mustard seed's humble beginnings lead to remarkable growth, illustrating the theme that many great things start small.

What is the main message Matthew is trying to send? ›

It tells how Israel's Messiah, Jesus, comes to his people (the Jews) but is rejected by them and how, after his resurrection, he sends the disciples to the gentiles instead. Matthew wishes to emphasize that the Jewish tradition should not be lost in a church that was increasingly becoming gentile.

What lesson did Jesus want us to learn from the parable of the persistent widow? ›

In conclusion, the Parable of the Persistent Widow teaches us about the importance of persistence in prayer and faith. We must always pray and never lose heart or give up when facing obstacles, but instead, pray continually like the widow who kept coming to the unjust judge. Through her persistence, justice was served.

What is the significance of Jesus driving out the money changers? ›

A common interpretation is that Jesus was reacting to the practice of money changers routinely cheating the people, but Marvin L. Krier Mich observes that a good deal of money was stored at the temple, where it could be loaned by the wealthy to the poor who were in danger of losing their land to debt.

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