Matthew 19:16-30 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

Reader Related Verse
Bible Comments

The Great Refusal and the Obstacle of Riches (Mark 10:17-31 *, Luke 18:18-30). In Matthew 19:16 f. note the changes made by Mt. to avoid the saying of Jesus, as given by Mk., that only God can be called good. In Matthew 19:18 Mt. makes the inquirer ask which commandments he is to keep, and substitutes in Jesus-' reply Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself for Do not defraud. If this is correct, and the inquirer had observed this injunction with the others, he lacked nothing. Perhaps we should (with Syr. Sin.) omit What lack I yet? It is Mt. who says the inquirer was a young man (Matthew 19:20), Lk. that he was a ruler; Mt. does not care to tell us that Jesus, looking upon him, loved him. The words if thou wouldst be perfect (Mt. only) may contain nothing more than is in Mk., a contrast between Christian perfection and the inadequacy of legal observances (Loisy), or there may be here (as in Matthew 19:12) the theory of a double morality, the higher perfection of the ascetic life (Holtzmann and J. Weiss; see Montefiore, p. 695). The qualification (or the wide saying) of Mark 10:24 is omitted in Mt.; on the other hand, he gives us a new saying in Matthew 19:28 (cf. Luke 22:28 ff.), probably based on Q. There is no good reason for doubting its attribution to Jesus, although He was more prone to check than to en courage the materially Messianic ambitions of His disciples. The regeneration (Moffatt, the new world-') is a term used by Josephus to express the return from Babylon, and by Philo of the earth after the Deluge and after the coming destruction by fire.

Matthew 19:30. Perhaps a continuation of the promise in Matthew 19:29, but more likely a rebuke to Peter. It refers to rank in the Kingdom, and has no bearing on the parable that follows

Related Commentaries of Matthew 19:16

Matthew 19:16-30

16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

17 And he said unto him,Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said,Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,

19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?

21 Jesus said unto him,If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples,Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.

24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?

26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them,With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

27 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?

28 And Jesus said unto them,Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

30 But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.