Matthew 17-19

• Jesus says our (level of) faith can affect how we serve the Lord. The disciples faced problems (17:20)
• First time Jesus fortells of his death (v22-23)
• It appears to suggest that Jesus, and disciples being citizens need not pay tax (v26), but because Jesus has a much bigger plan to achieve, he told Simon to just pay and not fuss.

• Jesus did not even address there question yet. He addressed a more important question: can you make it into heaven (18:1-3)
• We must humble ourselves first and not think we know it all.
• We are to lead a good example for the young (perhaps both in a spiritual and physical sense) (v6)
• Stop the actions that lead you to sin (v7-8)
• God not only gives those who have sinned a chance, but also proactively goes and brings them back (v12-14)
• How to deal with disputes within God's family (v15-17)
• Forgiveness (v21-35): seventy times seven, and remember to forgive the way God has forgiven us for he wrongs we have done.

• Divorce: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery (19:9)
• A few chosen that would be better not to marry (v10-12)
• Did the disciples just forget? In beginning of Chapter 18, Jesus welcomes the little children, and now they in rebuke! (v13)
• The rich man (v16-23): He realises that something needs to be done (asks what good things needs to be done for eternal life); finds out he keeps the commandments already. Realises if that was the case, he has done it already, but he knows this is not the crux of it (v20 - what do I still lack? he asks)
• Jesus then focuses on the crux of it: let go of what appears to be the most important to him - the monies that he possess, AND FOLLOW HIM. (v21)
• Many are often like the young man, very rich and satisfied with what we have in our lives now. We do what is morally good, but when it comes to the crunch, it is hard to forego what you have for the sake of Jesus.
• "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" (v24)