Gospels (44) - Matthew 19:13 – 20:16, Mark 10:13-31 & Luke 18:15-30

Teacher: Rusty Kennedy
​Series: Gospels

Rusty's Notes

Matthew 19
BLESSING THE CHILDREN
13 Then children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 Jesus said, “Leave the children alone, and don’t try to keep them from coming to me, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 After placing his hands on them, he went on from there. [1]
 
Mark 10
BLESSING THE CHILDREN
13 People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16 After taking them in his arms, he laid his hands on them and blessed them.[2]
 
Luke 18
BLESSING THE CHILDREN
15 People were bringing infants to him so he might touch them,

• Good touch (blessing) vs bad touch
• Baby dedication at Pinheads

but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 Jesus, however, invited them: “Let the little children come to me, and don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

• Kids and candy on Sundays
• Visit newborns at the hospital

17 Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” [3]

• Let them have salvation
• Romans considered children low on the status poll
• Come humbly and with faith.
• Jesus loves the children and will take care of them (age of accountability issue)

 
Luke 18
THE RICH YOUNG RULER
18 A ruler (Mark: ran up to Him and knelt before Him) asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

• Sanhedrin member
• Wealth guaranteed salvation
• This man did not accept Jesus as the Messiah.

19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good except God alone.

• “Good teacher” – not “Good Messiah”
• The rabbis were called “Master” (Teacher), but it was most unusual for a rabbi to be called “good.”
• The Jews reserved the word good for God. [4]
• Was this man implying that Jesus was God?
• Did you really just say that?

20 You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not bear false witness; honor your father and mother.”

• These were the ten commandments that related man to man… not man to God.
• When Jesus quoted from the second table of the Law, He did not quote the last commandment, “Thou shalt not covet” (Ex. 20:17).
• Jesus knew the young man’s heart, so instead of preaching to him about covetousness, He asked him to do something that a covetous person would not do.[5]

21 “I have kept all these from my youth,” he said.

• Jesus had to have smiled.

22 When Jesus heard this, he told him, “You still lack one thing: Sell all you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

• Jesus was asking the rich young ruler to change his theology.
• Keep this in context.
• This is not instruction for believers to get rid of all material things.
• From a Gentile perspective: You can make this Scripture passage real legalism.
• Nobody is saved by giving all his wealth to the poor, but nobody can be saved who will not repent of his sins and turn away from them.
• This young man was possessed by the love of money and he would not let go.[6]
• 1 Choice – Adam & Eve
• 10 Commandments
• 613 Laws
• Sermon on the Mount

23 After he heard this, he became extremely sad, because he was very rich.

• The rich young ruler may be the only man in the Gospels who came to the feet of Jesus and went away in worse condition than when he came.
• And yet he had so much in his favor!
• He was moral and religious, earnest and sincere, and probably would have qualified for membership in the average church.
• Yet he refused to follow Jesus Christ and instead went his own way in great sorrow.[7]

 
Matthew 19
THE RICH YOUNG RULER
16 Just then someone came up and asked him, “Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life?”
17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” he said to him. “There is only one who is good. If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
18 “Which ones?” he asked him.
Jesus answered: Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness; 19 honor your father and your mother; and love your neighbor as yourself.
20 “I have kept all these,” the young man told him. “What do I still lack?”
21 “If you want to be perfect,” Jesus said to him, “go, sell your belongings and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 When the young man heard that, he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.
 
Matthew 19
POSSESSIONS AND THE KINGDOM
23 Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven.

• Jesus’ disciples were raised under pharisaic Judaism.
• They were taught that wealth was necessary for salvation.
• Abraham, David & Solomon?

 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
25 When the disciples heard this, they were utterly astonished and asked, “Then who can be saved?”
26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
27 Then Peter responded to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you. So what will there be for us?”

• Jesus is about to be crucified and Peter is concerned about what he is going to get.

28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

• No specific appointments made at this time.

29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields because of my name will receive a hundred times more and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first (Pharisees) will be last, and the last first (Children).
 
THE PARABLE OF THE VINEYARD WORKERS
20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the workers on one denarius, he sent them into his vineyard for the day. 3 When he went out about nine in the morning, he saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He said to them, ‘You also go into my vineyard, and I’ll give you whatever is right.’ So off they went. 5 About noon and about three, he went out again and did the same thing. 6 Then about five he went and found others standing around and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day doing nothing?’
7 “‘Because no one hired us,’ they said to him.
“‘You also go into my vineyard,’ he told them. 8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard told his foreman, ‘Call the workers and give them their pay, starting with the last and ending with the first.’
9 “When those who were hired about five came, they each received one denarius. 10 So when the first ones came, they assumed they would get more, but they also received a denarius each. 11 When they received it, they began to complain to the landowner: 12 ‘These last men put in one hour, and you made them equal to us who bore the burden of the day’s work and the burning heat.’
13 “He replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I’m doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me on a denarius? 14 Take what’s yours and go. I want to give this last man the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with what is mine? Are you jealous because I’m generous?’
16 “So the last will be first, and the first last.”[8]

• “That’s not fair.”
• Do you really want fair?

 
Mark 10
THE RICH YOUNG RULER
17 As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness; do not defraud; honor your father and mother.”
20 He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these from my youth.”
21 Looking at him, Jesus loved him and said to him, “You lack one thing: Go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 But he was dismayed by this demand, and he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.[9]
 
Luke 18
POSSESSIONS AND THE KINGDOM
24 Seeing that he became sad, Jesus said, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 Those who heard this asked, “Then who can be saved?”
27 He replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
28 Then Peter said, “Look, we have left what we had and followed you.”
29 So he said to them, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left a house, wife or brothers or sisters, parents or children because of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive many times more at this time, and eternal life in the age to come.” [10]

[1] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Mt 19:13–15). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Mk 10:13–16). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[3] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Lk 18:15–17). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[4] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 250). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[5] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 250). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[6] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 250). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[7] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 249). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[8] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Mt 19:16–20:16). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[9] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Mk 10:17–22). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[10] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Lk 18:18–30). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.