Bernard Gabbott - Sunday, 23 April 2023
God's View of Marriage and Singleness
Scripture References: Matthew 19:1-12, Psalms 16:1-11, Genesis 1:26-28, Genesis 2:15-25
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CloseOne of the statements I keep returning to in my mind and heart in Matthew is the statement of God as Jesus is revealed as truly divine: ‘This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him. Listen to Him!’ (Matthew 17:5). The realization of who Jesus truly is should drive His disciples’ to ‘listen to Him’ – to hear and obey. Too often we hear Jesus – then we argue with Jesus. We debate His words. We look for loopholes. We lament their ‘rigidity’ or their ‘uncompromising’ and ‘high’ nature. We listen – and then we argue, wriggle, lament, or moan. Yet, this is God-in-the-flesh. His words are true and good and wise and gentle and for the benefit of broken image-bearers-of-God. So, when the Pharisees come to trap Jesus in questions about marriage (and divorce), Jesus’ words are not to be debated, but first listened to, understood, then applied. This is the same man who knows sinners and the broken, sups with them, and offers them rest. His words are for their good!
Scripture References: Matthew 19:1-12, Psalms 16:1-11, Genesis 1:26-28, Genesis 2:15-25
Related Topics: Matthew | More Messages from Bernard Gabbott | Download Audio
What is greatness? In particular, what is greatness in the kingdom of God? That is the question addressed in the passage from Matthew today. Jesus is approached by two different groups. First, the family of Zebedee: James and John and their mother. Second, two blind men. Jesus asks both groups the same question “What do you want me to do for you?” What they request is quite revealing. And so is Jesus’ response to their requests. The Zebedees request position, status, reward for effort. The blind men request mercy, for their eyes to be open. Which request lines up with Jesus’ teaching previously? Which request do we tend to go to ourselves?
The Department of Home Affairs has an Australian Values Statement on its website. Visa applicants for residency/citizenship must sign this. And one of its key principles is that we are a ‘fair-go’ country. We would all agree with that. I suspect, too, that we would summarise our ‘fair go’ culture by stating that ‘you get what you deserve/what you work for’. In fact, many of us have established our relational, social and work ethics on this very principle. But is that what the ‘kingdom of heaven is like’? What is its value statement? What is the hallmark of such a kingdom, and its ruler, even its citizenship? Today, after Jesus has assured his disciples that the dependent will be provided for by their king, he now uses the same ideas to issue with them a warning not to abuse, misuse, ignore or become entitled in the face of the kingdom of heaven hallmark—which is grace.
Jesus deals with the question of ‘Who belongs in the kingdom?’ Is it children? Is it the good? Is it the godly? And, how and what does this look like? This question of ‘belonging’ is one that is constant in our lives – where do I belong, do I belong, what does belonging look like? And Jesus is very clear: the kingdom of heaven is made up of the dependent, the reliant, the weak – just like children.
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