WE ARE STUDYING THE FOUR GOSPELS MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE AND JOHN TO KNOW THE LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST.
TO KNOW HIM IS TO LOVE HIM.
INTRODUCTION .
There is no reason to doubt that this Gospel was written by Matthew. It presents the narrative of our Lord’s life from the standpoint of the pious Jew; and the evident design of the writer is to show how completely and continually our Lord fulfilled the Old Testament Scriptures. No other Gospel contains so many quotations from the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms. In it the predominant aspect of our Lord’s character and work is the Messianic. He was great David’s Greater Son. The keyword of the book is “Behold your King.” As King, His line is traced through the kingly race. As King, He proclaims the kingdom of heaven. As King, He promulgates the laws, describes the subjects, and announces the rewards of the Kingdom. When describing His own action at the last, when He sits on His throne and all nations are gathered before Him, He speaks of Himself as King, Mat_25:40. It was on His avowal of kingship that He was condemned to die. From every viewpoint this Gospel is one of the most precious documents in the world.
By F.B.Meyer
{e-Sword Note: The following material was presented at the end of Matthew in the printed edition}
Find the outline of our Bible study on The Gospel of Matthew at the link below.
Outline Of The Gospel According To Matthew
The King of the House of David
III. FACING REJECTION, Matthew 16:13-25:46 3. Questions, Discourses and Parables of Judgment, Matthew 17:10 to Matthew 25:46
NB !Note:
The Judean ministry of Jesus, which lasted almost one year, is not discussed by Matthew. This one year period is covered in John 1;1 to the end of John 4: and fits between Mat_4:11 and Mat_4:12. Matthew takes us from the temptation directly to the Galilean ministry.
Today we will look at the following question in the outline starting with
Matthew 19:13-22
66. What did the rich young ruler lack?
Let the Children Come to Me
Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.
But Jesus said,
Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.
The Rich Young Man
And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
And he said unto him,
Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said,
Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
Jesus said unto him,
66. What did the rich young ruler lack?
If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
Comments by F.B.Meyer
Matthew 19:13-22
The answer for 66. What did the rich young ruler lack? As presented by F.B.Meyer.
HOW TO ENTER THE KINGDOM
Youth, with all its fervor and impetuosity, is very beautiful in itself and very dear to Christ. Here youth was combined with station, wealth, and noble character. It is not necessary that all should sell their goods, and distribute the proceeds. It is a harder task to retain wealth and administer it for God. But it was necessary that the Master should prove to this young man that he was not fulfilling the Commandments quite so perfectly as he had supposed.
How few would wed Poverty today if they had to choose! Yet great riches must lie hidden beneath her rustic dress. Christ chose her as His companion during His human life, and St. Francis of Assisi said that he took her for his bride. In Matthew the beatitude is phrased: “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” but in Luke it stands: “Blessed be ye poor.” See Jas_2:5.
Believer’s Bible commentary
Book by William MacDonald
F. Concerning Children (19:13-15)
It is interesting that children are introduced shortly after the discourse on divorce (see also Mar_10:1-16); often they are the ones who suffer most severely from broken homes.
Parents brought their little children to Jesus to be blessed by the Teacher-Shepherd. The disciples saw this as an intrusion and annoyance, and rebuked the parents. But Jesus intervened with those words that have since endeared Him to children of every age, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”
Several important lessons emerge from those words. First, they should impress the servant of the Lord with the importance of reaching children, whose minds are most receptive, with the Word of God. Second, children who wish to confess their faith in the Lord Jesus should be encouraged, not held back. No one knows the age of the youngest person in hell. If a child truly wishes to be saved, he should not be told that he is too young. At the same time, children should not be pressured into making a false profession. Susceptible as they are to emotional appeals, they should be protected from high-pressure methods of evangelism. Children do not have to become adults to be saved, but adults have to become like children (Mat_18:3-4; Mar_10:15).
Thirdly, these words of our Lord answer the question, “What happens to children who die before they reach the age of accountability?” Jesus said, “ … of such is the kingdom of heaven.” That should be adequate assurance to parents who have suffered the loss of little ones.
Sometimes this passage is used to support the baptism of young children in order to make them members of Christ and inheritors of the kingdom. Closer reading will show that the parents brought the children to Jesus, not to the baptistry. It will show that the children were already possessors of the kingdom. And it will show that there is not a drop of water in the passage.
G. Concerning Riches: The Rich Young Ruler (19:16-26)
19:16 This incident provides a study in contrasts. Having just seen that the kingdom of heaven belongs to little children, we will now see how difficult it is for adults to enter.
A rich man intercepted the Lord with an apparently sincere inquiry. Addressing Jesus as “Good Teacher” he asked what he had to do to have eternal life. The question revealed his ignorance of the true identity of Jesus and of the way of salvation. He called Jesus “Teacher,” putting Him on the same level as other great men. And he spoke of gaining eternal life as a debt rather than as a gift.
19:17 Our Lord probed him on these two points. In asking, “Why do you call Me good? There is no one good but One, that is, God,” Jesus was not denying His own deity, but was providing the man with an opportunity to say, “That’s why I call You good—You are God.”
To test him on the way of salvation Jesus said, “But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” The Savior was not implying that man can be saved by keeping the commandments. Rather, He was using the law to produce conviction of sin in the man’s heart. The man was still under the delusion that he could inherit the kingdom on the principle of doing. Therefore, let him obey the law which told him what to do.
19:18-20 Our Lord quoted the five commandments dealing primarily with our fellow man, climaxing them by saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Blind to his own selfishness, the man boasted that he had always kept these commandments.
19:21 Our Lord then exposed the man’s failure to love his neighbor as himself by telling him to sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor. Then he should come to Jesus and follow Him.
The Lord did not mean that this man could have been saved by selling his possessions and giving the proceeds to charity. There is only one way of salvation—faith in the Lord.
But in order to be saved, a man must acknowledge that he has sinned and fallen short of God’s holy requirements. The rich man’s unwillingness to share his possessions showed that he did not love his neighbor as himself. He should have said, “Lord, if that’s what is required, then I’m a sinner. I cannot save myself by my own efforts. Therefore, I ask You to save me by Your grace.” If he had responded to the Savior’s instruction he would have been given the way of salvation.
19:22 Instead, he went away sorrowful.
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