In the Kingdom of Heaven, treasure is defined quite differently than it is in the world. The wealth of the Kingdom was the growth of souls, both in number and in quality. Material goods were simply tools, and often completely unneeded in Kingdom business. Instead of real estate, Jehovah sought to expand the human territory in redemption from sin. Nothing mattered more than people.
As Jesus set His face toward His final destiny of winning all the world by the price of His blood, He and His disciples traveled down the East Bank of Jordan to the district of Perea. Since Jews typically refused to tread upon Samaritan ground, travel between Galilee and Judea meant crossing the Jordan, which formed the eastern border of Samaria. The main routes then crossed back over into Judea at or near Jericho. Jesus and His Disciples remained in this area for some days.
As was customary for them over the past three years, He taught and healed in open areas. With the crowd were the ever-present agents of the Sanhedrin. They asked Him about divorce. Jesus was consistent on His teaching about divorce (ch. 5:31-32). The question about divorce was a matter of politics in Jesus' day. Would he favor the School of Hillel, dominated by the Sadducees who ruled the Sanhedrin, a rather liberal bunch? They were nonetheless the mainstream viewpoint, we are told. Or would he favor the Pharisees and the School of Shammai, which tended to be cranky and precise, with high conservative standards? The former saw Moses' word for "shameful" as practically anything that displeased a man. The latter school insisted on a more literal reading, a matter of genuine moral impurity.
Jesus answered neither, but recalled the original marriage in Eden. He explained the concept of one flesh, something neither school of thought had ever mentioned. Their question showed they misconstrued Moses' command as license (Deuteronomy 24:1-4), when in reality it was a radically new command for that day, and protected women from men's abuse. Again, Jesus points out the Law of Moses was a mere shadow of the much higher Law of Heaven. The sole legitimate cause of divorce is unfaithfulness. Once a woman has surrendered her body, and the man has taken it, the matter is settled in Heaven. If she presumes to offer it to another, she has defiled herself and he is permitted (not required) to divorce her. He may not punish her any other way. Any other complaint he may have about her is petty selfishness. Further, once divorced, she is the same as a harlot, not a piece of property traded among men. We note he says this while standing a single days' walk from the palace of the man who had John the Baptist beheaded for pointing this out. The emphasis clearly weighs heavily upon the men, as the root cause of the whole issue is lust.
The Disciples suggest this puts men at a disadvantage, and it might be better to avoid marriage. Being but a few miles from the enclave of the Essenes, who taught this very thing, it's no surprise they mention it. Jesus actually agrees with rabbinical teaching on this point, and lays out the three cases where it's proper to avoid marriage. Matthew chose the Greek term for "eunuch," which included men who simply did not marry. Some were born without the capacity for procreation, some were, indeed, literally made eunuchs by Oriental custom. Some simply had no room in their lives for a family, such as Jesus Himself, but these were rare. Only those divinely empowered specifically for the task should consider such an extreme measure. Jesus implies His followers would normally take up the burden of marrying and having a family as blessing from God, and would proceed in faith.
As proof of this, Jesus shows His utter delight in a group of toddlers and infants. He was putting His hands on their heads in a symbolic gesture of offering them to His Father. When the Twelve tried to shoo them all away, Jesus stopped them. He reminded them bluntly these were the symbols of innocence and receptiveness which characterize those acceptable in the Kingdom. Matthew places this so close to the discussion about divorce to remind us there are other parties in the matter, and Jesus was always concerned about victims of suffering. If children are a good thing, so are the marriages which produced them, and the homes where children properly belong -- stable households which form the anchors on earth of the Kingdom.
Then came the dramatic comparison with the other sort of wealth. A young nobleman asked what he might do to obtain eternal life. So much of the exchange is lost if we ignore the subtle clues. He spoke deferentially to Jesus. Jesus responded that all goodness is defined by God, Whose ways had already been revealed. The man clearly worried he was missing something, bearing a sense of spiritual insecurity, but lacking spiritual insight. Jesus answered with a touch of sarcasm. We know from the other Gospels this man was president of his synagogue, by which we are to assume he was honorable in his conduct. Thus, Jesus rattled off the standard Ten Commandments, though summarizing a in manner common among rabbis. Naturally, the man assumed he has been obeying these all along, as best he understood it. Jesus then points out the flaw in his understanding. If he comes to Jesus for the ultimate answer, is he willing to follow Jesus literally to find it? He goes straight to the heart of the matter and asks if the man could renounce his material wealth in favor of eternal wealth.
The man departed with a broken heart. In his mind, the whole point of wealth was proof of God's favor. Throwing all that away was just beyond comprehension. Jesus turned and commented to the Twelve it was extremely hard for rich people to become like children and enter the Kingdom. He used an old Eastern expression, referring to the symbolic smallest passage known to mankind, the eye of a needle. It provided a metaphor of something virtually impossible. Yet, in typical Hebrew fashion, He also referred to the commerce gate Rome had built in Jerusalem. At various times, the commander of the Roman garrison in Jerusalem deemed it necessary to lock down the city, though not so tightly as to cut off food and other supplies. Thus, merchants had to line up at the "Eye of the Needle" gate which allowed camels to enter only after they were completely unloaded, made to kneel, and crawl through. While the merchants struggled getting balky camels to do this, the Roman soldiers could leisurely inspect the cargo for contraband. It is this image which provides the theological principle: A man must unburden himself of all things in this world to enter the Kingdom. It was thus not impossible for the wealthy to enter, but very demanding, and much more difficult than for the poor, who had nothing to lose.
Sadly, the Twelve were still operating under the same assumptions as the young nobleman regarding wealth as the manifestation of God's favor. This was why they were astonished, for if the rich weren't already bound for Heaven, who was? Jesus answered it was not a matter of something men could see with their eyes or do with their hands, but a miracle of God's grace. Peter noted they had passed through the Roman "Eye of the Needle" in that sense, having abandoned their worldly possessions. Would they have entrance to the Kingdom? Jesus answered with soaring imagery of His divine throne, with them sitting as a committee of judges over their Nation. Obviously this was not meant literally, as they later understood. Rather, it was their choice to follow Him which provided the standard by which souls were measured for fitness as citizens in His Kingdom.
Jesus went on to show, as sacred as families and households were in this life, they were only so valuable as they served the Kingdom purpose. It was quite possible a good and proper family setting would hinder following the Messiah. It was possible a legacy of wealth and good reputation would hold you back. The camel must be fully stripped down. Everything must be surrendered to the inspection of God Almighty. Only what He gives back to us can be brought into the Kingdom service. Everything that matters will be supplied in abundance. Regardless how blessed a life may seem before the Kingdom, whatever is lost in the process, everything inside the City of God is far more precious for having been renewed and redeemed by His grace. Indeed, man without grace cannot begin to comprehend what really matters. He typically puts first what God tosses aside. A man's very understanding of what matters is subject to redemption, as well.
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Ed Hurst
24 November 2007
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