V1-2 – Large crowds follow Jesus wherever He goes. This is important because it shows that these people saw that there is something that Jesus could provide.
He was a unique teacher or “Rabbi” as they often called teachers of the law. He was unique because He taught with authority but apart from that, Jesus also healed them of their diseases. He is therefore also meeting their needs. As we learn in other places in the gospels, Jesus did this out of deep compassion for the people.
Preaching the gospel without also considering the immediate needs of others is not the model Jesus uses. Let’s emulate Him.
V3 – The pharisees, unlike the people/crowds above, come to Jesus trying to trap Him. This is a clear example of what it means to be wicked. These pharisees, as we always see throughout the gospels, do not have a good intention in following Jesus. Their intention is never to learn from Him or get life from Him. No, their intention is to cause bad things to happen to Him, they are interested in trapping Him. This was obviously out of jealousy and an evil spirit of competition because Jesus had the crowds, people were listening to Him and He was doing amazing miracles. Instead of being interested in knowing what makes Him this unique, the Pharisees wanted to fight Him.
It’s so unfortunate that people can think that they can trick or trap God. You can’t trick the Lord, you will only get punishment and pain from that kind of behavior.
Proverbs 26:27 NLT – If you set a trap for others, you will get caught in it yourself. If you roll a boulder down on others, it will crush you instead.
Rather than try to trick the Lord, why don’t you go to Him humbly to learn from Him?
Matthew 11:29 NIV – Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
V4-12 – The question of divorce is a big issue that many people contemplate and struggle with. People do not want to be lonely but people also don’t want to really obey God’s word. In the purest sense, Jesus is saying that Divorce is ungodly and is not right. It can only happen when there is sexual immorality and even in that case, the guilty party should not be remarried to anyone.
V13-15 – The Kingdom is for those who are like little children. Little children have hope and trust in their parents, are humble and are also very observant to see what their parents do and they copy it. There is also much more that little children are like.
May the Lord help us to be like little children in our relationship with Him. We can trust Him, obey him, and learn from Him.
This blog explains it this way:
“What are the elements of such childlike receiving?
- First, unmitigated trust. We see such trust in a baby who stands on his father’s hand high over his dad’s head—and smiles proudly.
- Second, untutored humility. Children do not engage in the various forms of pride of adulthood. Further, a little child is free from the pride of knowledge. He has no learning, no degrees to pile up before the cross. Intellectual conceit is impossible. Children are teachable too. They receive the gospel without proposing amendments to it.
- Third, untarnished receptivity. Children know how to receive a gift—they simply take it.
- Fourth, unabashed love. Children easily return love for loving gifts. Enthusiastic hugs and kisses and multiple “Thanks” are showered on the giver. And spiritually, “we love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Unabashed love is the province of those who receive the kingdom as little children.”