Year of the Bible
Matthew 19
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Commentary upon the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 19:
Throughout salvation history, God uses marriage to describe his relationship with his people. Scripture begins with the creation of man and woman in the image and likeness of God, and it concludes with a vision of the wedding feast of the Lamb. God is the author of marriage, and the vocation to marriage is written in the very nature of man and woman. All cultures celebrate some form of marital covenant or binding relationship, and all Christians are called to a marital relationship with the divine bridegroom, Jesus. In Ephesians 5:31–33, St. Paul teaches: “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one. This is a great mystery, and I take it to mean in reference to Christ and the church: however, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” It should come as no surprise that Jesus is very strict on the topic of divorce, considering that he also has in mind his own relationship with each and every person.
The Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 19:
Teachings about Divorce
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.
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 made them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one’? 6 So they are no longer two but one. What therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder.” 7 They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?” 8 He said to them, “For 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 unchastity, and marries another, commits adultery; and he who marries a divorced woman, commits adultery.”
10 The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is not expedient to marry.” 11 But he said to them, “Not all men can receive this precept, 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. He who is able to receive this, let him receive it.”
Jesus Blesses the Children
13 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 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.
The Rich Young Man
16 And behold, one came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? One there is who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to him, “Which?” And Jesus said, “You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to him, “All these I have observed; what do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.
23 And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 27 Then Peter said in reply, “Behold, we have left everything and followed you. What then shall we have?” 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of man shall sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. 30 But many that are first will be last, and the last first.
Daily Lectio Divina Question:
“For your hardness of heart… (v. 8). Lord, in what things have I hardened my heart? Soften my heart so that I can let go of what I need to let go of and hear your voice with obedient trust.
Bible Commentary provided by - Scott Hahn and Mark Shea, Gospel of Matthew, ed. Jennifer Phelps, Catholic Scripture Study (Charlotte, NC: Catholic Scripture Study International, 2007), 177.
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this. If you're looking for a good Catholic edition of the Bible, look no further
Mateo 19
1 Cuando terminó Jesús estos discursos,
partió de Galilea y fue a la región
de Judea, al otro lado del Jordán. 2 Y le siguieron
grandes multitudes, y allí les curó.
3 Se acercaron entonces a él unos fariseos y
le preguntaron para tentarle:
–¿Le es lícito a un hombre repudiar
a su mujer por cualquier motivo?
4 Él respondió:
–¿No habéis leído que al principio el
Creador los hizo hombre y mujer, 5 y que
dijo: Por eso dejará el hombre a su padre
y a su madre y se unirá a su mujer, y
serán los dos una sola carne? 6 De modo
que ya no son dos, sino una sola carne.
Por tanto, lo que Dios ha unido, que no
lo separe el hombre.
7 Ellos le replicaron:
–¿Por qué entonces Moisés mandó
dar el libelo de repudio y despedirla?
8 Él les respondió:
–Moisés os permitió repudiar a
vuestras mujeres a causa de la dureza
de vuestro corazón; pero al principio no
fue así. 9 Sin embargo, yo os digo: cualquiera
que repudie a su mujer –a no ser
por fornicación– y se case con otra, comete
adulterio.
10 Le dicen los discípulos:
–Si esa es la condición del hombre
con respecto a su mujer, no trae cuenta
casarse.
11 –No todos son capaces de entender
esta doctrina –les respondió él–,
sino aquellos a quienes se les ha concedido.
12 En efecto, hay eunucos que nacieron
así del vientre de su madre; también
hay eunucos que han quedado así
por obra de los hombres; y los hay que
se han hecho eunucos a sí mismos por
el Reino de los Cielos. Quien sea capaz
de entender, que entienda.
13 Entonces le presentaron unos niños
para que les impusiera las manos
y orase; pero los discípulos les reñían.
14 Ante esto, Jesús dijo:
–Dejad a los niños y no les impidáis
que vengan conmigo, porque de los que
son como ellos es el Reino de los Cielos.
15 Y después de imponerles las manos,
se marchó de allí.
16 Y se le acercó uno, y le dijo:
–Maestro, ¿qué obra buena
debo hacer para alcanzar la vida eterna?
17 Él le respondió:
–¿Por qué me preguntas sobre lo
bueno? Uno solo es el bueno. Pero si
quieres entrar en la Vida, guarda los
mandamientos.
18 –¿Cuáles? –le preguntó.
Jesús le respondió:
–No matarás, no cometerás adulterio,
no robarás, no dirás falso testimonio,
19 honra a tu padre y a tu madre, y amarás
a tu prójimo como a ti mismo.
20 –Todo esto lo he guardado –le dijo
el joven–. ¿Qué me falta aún?
21 Jesús le respondió:
–Si quieres ser perfecto, anda, vende
tus bienes y dáselos a los pobres, y tendrás
un tesoro en los cielos. Luego, ven
y sígueme.
22 Al oír el joven estas palabras se
marchó triste, porque tenía muchas posesiones.
23 Jesús les dijo entonces a sus discípulos:
–En verdad os digo: difícilmente entrará
un rico en el Reino de los Cielos.
24 Es más, os digo que es más fácil a un
camello pasar por el ojo de una aguja,
que a un rico entrar en el Reino de Dios.
25 Cuando oyeron esto sus discípulos,
se quedaron muy asombrados y decían:
–Entonces, ¿quién puede salvarse?
26 Jesús, con la mirada fija en ellos,
les dijo:
–Para el hombre esto es imposible;
para Dios, sin embargo, todo es posible.
27 Entonces Pedro tomó la palabra y
le dijo:
–Ya ves que nosotros lo hemos dejado
todo y te hemos seguido, ¿qué recompensa
tendremos?
28 Jesús les respondió:
–En verdad os digo que en la regeneración,
cuando el Hijo del Hombre se
siente en su trono de gloria, vosotros,
los que me habéis seguido, también os
sentaréis sobre doce tronos para juzgar
a las doce tribus de Israel. 29 Y todo el
que haya dejado casa, hermanos o hermanas,
padre o madre, o hijos, o campos,
por causa de mi nombre, recibirá el
ciento por uno y heredará la vida eterna.
30 Porque muchos primeros serán últimos
y muchos últimos serán primeros.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina para el día de hoy
La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).