Matthew 19:1-15
The Chronological Study Bible makes the point that we are now shifting our geographical location, that Jesus is back in Judea and we will not see Him in Galilee again. Luke had made that point specifically in Luke 9:51, that Jesus had “set His face to go to Jerusalem”. Much of the reading that we have done the past couple of weeks has been during Jesus’ travels on this trip. With today’s reading, now it’s only a matter of time before He goes to the cross. (But it will take us two months to get there!)
I was watching a baseball game yesterday. An ex-player, a star when he was playing who is now an announcer talked about bringing his son to meet a current baseball player, one of his son’s “idols”. I thought of my own childhood when I “idolized” baseball stars and of me and my friends trying to get autographs of these players. I also thought about Hollywood stars and people idolizing them and seeking autographs. In today’s reading, Jesus is a star! See the following two verses: And large crowds followed Him… (v. 2a) and Then little children were brought to Him that he might lay His hands on them and pray. (v. 13) More “autograph seekers”…??!!
Jesus speaking: And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery. (v. 9) Both of my Study Bibles noted that all three synoptic writers cover this discussion between Jesus and the Pharisees about divorce, but that Matthew was the only one of the three where Jesus allowed for the exception, “except for sexual immorality”. In Mark and Luke Jesus does not make this allowance. In looking further at this exception, I saw that this is the second time where Matthew has Jesus making this divorce exception. During the Sermon on the Mount Jesus makes the same statement as in verse 9 above (see Matthew 5:32). Interesting. I had not seen that before.
See also: August 5 / Matt. 19:1-15