Begin with 2 minutes of stillness and silence before God.

Well, those Pharisees were at it again! They were trying to trap and trick Jesus by having Him choose sides in a theological controversy. The Pharisees asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?” Jesus chose to focus on marriage rather than divorce in His response. He spoke of God’s intention for marriage from the beginning of creation. Since the Pharisees couldn’t argue against that point, they asked a second question. “Why then did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?” Again, Jesus is straightforward in His response in verse 8, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.” Moses instituted some civil laws designed especially to protect the women who, in that culture, were quite vulnerable when living alone. Because of Moses’ law, a man could no longer just throw his wife out - he had to write a formal letter of dismissal. This was a radical step toward civil rights. Jesus also spoke about singleness. He pointed out that there are good reasons not to marry, one of which being full-time service and work for God’s Kingdom. Whether to marry or remain single is a huge life decision that you can bring to the Lord in prayer. I believe that’s what our Heavenly Father really wants us to do - talk to Him about everything.

Next, we find Jesus talking to a rich young man. This man asked Jesus, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to have eternal life?” After discussing the commandments and this young man’s obedience to them, Jesus dropped a bomb! He told this man to “...sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” This rich young man walked away from Jesus. He wouldn’t give up his earthly treasures to follow Him. God may not ask you to sell everything you own to follow Him but He asks that we have a humble heart that is willing to give it all up for His sake and His Kingdom. If we can hold loosely the things of this world, we make room for the Holy Spirit to guide us towards righteousness. Jesus turned the world’s values upside down saying “But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” With God it isn’t a matter of wealth or status, rather it’s a matter of the heart.

I’ll leave you with some lyrics from "Stand", a Newsboys song: 

“What kind of heart do I have in my chest?
Does it beat for my Savior or just for my flesh?
So what kind of person do I want to be?
Am I committed to you or committed to me?
I’m gonna stand
In a world that’s breaking
Stand for a truth unchanging
I’m not ashamed I’ve considered the cost
I’ll stay right here at the foot of the cross
And Stand!”

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence. 

Reflection:

• Throughout the Bible we see Jesus respond to the trouble-makers of the world, including Satan, with the truth of God’s Word. Think about how you might respond to trials and tricksters in your life as Jesus did.
  
• As you talk with the Lord, ask Him to lead you to verses and stories in the Bible that will help you access God’s power to fight. Ephesians 6:17 says, “... and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” His Word is our weapon!
  
• Keep your heart open to ways that you can put God first each day. What is something you can sacrifice to give God your full attention and devotion?
  
• Prayer: Dear Lord, we are grateful for Your concern over the hearts of Your people. You desire for us to experience the fullness of Your love, grace, and mercy. You want us to live rightly so that we may draw closer to You and lead others to abundant life in Jesus. Help us to be committed to You over ourselves. Please be our strength so that we can stand when the world is shaking. In the unshakeable Name of Jesus. Amen.