Here the Lord stressed again that to participate in the kingdom of the heavens, we must be like little children.
Here the Lord stressed again that to participate in the kingdom of the heavens, we must be like little children.
Having eternal life as spoken of in Matthew differs from having eternal life as spoken of in John. Matthew is concerned with the kingdom, whereas John is concerned with life. In John, to have eternal life is to be saved by God's uncreated life that we may live by that life today and for eternity; but in Matthew, to have eternal life is to participate in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens in this age by God's eternal life and to share in the kingdom's manifestation in the coming age, thereby enjoying God's eternal life in a fuller way.
The religionists' temptation here afforded the Lord an opportunity to reveal a further matter concerning the kingdom of the heavens. Chapter 18 reveals how we must deal with the brothers so that we can enter into the kingdom of the heavens, whereas this chapter reveals that marriage life (vv. 3-12) and our attitude toward riches (vv. 16-30) are related to the kingdom of the heavens. Marriage life touches the matter of lust, and our attitude toward riches touches the matter of covetousness. The kingdom of the heavens rules out every trace of our lust and covetousness.
cf. 1 Cor. 7:32-35
These are the ones to whom God has given the gift to remain unmarried for the sake of the kingdom of the heavens. Paul was such a one (1 Cor. 7:7-8; 9:5).
Lit., have room for.
Not all men, but only those to whom God has given the gift, are able to refrain from marriage. Without God's gift, anyone who attempts to remain unmarried will meet with temptations.
At that point the disciples realized that according to God's ordination, marriage is the strictest bond. Once a person is married, he is fully bound, having no way to be released except through the committing of fornication by the spouse (or through the death of the spouse). It was such a realization that caused the disciples to think that it was not profitable to marry. But it was not under their control.
The words from here to the end of the verse are omitted by some ancient authorities.
Lit., harlotry, whoredom. This is worse than adultery. The Lord's word here indicates definitely that nothing but fornication breaks the marriage tie. (Of course, death breaks it spontaneously.) Hence, except for fornication there is no excuse for divorce.
The commandment given by Moses concerning divorce was a deviation from God's original ordination concerning marriage, but for the kingdom of the heavens Christ as the heavenly King recovered marriage back to the beginning. This indicates that the kingdom of the heavens, which corresponds with God's ordination from the beginning, does not allow divorce.
This commandment was not a part of the basic law but was a supplement to the law. It was given by Moses not according to God's ordination from the beginning but as something temporary, because of the hardness of man's heart.
From here to the end of v. 6, the Lord's word not only acknowledged God's creation of man but also confirmed God's ordination regarding man's marriage, that is, that one male and one female are to be joined and yoked together as one flesh and are not to be separated by man.
Lit., release. So in the succeeding verses.
The religionists did not let the Lord go but came again and again to test Him. However, their testing always afforded the Lord an opportunity to unveil Himself and God's economy.
This One is God. Only God is good. This indicates not only that the young man asking the question was not good but also that the Lord Jesus is God, who is good. If He were not God, He too would not be good.
Lit., the good.
Here to enter into life means to enter into the kingdom of the heavens (v. 23). The kingdom of the heavens is a realm of God's eternal life. Hence, when we enter into it, we enter into God's life. This differs from being saved. To be saved is to have God's life enter into us to be our life, whereas to enter into the kingdom of the heavens is to enter into God's life to enjoy the riches of God's life. The former is to be redeemed and regenerated by the Holy Spirit, whereby we receive God's life; the latter is to live and walk by God's life. One is a matter of life; the other is a matter of living. See note Matt. 19:161.
This is not the requirement for salvation; it is related to entering into the kingdom of the heavens. According to the constitution of the kingdom of the heavens, to enter into the kingdom of the heavens requires us to meet not only the standard of the old law but also the standard of the complemented new law given by the King (Matt. 5:17-48). Salvation requires only faith, whereas the kingdom of the heavens requires the surpassing righteousness that issues from the keeping of the old law and the complemented law given by the heavenly King.
Even though the young man had observed the commandments of the old law — or so he assumed — he still was not perfect, not up to the standard of the requirement of the complemented new law, for he was not willing to sell what he had and store up treasure in heaven, as the constitution of the kingdom required (Matt. 6:19-21).
To follow the Lord is to love Him above all things (Matt. 10:37-38). This is the supreme requirement for entering into the kingdom of the heavens.
Loving material possessions above the Lord causes one to sorrow, but those who love Christ above all things accept with joy the loss of their possessions (Heb. 10:34).
The Lord's word here indicates the impossibility of entering into the kingdom of God by our natural life.
Verse Matt. 1:23 uses kingdom of the heavens, but here kingdom of God is used. At this point the kingdom of the heavens had not come, but the kingdom of God was there. Hence, the Lord used the term kingdom of God.
As most Christians do today, the disciples confused salvation with entering into the kingdom of the heavens. The Lord's word to the young man concerned entering into the kingdom of the heavens (vv. 23-24), but the disciples thought that it referred to salvation. Their concept of salvation was natural and common. They did not grasp the Lord's revelation concerning entering into the kingdom of the heavens.
By our human life it is impossible to enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but it is possible by God's divine life, which is Christ Himself imparted into us so that we can live the kingdom life. By Christ, who empowers us to do all things (Phil. 4:13), we can fulfill the requirements of the kingdom.
1 Cor. 6:2; cf. Rev. 20:4
To receive a hundred times as many houses, fields, and relatives is to be rewarded in this age (Mark 10:30). This refers to our enjoyment today of brothers and sisters in the Lord, with their possessions.
Some ancient authorities read, manifold.
To inherit eternal life is to be rewarded in the coming age (Luke 18:29-30), in the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens, with an enjoyment of the divine life that is fuller than the enjoyment in this age.
See note Matt. 20:161a.
This is the restoration in the coming kingdom age (Acts 3:21), after the Lord's second coming.
Luke 22:30; Matt. 20:21; cf. Rev. 3:21; 20:4