Matt.19.1 - And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan;
Matt.19.2 - And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.
Matt.19.3 - The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
Matt.19.4 - And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
Matt.19.5 - And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
Matt.19.6 - Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
Matt.19.7 - They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
Matt.19.8 - He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
Matt.19.9 - And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
Matt.19.10 - His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.
Matt.19.11 - But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.
Matt.19.12 - For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.
Matt.19.13 - Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.
Matt.19.14 - But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
Matt.19.15 - And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.
Matt.19.16 - And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
Matt.19.17 - 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.
Matt.19.18 - 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,
Matt.19.19 - Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Matt.19.20 - The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
Matt.19.21 - Jesus said unto him, 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.
Matt.19.22 - But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
Matt.19.23 - Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Matt.19.24 - And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Matt.19.25 - When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
Matt.19.26 - But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Matt.19.27 - Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
Matt.19.28 - And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Matt.19.29 - And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
Matt.19.30 - But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.

What does Matthew chapter 19 mean?
Matthew 19 begins with Jesus leaving Galilee behind for the last time and heading toward Jerusalem. After entering the region of Judea, however, Jesus and the disciples cross over the Jordan to the east, likely into the Jewish region of Perea. Large crowds continue to follow Him, and Jesus continues to heal those who come to Him.

While east of the Jordan, some Pharisees find Jesus, as well, and come to test Him with a difficult and divisive question. They hope to get Jesus to say something that will discredit Him in the eyes of the people. Or, He might give them cause to accuse Him of heresy. They ask Jesus if it is lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause. Some Pharisees said infidelity was the only allowable cause; others said a man could divorce his wife for virtually any reason. Christ quotes from Genesis, citing God's plan for marriage. God made human beings to be male and female and decreed that men should leave their parents, hold fast to their wives, and become one flesh in marriage. Men should not separate what God has joined, Jesus concludes (Matthew 19:1–6).

The Pharisees push back by referring to Deuteronomy 24, where Moses permits a man to give his wife a certificate of divorce for "indecency." Jesus insists that Moses allowed this only because human hearts are hard. It was never God's intent for marriage. For that reason, anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, commits adultery as soon as he marries another woman. When the disciples suggest that it might be better not to marry if this is the case, Jesus says this is true only for those to whom this ability is given. He makes clear He is speaking of eunuchs by birth, castration, or choice. Celibacy is not holier than marriage, and the decision to eschew all sexuality is not one meant for most people (Matthew 19:7–12).

Jesus overrules His disciples after they rebuke some people for bringing children to Him to lay hands on and pray for. He repeats the idea that the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are like little children. By this, Jesus refers to their sense of trust and dependence. A humble, faithful approach is required to fully embrace our relationship to God. Blind belief or gullibility are not part of childlike faith, but neither is arrogance (Matthew 19:13–15).

A wealthy young man approaches Jesus, calling Him "good," and asks what he must do to have eternal life. Jesus insists that only one, God, is good—implying that to call Jesus "good" is to call Him God. That implies that whatever Jesus says ought to be obeyed. Christ sets up a unique challenge for the man: telling him to keep the [Ten] Commandments, and gives a sample list of five, if he sincerely wants to enter eternal life. The man asks which commandments and Jesus lists five from the Ten Commandments. The man says he has kept these, and asks what else he's missing (Matthew 19:16–20).

Jesus finally gives the man what he came to ask for—a good thing that will ensure his eternal life in the kingdom of heaven. If the man would be "perfect," Jesus says, he should sell everything he owns, give it to the poor, and come follow Jesus. The point of this statement is not that all people must be poor to be saved. Rather, this is a challenge for this particular person: a way to demonstrate his heart is sincerely committed to following God. The man, we now learn, is enormously wealthy, and he leaves sad. Rather than being happy about having a chance for salvation, he is dejected at the idea of setting aside his riches (Matthew 19:21–22).

Jesus tells His disciples it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a sewing needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Wealth—as with many other worldly advantages—tempts people to think they are self-sufficient. Money can numb us to our need for God. This countered conventional wisdom of Jesus' era, which assumed that wealth was a sign of divine approval. Shocked, they ask how anyone could be saved. Jesus tells them salvation is impossible with men—but not with God (Matthew 19:23–26).

Peter then refers to Jesus' promise to the young man that he would have treasure in heaven. He asks Jesus what he and the other disciples will have in heaven, since they have left everything in their former lives to follow Him. Jesus says that the Twelve will occupy twelve thrones when He takes His own throne in the new world. They will judge the twelve tribes of Israel. In addition, all who leave everything for Him will receive it back a hundredfold in heaven, as well as receiving eternal life. He reminds them that one's status in this life does not imply one's status in eternity (Matthew 19:27–30).

Though separated with a chapter break, Jesus will continue to explain this idea with a parable in the very next verse (Matthew 20:1).

Copied:BibleRef