Faith Daily Lectio Wednesday, October 28, 2026 Gospel
Wednesday, October 28, 2026 · Wednesday in the week of the Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 25); St. Simon and St. Jude, Apostles
Gospel
Oratio (prayer)
Lord Jesus, You bless marriage and You welcome little children. Send Your Holy Spirit as I read Matthew 19, that I may hear Your Word with a humble heart and come to You as a child. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Meditatio (meditation)
Matthew 19:1-15
1And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan;
2And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.
3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
4And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
5And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
6Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
7They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
8He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
9And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
10 His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.
11But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.
12For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother’s womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.
13 Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.
14But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
15And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.
Consider even rereading in another translation.
You could also consider listening to this chapter, narrated:
KJV (Max McLean) · ESV (Max McLean) · NIV (dramatized)
You might read the whole reading slowly, aloud, more than once.
Consider this verse, for example:
“What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” (Matthew 19:6)
What other lines speak to you?
Jesus leaves Galilee and comes into Judaea beyond Jordan, and great multitudes follow Him. The Pharisees test Him with a question about divorce. Jesus takes them back to the beginning, when God made them male and female and joined man and wife as one flesh. Moses allowed a writing of divorcement because of the hardness of their hearts, but from the beginning it was not so. Then little children are brought to Him, and when the disciples rebuke them, Jesus welcomes them and lays His hands on them.
The Law The Pharisees ask whether a man may put away his wife "for every cause" (v. 3). Jesus answers with God's design: "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder" (v. 6). He names the real trouble, "the hardness of your hearts" (v. 8). Married or single, we all have hearts like that, hearts that look for a way out of God's Word rather than a way into it. The disciples show it too, when they rebuke the children who are brought to Jesus.
The Gospel Jesus does not leave hard hearts where He finds them. He came to bear our sin, our broken promises included, and to make us His own. He is the Bridegroom who never puts away His bride, the Church. And He says, "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven" (v. 14). The kingdom is not earned. It is received, as a child receives a gift. In your Baptism Jesus welcomed you in just this way, and He keeps you as His own.
Prayer Lord Jesus, I confess the hardness of my heart, and the ways I have looked for loopholes in Your Word. Forgive me. Bless marriages, comfort those whose homes are broken, and keep me as Your child. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Tentatio (trial)
Many carry wounds from broken marriages and broken homes, their own or in their families, and this text can feel heavy. Under trial it may help to read on to the children, whom Jesus does not send away, and to notice that "he laid his hands on them" (v. 15). His welcome is for you too. A burden like this may also be worth bringing to your pastor.
Prayer Lord Jesus, You know the wounds I carry from broken promises. Heal me, forgive me, and hold me close as Your own child. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Scripture quotations are from the King James Version.
My church home: Peace Lutheran Church, McMurray, PA. Looking for a church? See About Daily Lectio.
