QT 25/02/2026 Wed. Matthew 19 The greatness of the little ones. The tragedy of the great ones. 小孩子的尊贵。伟大人的悲剧。

QT 25/02/2026 Wed. Matthew 19 The greatness of the little ones. The tragedy of the great ones.
READ http://www.esv.org/matthew19

In Gospel of Matthew 19, Jesus is on the move—geographically toward Jerusalem and spiritually toward the cross. “When Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there” (19:1–2, ESV). The road to Jerusalem is the road to costly obedience, and along the way Jesus re-educates His disciples in the revolutionary values of the kingdom of heaven.

(1) Marriage: Returning to the Creator’s Design (19:3–12)

When the Pharisees test Jesus about divorce, they expect Him to take sides in a contemporary debate. Instead, Jesus takes them back to the beginning. They start with Deuteronomy 24—a passage that regulates divorce in a fallen world. Jesus answers with Genesis 1–2—a passage that reveals God’s original design for marriage.

This is more than a debate about divorce. It is a lesson in how to read Scripture and how to think about ethics. Deuteronomy 24 addresses what to do when things go wrong. Genesis 1–2 shows what God intended before anything went wrong. Jesus teaches that we must not build our understanding of marriage from concession but from creation. The Pharisees ask, “What is permitted?” Jesus asks, “What was intended?”

In the kingdom of heaven, the goal is not to manage brokenness but to pursue wholeness. Legal provisions may exist because of hardness of heart, but they never redefine God’s original purpose. “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate” (19:6).

Devotional Reflection: Where do we begin our ethical thinking—with damage control or with divine design? The kingdom calls us to aim higher than mere regulation of failure. It calls us back to God’s heart.

(2) Children: The Greatness of the Little (19:13–15)

Next, children are brought to Jesus. The disciples rebuke the people—as if Jesus’ time is too valuable for the small and insignificant. But Jesus says, “Let the little children come to me… for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven” (19:14).

In a culture that valued status and strength, Jesus welcomes the dependent, the vulnerable, the unnoticed. The kingdom belongs not to the self-sufficient but to the needy.

The “little ones” are not just literal children. They represent all who come empty-handed—those who know they cannot earn or demand a place in God’s reign.

Devotional Reflection: Do we approach Christ with the humility of a child? Or do we assume our maturity, knowledge, or service gives us leverage? The kingdom is received, not achieved.

(3) Wealth: The Tragedy of the Great One (19:16–26)

Immediately after welcoming children, Jesus encounters a rich young man. If ever someone seemed like prime “kingdom material”, this was he—young, moral, serious, wealthy. Yet when Jesus calls him to sell his possessions and follow Him, the man goes away sorrowful.

Why? Because his wealth possessed him. Jesus’ shocking statement follows: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God” (19:24). The disciples are astonished: “Who then can be saved?” If the morally upright and materially blessed cannot enter, what hope is there?

Jesus’ answer is the heart of the gospel: “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (19:26). Salvation is not secured by morality, status, or prosperity. It is the miraculous work of God—the gospel.

Devotional Reflection: What is hardest for you to release in order to follow Christ—security, reputation, comfort? The kingdom demands open hands. But what we surrender cannot compare to what we receive.

(4) The Revolutionary Pattern of the Kingdom

In this chapter, Jesus overturns expectations:

• He prioritizes creation over concession.
• He elevates children over the powerful.
• He exposes the spiritual peril of wealth.

The kingdom of heaven is not built on managing sin but on restoring God’s design. It belongs not to the impressive but to the dependent. It is entered not by human qualification but by divine grace.

As Jesus moves toward Jerusalem, He is embodying the very values He teaches—faithfulness, humility, surrender. He will give up everything, even His life, so that those who come like children might inherit the kingdom.

Prayer:
Dear God, re-educate our hearts. Teach us to value what You value. Free us from hardness of heart, from pride, from false security. Make us faithful in covenant, humble as children, and willing to surrender all for the surpassing worth of knowing You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

QT 25/02/2026 星期三. 马太福音 19. 小孩子的尊贵。伟大人的悲剧。
阅读 http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/mat/19/

在马太福音第19章中，耶稣正踏上旅程——地理上朝向耶路撒冷，属灵上走向十字架。

耶稣讲完了这些话，就离开加利利，来到约旦河东的犹太境内。2 有许多人跟着他；他在那里医好了他们 (19:1-2）。

通往耶路撒冷的道路是代价高昂的顺服之路，沿途耶稣不断用天国的革命性价值观重新教导门徒。

(1) 婚姻：回归造物主的旨意（19:3-12）

法利赛人以离婚问题试探耶稣，意图引他卷入当代争论。耶稣却将他们带回创世之初。他们援引《申命记》24章——这段经文规范堕落世界中的离婚准则。耶稣则以《创世记》1-2章回应——这段经文揭示了上帝对婚姻的原始设计。

这不仅是关于离婚的辩论，更是解读圣经与思考伦理的范例。《申命记》24章处理的是事态失控后的应对之策，《创世记》1-2章则展现了万物未败坏前的神圣蓝图。耶稣教导我们：理解婚姻的根基不应建立在妥协之上，而要溯源于创造。法利赛人追问 “允许什么”，耶稣却叩问 “本意为何”。

在天国里，目标并非管理破碎，而是追求完整。律法条文或许因人心刚硬而存在，却永远无法重新定义上帝的初衷。“神所配合的，人不可分开”（19:6）。

灵修反思：我们的伦理思考从何处启程——是止损补救，还是神圣设计？天国召唤我们超越对失败的规制，召唤我们回归上帝的心意。

(2) 孩童：微小者的伟大（19:13-15）

随后，有人领孩童到耶稣面前。门徒却责备众人——仿佛耶稣的时间珍贵得不能浪费在微不足道的小孩身上。

但耶稣说：“让小孩子到我这里来，不要禁止他们，因为天国是属于这样的人的” （19:14）。

在崇尚地位与力量的文化中，耶稣接纳了那些依赖他人、脆弱无助、被人忽视的群体。天国不属于自给自足者，而是属于渴慕者。这里的“小孩子”不仅指字面意义上的孩童，更象征所有赤手空拳而来之人——那些深知自己无法靠功绩或强求在神国中立足的群体。

灵修反思：我们是否以孩童般的谦卑亲近基督？抑或自以为凭着成熟、知识或事奉就能获得优势？神的国是领受的，而非靠努力得来的。

(3) 富裕：富人的悲剧（19:16–26）

接纳孩童后，耶稣随即遇见一位年轻富翁。若说有人堪称“天国理想人选”，此人当属其一——年轻、正直、虔诚、富有。然而当耶稣呼召他变卖所有物跟随自己时，那人忧忧愁愁地走了。

为何？因财富已然桎梏了他。耶稣随即发出震撼宣言：“我又告诉你们，骆驼穿过针眼，比有钱的人进　神的国还容易呢！（19:24）。门徒惊愕发问：“这样谁能得救呢？” 若品行端正、物质丰足者尚且无门，世人还有何指望？

耶稣的回答正是福音的核心：“在人这是不能的，在　神却凡事都能（19:26）。救恩并非靠道德、地位或财富获得，乃是神的奇妙作为—藉着福音。

灵修反思：你最难放下什么来跟随基督——安全感、名声、舒适？天国要求敞开双手。但我们所舍弃的，远不及所领受的。

(4) 天国的革命性模式

本章中，耶稣颠覆了世人的期待：

• 他优先创造而非妥协
• 他尊荣孩童而非权贵
• 他揭露财富的属灵危险

天国并非建立在罪恶管理之上，而是基于恢复神的创造蓝图。它不属于耀武扬威者，而是属于全然倚靠者。进入天国的凭据不是人的资历，而是神的恩典。

当耶稣走向耶路撒冷时，祂正活出自己所教导的价值观——信实、谦卑、顺服。祂将舍弃一切，甚至自己的生命，好让那些像孩童一样前来的人得以承受天国。

祷告：
亲爱的天父，求祢重塑我们的心。教导我们珍视祢所珍视的。使我们脱离心硬、骄傲与虚假的安全感。让我们在盟约中忠信，如孩童般谦卑，甘愿为认识祢这超越一切的价值舍弃万有。奉耶稣的名求。阿们。