Hard Hearts

Matthew 19:1-12

No introduction because we have so much text today.

Matthew 19:1–2 (NKJV)

” Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. ”

”2 And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there.”

The reason He stayed, was to teach. Then He left. Look at the map, he came all the way from Galilee, down to the wilderness past the turn to Jerusalem. He knows what is about to happen. They still want to kill Him, they are still following him (Leaders of Israel)

In Matthew 16:21  “ From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”

Like many called of God, he walked toward his calling, no matter the cost. He knew even before He came. Yet still. The cross was in Jerusalem. And Jesus walks to it for you and I. But still the empty tomb was there as well.

Great multitudes, not numbered. He healed them. They came with great want. He provided. Cancer. Flesh eating leprosy. Debilitating disease. He healed them there. Its not the place. Its not Israel. Its the one that made it all. Each one willing to risk being ejected from the fellowship. To be touched by Jesus

Matthew 19:3–6 (NKJV)

” The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” ” (shammai and hillel rabbis argued never and for whatever some divorced because breakfast was cold) was abuse of

Deuteronomy 24:1  “ “When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house,”

Jesus doesn’t argue law, he goes to creation.

”4 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ ” (there were only 2. no other)

”5 and 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’? ”

”6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.””

Children are evidence of one-flesh. 23 chromosomes from each parent. Kids are not what Christ meant, but they are a natural fruit of the Our relationship with each other and in Christ is as much spiritual as flesh.

We know when He tells us one flesh, this is the entirety of the marriage covenant. Which is whey we are to wait, to hold out - because this relationship is more than just the physical. Its why fornication is sin. There is no “just sex”. Its never a fleeting thing.

God may not have meant you for a person, but this relationship is designed by God for permanence. Don’t enter into it flippantly then throw the person away when you get what you want. To enter into a physical relationship is to be bound by Gods design. You covenant with those you do this with.

This is why its so bad to have relations outside of marriage. It damages the soul.

Matthew 19:7–9 (NKJV)

” They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?” ”

”8 He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. ”

”9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.””

Now, some of you may have had divorces for various reasons. Even as Christians, and what i don’t want for you to do right now is go out of here and leave your wife/husband and go back to the other.

From the beginning. There was no one else, lol.

Matthew 19:10–12 (NKJV)

” His disciples said to Him, “If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” ”

This is the test that Christ here is very serious about it and the disciples definitely understood it as the case. Be very careful who you marry.

Many moan, oh lord give me that man/woman. Then after ask, Lord why you give me that man or woman.

if my only recourse is to live with someone that does this

”11 But He said to them, “All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: ”

I have definitively not accepted the gift of being a eunuch, lol. Its why when Liz and I became Christians, the talk of divorce was taken off the table. Always love, but not always like. There is also a comfort in the permanence of marriage. Like our relationship with Christ, its not abandon on the first mistake, third, or seventy times seven.

”12 For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it.””

If Christ wasn’t serious why say eunuch. He literally means not having any kind of sexual relationship at all. At all.

And like Christ, we show our love for him, in our obedience to his commands. Not for salvation, but because of salvation. Paul said, 1 Corinthians 7:7–9  “ For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that. 8 But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; 9 but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.”

If you are incapable - born a eunuch - this isn't your fault, nor is your family being punished. It simply is. And Jesus says here, its not a curse. It simply is.

There are others made eunuch by those who would control them, and Jesus accepts these guys too.

And if you feel as though your marriage is just unbearable and you find your heart hard, you can willingly chose to be a eunuch, so that your obedience to Christ is complete. That is a choice.

So am I saying this is it? Based on the scriptures, yes. Now from Corinthians and other texts, there seems to be 1 or 2 other reasons.

1 Corinthians 7:10–15  “ Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. 11 But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife. 12 But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. 13 And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. 15 But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace.”

Now, I don't want to appeal to the law but lets, lol. it teaches us that abuse akin to abandonment. Exodus 21:10–11  “ If he takes another wife, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and her marriage rights. 11 And if he does not do these three for her, then she shall go out free, without paying money.”

So I guess I can cancel out Jesus with this? No, to divorce without cause, is to lose the capacity morally to marry again. Read the whole with the context - Matthew 19:9  “ And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”” Matthew 19:12  “ For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it.””

Am I trying to bend scripture to my will or justify anyone doing anything? No, but I ask, should we not seek to better ourselves? To live as those so in love with Jesus, we would be willing to live humbly, commited to living for Christ.

Ephesians 5:22–27  “ Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. (if dont submit to Lord wont submit to…) 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love (agape, a love that doesnt seek for self) your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify (make holy) and cleanse her (purify) with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”

Men/Women, if this seems too much, turn from it. Just trust in your relationship with Christ - alone. Find your fulfillment, your joy, your all in Him. Want a spouse or want to be a better spouse? Be that Ephesians wife, be that Ephesians husband. Rejoice and be thankful for the life you have in Him. If you have Christ, you have the perfect, the all in all. You are missing nothing. Rejoice and again I say , rejoice.