Matthew 19:1–15

Church: A Place for All
Matthew 19:1–15
Look at the culture around us, and you will find individuals and families of all sorts. Hardly a family today is untouched by the ravages of divorce. Many individuals have decided to be single, but a pervasive and perverted segment of society has declared that those who are presently uninterested in biblical marriage must be either homosexual or free to live in hedonism without commitments or consequences. Here, the church enters; we are redeemed people who rub shoulders with different kinds of people every day. People from many different backgrounds enter our worship centers, and we must learn from the Master how to relate.

Married People (1–6)
The church includes married couples worshiping together. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught about the Law of Moses, and in Matthew 5, Jesus taught specifically on adultery and divorce. Perhaps as a follow-up, certain teachers of the law brought up the issue for clarification or, more likely, for argument’s sake. Jesus asked a penetrating question: “Have you bothered reading the Scripture?” Such a question was an incredible insult to these men who prided themselves on their knowledge of Moses and the prophets. He quoted from Genesis 1:27 and 2:24 and then concluded that what God brings together, man is not to separate.

One of the greatest demonstrations of marital faithfulness was demonstrated by Hosea. Even after he had lost his wife, Gomer, who bore children to other men and was living away from him, God told Hosea to redeem his wife, to bring her back home and to love her as he first loved her. This was a human depiction of God’s covenant love for adulterous, idolatrous Israel. God can redeem even marriages tainted by unfaithfulness.

Divorced People (7–9)
“So what about divorced people? Didn’t Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce?” You see, the Pharisees wanted to show that they knew the law as well. Jesus responded that divorce was allowed because of hard-heartedness. Many divorced people take offense at this statement but it is true. The issues that drive couples to divorce all have the heart at the center.

The church includes families and individuals who have been devastated by separation, abuse, abandonment and divorce. God desires His people to offer hope in hopeless situations, healing to broken relationships and love to loveless marriages. He expects us to treat each one as an individual made in His image and to be treated with dignity and respect.

Single People (10–12)
The church includes singles. Sometimes church folks think that it is not good for people to remain single. But Jesus said that singleness is God’s design for some people. When the disciples heard that groundless divorce suits were not a part of God’s initial design for marriage, they said it would be better not to marry. Jesus explained that some men were born with no desire for marriage, while others were castrated (often when working within the royal court) and still others chose not to marry for the sake of the kingdom of God. There is a place for single people within the body of Christ, whether singleness comes by choice, by loss or by default.

Children (13–15)
The church includes children who come to Jesus by faith. Parallel passages in the synoptic Gospels indicate that children were brought by their parents to be blessed by Jesus. They expected to be welcomed by the Master. Instead His disciples insisted that the Lord was preoccupied with more significant matters. This brought a rebuke from Jesus and an invitation for the children to come.

Remember what Jesus taught in Matthew 18? Adults were to come to Him humbly, even as these little children. They received the blessing of Jesus but not everyone did. In the remainder of this chapter, Jesus gave instructions to a rich, young ruler yet he rejected the Master’s invitation to follow Him. Even today, we must lay aside whatever it is that keeps us from following Jesus.