10 His disciples said to Him, “If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” 11 But He said to them, “All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: 12 For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it.”
19:10
His disciples said to Him, “If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.”
The disciples assumed that, since Jesus’ view of divorce was so strict (except for immorality), it would be better not to marry in the first place. They thought that Jesus viewed marriage as a burden rather than a blessing, and that it should be avoided altogether.
Divorce was widespread in Jewish culture of their day.
19:11
But He said to them, “All cannot accept this saying [it is not good to marry], but only those to whom it has been given:
Remaining unmarried is not the general rule. Singleness has its own problems and is given only those committed to celibacy. Jesus Himself never married.
The word “accept” means to make room for, to make space for. Not many people can make space for singleness in their lives. A single life can be very lonely.
19:12
For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it.”
Jesus did not place celibacy over marriage by this statement but simply explained the reasons why some are celibate:
Some are born eunuchs because they have no capacity for reproduction.
Others are castrated.
Some make themselves eunuchs for the kingdom.
Those with the capacity for singleness can remain single.
PRINCIPLE:
Marriage takes self-sacrifice and self-giving to be satisfying.
APPLICATION:
Solid marriage rests on permanent and unconditional commitment to one’s spouse. Romance may fade but commitment should not. Romantic relationships can be superficial, so people who live by running from one romance to another end in a vacuum. With each fling, the romance becomes less satisfying. This ultimately ends in disillusion and emptiness.
Only the committed marriage is an enduring entity. There is no sound reason for avoiding a committed marriage.
Should a person who commits themself to celibacy take a public vow? Is personal prefernce, as opposed to ‘the kingdom of heaven’s sake,’ a reasonable excuse for choosing celibacy?
Justin, there is no New Testament statement about taking a public vow re celibacy. Some churches teach a vow of celibacy but it is not based on biblical evidence. Jesus’ point in this study is simply that two groups take two different approaches to celibacy for the purpose of dealing with their personal discipline. The third person has no physical capacity for sex from birth.