2. Matthew 19:1-15 “1 Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2 And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
Matt. 19:3 And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” 4 He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” 7 They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?”...” ”

3. Matthew 19:1-15 “... 8 He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” 11 But he said to them, “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. 12 For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.” Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, 14 but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” 15 And he laid his hands on them and went away.”

5. Feeding 5,000 - Apex of Galilean Ministry (Matt 14)
John 6:66 “66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.”

6. 2. Clarify Mission (Matt 16) 3. Transfiguration (Matt 17)
4. Laid the groundwork for The Church (Matt 16 & 18)
5. Series of teaching & parable for disciples (Matt 18)

7. “Like a child”
Matt 18

8. Ch 19 - Three Key Elements revolve around CHILDREN:
1. Marriage
2. Divorce
3. Gender Identity

9. Heb 13:4 “Marriage should be honored by all”

10. 2. Divorce
Matt 19:9 “And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery. ”

11. Jesus is not saying: “The only lawful cause for divorce is adultery.”
It goes against what He just said.
It would mean that everyone remarried is perpetually committing adultery.
That’s not what the law said. In the OT adultery meant stoning, not divorce.
Jesus uses 2 words to describe “adultery”.

12. Matt 19:10 “The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.”

13. Matt 19:26 “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

14. It may be better not to marry... BUT who can actually do that?
3. Gender
It may be better not to marry... BUT who can actually do that?

15. 3 kind of people, can navigate life unmarried:
“eunuch”

16. 1. Those who are born incapable of marriage

17. 2. Those who have been made incapable of marriage.

18. 3. Those who have chosen (been called) not to marry and are so empowered by God.

19. Remember who it is we’re dealing with!

20. Jon Foreman - “The easiest thing to do is throw a rock
Jon Foreman - “The easiest thing to do is throw a rock. It's a lot harder to create a stained glass window. I used to get upset at the people who threw rocks but now I'd rather spend my time building the stained glass windows.”