Psalm 135 – Praise the Lord for He is good; He is kind and greater than all the gods. He move the clouds, makes the lightning flash and the wind blow. In Egypt, God “performed miracles and wonders.” It is God who brings down nations and opens space for His people. The God of the Jews, creator of nature and the power behind all history is not like the “gods of the nations,” gods made of silver or gold. Those who worship such gods – may they all become like these gods - like nothing. Praise the Lord.
Psalm 136 – Give thanks to the Lord, “the greatest of all gods; his love is eternal” (136:2). This refrain follows every verse. God’s glories are repeated – the earth, the sun and moon, his work in the history of his people, his conquest of the kings defeated by the Jews. And even when the Jews were defeated, He did not forget them. His love is eternal. He freed them from their enemies.
Matthew 19 – This chapter follows closely Mark 10. Jesus leaves Galilee and goes to the other side of the Jordan in Judea, followed by large crowds. The Pharisees try to test him. They ask about the lawfulness of divorce (Why do they ask Jesus this? What are they hoping he will say? What may they have heard about him that leads them to think he will say something scandalous? Why is his teaching scandalous to them?) He tells them that the joining of man and woman reflects an intention on God’s part to see man and woman joined in a mutual and steadfast relationship. They challenge him by reminding him that Moses gave them a way to divorce. Jesus tells them Moses allowed it because they “were so hard-hearted” [“hard to teach” in Today’s English Version]. But Jesus is here to teach about God’s intention, God’s will, and that will is that marriages be permanent unless “unchastity” or “unfaithfulness” is involved.
It's interesting that this OUT is not present in Mark. Apparently, there was an issue in the early church about whether you needed to stay married to a spouse when that spouse was not a convert to Christianity, but that precise concern does not seem to be reflected in his words here. There seem to be other things in mind here. Jesus seems to be saying here that marriage is not an ultimate destiny for people as it seems that Jesus is teaching here. In Matthew, Jesus says, “This teaching does not apply to everyone, but only to those to whom God has given it. Some are not born to marry or not raised to it, and others do not marry “for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven” [because they thing marriage will interfere in some way with their service to the church?] It remains a little mysterious. I wonder what “not raised to it” means?
Next, people try to bring little children to Jesus for him to touch them and pray. The disciples try to keep them away, but Jesus protests. “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs” (19:14).
Then “a man” (a “young man” according to verse 22) comes to Jesus and says, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” Jesus asks him about the commandments, and he knows and follows them all. He asks, “What do I still lack?” (19:20). Jesus says, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me” (19:21). The young man grieves when he hears this, “for he had many possessions” (19:22).
Jesus observes to his disciples that it is hard for the rich to get into the kingdom of heaven, easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. The disciples recoil in amazement—then who can be saved? (19:25) “For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” (19:26) The disciples remind him that they have left everything and he acknowledges it. Their reward will be great and will include eternal life.
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