Sunday, October 13, 2024

GOSPELS #28— DIVORSE/RE-MARRIAGE—INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE?

 GOSPELS— BIBLE STORY 




Chapter Twenty-eight:


Divorce and Re-marriage - How to inherit Eternal Life

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PHARISEES ASK ABOUT DIVORCE


     Jesus and His disciples were getting closer to Jerusalem.

One day as they were on their travels, the Pharisees wanting once

more to test Him, came asking this question, "It is lawful to

divorce one's wife for any cause?"


     We have seen in the past chapters that there were two

schools among the sect of the Pharisees, and the main school of

thought and popularity among the Pharisee leaders was the school

that taught that the laws of Moses allowed for divorce for just

about any reason, large or very small. The Pharisees wanted to

see if Jesus agreed with the most popular of their theology

schools. And of course Jesus knew all this was what was going 

on in their minds. He did not beat around the bush with them but

went on to state what would be the New Covenant teaching on this

matter.


     "Have you not read that He who made them from the beginning,

made them male and female, 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'? So they are no longer two but one. What

therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder."


     Jesus was telling them that the days of allowing divorce and

remarriage for just any silly little reason was over. Under the

New Covenant such conduct and allowances were now not to be

permitted. He was not agreeing with their most popular school of

theology, not for the New Testament age anyway.


     They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command one to give 

a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?" They were referring

to Deuteronomy 24: 1-2. And in their understanding of those

verses people in Israel were allowed to divorce for all kinds of

reasons, even trivial ones. Jesus did not argue with that

interpretation and practice. He just stated what God's original

intention for marriage was and that the days were over in

allowing divorce for any and every reason.


     Jesus answered their question about Moses this way, "For the

HARDNESS of heart Moses ALLOWED you to divorce your wives, 

but from the BEGINNING it was not so."


     It was because the heart of the Israelite people was mainly

hardened and unconverted, not subject to the ways and laws of the

Lord, certainly not to the spiritual intent of the law. And when

it came to certain physical things like marriage, even having

more than one wife (which is called polygamy), they were far from

being in tune and in line with God's original intention for

marriage, when He first made man and woman. For how God looked

upon the heart of the Israelites see Deut. 5: 29; and 29: 4. God

ALLOWED MANY things under the Old Covenant that was not 

ideal or as He would have wanted. Slavery was allowed, but that did 

not mean God approved of it or sanctioned it.

     He DID NOT, but because they were a carnal hard-hearted

people, who would have practiced it, He allowed it, but in

allowing it He gave strict humane and compassionate laws to

regulate it, as we see written in the laws of Moses.


     From the BEGINNING of the creation of the world and man and

woman upon it, God's intention for many things to do with human

relations was far from what nations came to practice, far from

what the heart of the Israelites was set upon to also practice,

so He allowed things under the Old Testament, but many of those

allowances were not going to be allowed under the New Testament.

     

     Jesus went on to say, "And I say unto you; whoever divorces

his wife, EXCEPT for unchastity (unfaithfulness, sexual

misconduct), and marries another, commits adultery."


     Jesus was tightening up the marriage bond between couples.

No longer would it be permitted in God's eyes, to divorce and

remarry for many of the little reasons it was allowed under the

Old Covenant. Jesus DID ALLOW for one category of marriage

misconduct, He allowed divorce for UNCHASTITY....for any 

sexual sin one partner may commit against the other, such as 

adultery  or any homosexual or lesbian sex act. The Greek word 

here used by Jesus, when we look how it is used throughout the 

New Testament, in many different passages, shows clearly that 

the word covers ALL improper acts of sex that God does not allow

under His laws for sexual relations, which then include adultery

and homosexuality and/or lesbianism (as well of course as

"beastiality" or sex with an animal).

     If one partner in a marriage union did commit such unlawful

sex acts then Jesus and God, did allow for divorce and remarriage, 

if the offended party wants to take such action. The offended party 

could of course show mercy and forgiveness if the offending partner 

repented and turned away from their sexual sin.

God did not say there HAD to be a divorce, only there could be

grounds for divorce under that situation.


     The disciples of Jesus you must remember were brought up 

in a society where the main Pharisee school of religion was

practiced. They were accustomed to having divorce and remarriage

on a very loose scale. On hearing these words from Jesus they

could not believe it could be possible to live under a much

tighter marriage bond, definitely not as tight as their Master

was now proclaiming it would be, so as to be within the New

Covenant laws of God. So they responded to the Lord this way:


     "If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is not expedient 

to marry!"


     But He said to them, "Not all men can receive this precept

you state, but only those to whom it is given. For there are

eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs made

by men, and there are eunuchs for the sake of the Kingdom of

heaven. He who is able to receive this, let him receive it "

(Mat. 19: 3-12).


     First of all, Jesus did not answer or debate with them over

the matter of divorce and remarriage, you will notice. He had

said what He had said, and it was to be that way under the New

Covenant age, divorce for any silly reason was no longer allowed

by God. Jesus aimed right in on the disciples saying that it

might be better to NOT marry at all. He took the opportunity 

to talk about people not marrying. Despite the tightening up of

the marriage bond  for the New Testament age, most would still

want to marry, and only the relatively few could accept the

disciples thought about NOT marrying. It was only the few, 

to whom it was given not to marry that would be able to live

and never marry, or remain un-married if they lost a mate. 

     

     We need to understand what a "eunuch" is. A eunuch is

someone (usually a man, or the word was commonly used for men)

who has no sex drive, and no desire to have a marriage with a

woman, because they have no desire for sex or to reproduce. 

Some people, because of things that go wrong from conception, 

never enter the life stage of sexuality, they never get any sex drive

as we say, which usually starts around the age of 10-13 for the

male.

     Then some men back in Jesus day, had their testicles removed

by other men, usually men in government power positions or kings.

This made them lose any sexual drive, they had no interest in

women for sexual relations. Often kings put such man made

eunuchs in charge of their large concord of female dancers and

sexy women (rulers and kings of carnal nations had many women

just for sexual purposes only), because such men were not

effected by the beauty and sexuality of women, hence had no

desire to have sexual relations with them. Such eunuchs of men

could have normal conversations with women, could rule and 

manage them, but had no desire to be sexual towards them.


     Some persons (probably the apostle Paul was one of them, for

he indicates in his writings that he was not married when doing

the work of the Lord) have made themselves a eunuch, so to speak,

for the work of the Kingdom of God. They have the power and self

control to not be desirous for a sexual relationship with a woman

in marriage. 

     Jesus makes it plain that this voluntary "none marriage" -

"no sexual relationship" is not for the majority, but is only for

the few, who have the power to refrain from sex and marriage, 

in order to put their whole life and energy into doing the work 

of the Kingdom of God.

     An example would be that of John the Baptist. He remained

un-married and a decided "eunuch" - no sexual relations with any

woman, all his life, for the sake of the Kingdom of God, and the

work he had been called to do. And of course the Lord Jesus

was also a eunuch for the Kingdom of God's sake. Only a few men

can so be, only a few are able to receive this, and Jesus said,

let him who can receive it, receive it.


JESUS BLESSES LITTLE CHILDREN


     And it was that they were bringing children to Him that He

might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus

saw it He was indignant, and said to them, "Let the children come

to me, and do not hinder them; for to such ones belongs the

Kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the

Kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." And He took them

in His arms and blessed them, laying His hands upon them.


     What a great example we see here, and we will notice that

children were not afraid to come to Jesus. He had a meek and mild

manner with them. We might say He had a soft and tender spot for

children that made such young ones feel quite at ease in His

presence and even in His arms (Mark 10: 13-16).


THE WAY TO INHERIT THE KINGDOM


     As Jesus was once more setting out on His journey towards

Jerusalem, a certain very wealthy young ruler ran up to Jesus and

kneeling before Him, asked, "Good teacher, what must I do to

inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me

good? No one is good but God alone?" He was obviously wondering

if this man knew that He, Jesus, was God in the flesh.

     Continuing to answer his question, Jesus said, "You know the

commandments, if you would enter or inherit eternal life, keep

the commandments, 'Do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not

bear false witness, do not steal, honor your father and mother,

and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.' "

     The rich young man said to him, "All these I have done from

my youth, what do I still lack in how I should live?" And Jesus

looking upon him with love, said to him, "You lack one thing. 

If you would be perfect, go and sell what you possess and give it

all to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and then

come and follow me." 

     When the young rich ruler heard this he went away very

sorrowfully because he had great possessions, and was physically

very wealthy.


     Jesus turned and looked at His disciples and said to them,

"I tell you the truth, it will be hard for a rich man to enter

the Kingdom of God. And again, I tell 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."

     The disciples were greatly astonished when they heard Him

say these things. And they asked Him, "Who then can enter the

Kingdom of God and be saved?"

     "With men," Jesus replied, "it is impossible, but with God

all things are possible."


     Yes, the natural tendency of the human heart is, if wealthy,

to rely and covet, even putting faith into the material money and

goods you have, and to not think you need God in your life. Or,

as this young rich man found out, making your physical wealth

something you cannot give up. Jesus loved this young man for

observing the basic letter of the commandments of God from his

youth, but He knew there was ONE weakness that he had that 

would keep him from entering the Kingdom of God. That weakness 

was that he could not give up his physical wealth, give it to the poor 

and needy and be a fully dedicated disciple of the Lord. His wealth

had become his "god" and he did not realize it until Jesus put

him to the test over it. Sometimes God does put us to the test,

not always, but sometimes, especially if we ask Him what we lack

in order to inherit eternal life. He may very well tell us in no

uncertain terms. Physical wealth is not wrong to have, for many

of God's people down through the ages have been blessed with

great material riches, such as Job, and Abraham, but their wealth

never became their idol or "god" - they would readily have given

it all up to be as King David once said, "I'd rather be a door

keeper in the house of the Lord than dwell in the tents of rich

people." 


     We need to make sure that we can give up ANYTHING in this

physical life time, IF God requires us to give it up.


     It is very interesting and very instructive that you will

notice Jesus did not tell this rich young man to sell all his

possessions, give up all his money, and give it to the "church"

or in Jesus' day, to the Temple and to the priests. He told him

to give it to "the poor." We can also gather from this that Jesus

knows and believes that there are "genuine" poor people who 

need help in a material way. Yes, there are what we term "bums" 

who are lazy people, who will try to live off their society, as if

society owes them a free living. But Jesus and God also know

there are people that circumstances of life often deal them the

wrong hand, and they are in a poor situation because of it. Jesus

knew there were genuinely poor people that were worthy of a

helping hand. He gave this young rich man the wonderful

opportunity to serve and help such people, and to then also

be one of His very chosen disciples. Who knows, if this young 

man had chosen to walk with Jesus, he may have become the 

disciple that replaced Judas Iscariot, as ONE of the very TWELVE, 

that would be given great honor and rulership in the Kingdom of 

God, as we shall now see, that Jesus promised each one of the twelve.


     Peter, hearing what Jesus had told the young ruler, and

knowing he and the others had given up much to be a disciple,

said to Jesus, "Master, we have left EVERYTHING to follow you.

What then shall we receive in the Kingdom?"


     Jesus answered, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who

has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or

children or lands, for my sake and for the Gospel, who will not

receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and

sisters and mothers and fathers and children and lands, with

persecutions maybe, and in the age to come eternal life. As for

you twelve in particular, in the new age, when the Son of man

shall sit on His glorious throne, you shall sit on twelve thrones, 

judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Many that are first will be last, 

and the last shall be first" (Mat. 19: 16-30; Mark 10: 17-31; 

Luke 18: 18-30).


     When we become a disciple of the Lord Jesus, we may have to

give up many friends and relatives who do not understand why we

have become a Christian, they do not like that we have become a

Christian, they may want nothing to do with us any more,

especially when we really serve the Lord in all aspect of our lives. 

But we immediately become a member of the body of Christ

and we are one of a large and loving family, with spiritual

brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers all over the world.

We have in this life time, great blessings from being a part of

God's family. And in the world to come, we shall inherit eternal

life in the glorious immortal Kingdom of God.

     Many who have put themselves first in this life time,

putting wealth, ambition, fame, family, jobs, etc. shall be last

to have their minds opened and to receive a chance to have

their names written into the book of life. Many of those first

will have to wait until the white throne judgment day

resurrection, at the end of the commonly called "millennium"

(Rev.20) or 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth, before they can

receive and have the book of life opened to them.

     Those who have put themselves last, been willing to give up

anything and everything, in order to be part of God's family here

and now, shall receive and be the first to gain and inherit eternal life, 

when Jesus returns to reign on earth and to establish the Kingdom 

of God over all nations.


     Looking beyond the present, into what can be, by being in

the first resurrection, the glory and splendor and rewards for

that age to come and for ever more, makes giving up whatever 

we have to give up in this life time, well worth the sacrifice.


UNDERSTAND YOUR CALLING AND PAYMENT      


     Jesus taught them saying, "For the Kingdom of heaven is like

a householder who went out early in the morning to hire laborers

for his vineyard.  after agreeing with the laborers for $100 a

day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the

third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place; and

to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard also, and whatever is

right I will give you.' So they went. Going out again about the

sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And then about

the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing; and he

said to them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?' They said to

him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You

go into my vineyard too.' And when evening came, the owner of 

the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and pay them

their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.' And when

those who were hired about the eleventh hour came they received

$100. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive

more; but each of them also received $100. And on receiving it

they grumbled and complained at the householder, saying, 'These

last worked only one hour and you have paid them equal to us who

have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.'  But he

replied to them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not

agree with me for $100. Take what belongs to you, and go your

way; I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I

not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do

you begrudge my generosity?' So the last will be first, and the

first last" (Mat.20: 1-16).


     And the first thing we need to note is the overall general

meaning of this parable. God will call people to work for His

Kingdom as and when He wants to. And no matter how long or s

hort you work till the end of the day for you comes, all will get 

ONE thing in common. It is not the reward for our works that the 

New Testament talks about elsewhere, such as the twelve apostles 

each ruling over one tribe of Israel, as Jesus promised them, but the

one thing each laborer for the Kingdom will receive that will be

equal and common to all, is ETERNAL LIFE. 

     You may have been called to the Kingdom when young, say 

a teenager, and labored in it for decades, if you live a long life.

On the other hand maybe God did not call you to labor in the

Kingdom until you were elderly, in your sixties or seventies, or

older, and so you labored not that long before you died. Whether

you labor for a long or short time in this life for the Kingdom

of God, all will receive eternal life. Such laboring and living

for the Kingdom is God's choosing, it is all in His hands, to do

with what is His to do with.

     The book of Revelation in chapter 7 (just as the great day

of God's wrath is to come upon this world, at the end of this

age) shows that many will be called and converted very near 

the time of the coming of Christ in glory. They will be in the

Kingdom with eternal life, though they may have only labored 

for a relatively short time (compared to others) for the Kingdom.


     I also want you to note another important teaching, that

will be important to understand and remember when we come 

to the events of the day upon which Christ died. Jesus talked about

certain hours of the day. The third hour was about our 9 a.m.

the sixth hour about noon and the eleventh hour was about the

hour we call 5 p.m. There were twelve hours in the day time part

of the day and twelve hours in the night portion as the Jews

split up the 24 hour day. The vineyard owner called his steward

WHEN EVENING came. Evening did not come until the twelfth 

hour was finish, which would then correspond to our 6 p.m. 

At 6 p.m. and not before, it was evening time. Then indeed the 

long heat of the day was over with. But, the main thing to remember, 

and a study in the word "evening" as used and as defined and

interpreted by the New Testament itself, is that evening is not

before 6 p.m. Anytime AFTER 6 p.m. it could be called evening,

but evening did not come until the twelve hours of the day had

been completed.

     

JESUS FORETELLS HIS DEATH THE THIRD TIME


     And they were walking on the road, going up to Jerusalem,

and Jesus was walking ahead of them; and they were somewhat

amazed at His lonely solitude among them, even to the point of

being afraid, but not really knowing why.  And He took the twelve

to one side and began to tell them for the third time what would

happen to Him, saying, "Behold, we are on the way up to

Jerusalem; and when we get there, the Son of man will be

delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will

condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Roman gentiles; 

and they will mock Him, and spit upon Him, and scourge Him, 

and then kill Him; and after three days He will rise from the 

dead  and live again" (Mark 10: 32-34).

     

     Luke in his gospel account adds that the twelve still did not 

understand all this that Jesus said to them. It was not yet revealed 

to them by the Holy Spirit. They could not imagine that such things 

could happen to the very Son of God. And they, like many of that 

day, did not understand all the prophecies of the Old Testament 

concerning the first coming of the Messiah to the earth and all that 

was written would need to be fulfilled.

     

     The journey to Jerusalem was near completed, and we are

close to the last few weeks in the physical life of Jesus.


             ...................................


Written November 2002


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