Memory Text: John 7:46 NIV “"No one ever spoke the way this man does," the guards declared.”

Sunday – About Marriage and Abstinence
Matthew 19:3-12 God’s Word to the Nations “3 ¶ Some Pharisees came to test him. They asked, "Can a man divorce his wife for any reason?" 4 Jesus answered, "Haven’t you read that the Creator made them male and female in the beginning 5 and that he said, ‘That’s why a man will leave his father and mother and will remain united with his wife, and the two will be one’? 6 So they are no longer two but one. Therefore, don’t let anyone separate what God has joined together." 7 The Pharisees asked him, "Why, then, did Moses order a man to give his wife a written notice to divorce her?" 8 Jesus answered them, "Moses allowed you to divorce your wives because you’re heartless. It was never this way in the beginning. 9 I can guarantee that whoever divorces his wife for any reason other than her unfaithfulness is committing adultery if he marries another woman." 10 The disciples said to him, "If that is the only reason a man can use to divorce his wife, it’s better not to get married." 11 He answered them, "Not everyone can do what you suggest. Only those who have that gift can. 12 For example, some men are celibate because they were born that way. Others are celibate because they were castrated. Still others have decided to be celibate because of the kingdom of heaven. If anyone can do what you’ve suggested, then he should do it."”
Matthew 19:11-12 NLT “11 "Not everyone can accept this statement," Jesus said. "Only those whom God helps. 12 Some are born as eunuchs, some have been made that way by others, and some choose not to marry for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let anyone who can, accept this statement."”
Matthew 19:12 COMMENTARY THE FOURFOLD GOSPEL The Scripture everywhere treats of celibacy as a difficult problem, and the teaching is this: When any in the kingdom of heaven feel called to such extreme labors therein as render marriage impracticable (Ac 13:2 1Co 9:4,5), they are permitted to abstain from marriage; and when seasons of persecution seriously interfere with the regular order and course of life among Christians, they may find it expedient to live as eunuchs.

Monday – About Forgiveness
Matthew 18:21-22 Twentieth Century NT “21 ¶ Then Peter came up, and said to Jesus: "Master, how often am I to forgive my Brother when he wrongs me? As many as seven times?" 22 But Jesus answered: "Not seven times, but ‘seventy times seven.’”
Matthew 18:21 COMMENTARY BY ADAM CLARKE It was a maxim among the Jews never to forgive more than thrice: Peter enlarges this charity more than one half; and our Lord makes even his enlargement septuple, see Mt 18:22. Revenge is natural to man, i.e. man is naturally a vindictive being, and, in consequence, nothing is more difficult to him than forgiveness of injuries.

Tuesday – About Wealth and Giving
Luke 12:32-34 “32 My little group of disciples, don’t be afraid! Your Father wants to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell what you have and give the money to the poor. Make yourselves moneybags that never wear out. Make sure your treasure is safe in heaven, where thieves cannot steal it and moths cannot destroy it. 34 Your heart will always be where your treasure is.”
Luke 12:33 COMMENTARY BY WILLIAM BURKITT The next duty which our Saviour exhorts his disciples to, is the duty of alms-giving; that they should be so far from distrusting God's provisions for themselves, that they should be always forward to a ready distribution towards others; yea, in cases of necessity, to be willing to sell their goods to relieve others: yet this precept is not to be taken as if it concerned all persons, at all times, and in all places; but respects only cases of extreme necessity; or if it concerns all, it is only as to the readiness and preparation of the mind; that when necessity calls for it, we be found willing to part with any thing we have for the relief of Christ in his members.

Wednesday – About Perfection
Matthew 5:48 KJ21 “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father who is in Heaven is perfect.”
Matthew 5:48 COMMENTARY BY ALBERT BARNES he concludes this part of the discourse by commanding his disciples to be perfect. This word commonly means finished, complete, pure, holy. Originally it is applied to a piece of mechanism, as a machine that is complete in its parts. Applied to men, it refers to completeness of parts, or perfection, when no part is defective or wanting.
Contrasting Statements on Perfection:
Group A: Matthew 10:34-39 NKJV “34 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 "For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 "and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his [own] household.’ 37 "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.”
Luke 14:26-27 NKJV “26 "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 "And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”
Group B: Matthew 7:7-11 NIV “7 ¶ "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
Luke 11:9-13 NIV “9 "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"”
Group C: Matthew 5:48 Williams NT “So you, my followers, ought to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is."”
Luke 6:32-36 Williams NT “32 Now if you practice loving only those who love you, what credit do you get for that? Why, even notorious sinners practice loving those who love them. 33 And if you practice doing good only to those who do good to you, what credit do you get for that? Even notorious sinners practice the same. 34 And if you ever lend to people expecting to get it back, what credit do you get for that? Even notorious sinners practice lending to one another, expecting to get it back in full. 35 But you must practice loving your enemies, doing good to them, and lending to them, despairing of nothing; so that your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Continue to be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

Thursday – About Family
Matthew 10:34-37 MKJV “34 Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth. I did not come to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a man’s foes [shall be] those of his [own] household. 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”
Matthew 10:35 PEOPLE’S NEW TESTAMENT COMMENTARY This was not the Savior's object, but the effect. The conversion of individual members of the family would cause variance. In nearly all quarrels, except those about religion, the members of the same family stand together, but in religious feuds the family circle is often broken and its parts arrayed against each other.
Matthew 12:46-59 MKJV “46 ¶ But while He yet talked with the people, behold, [His] mother and His brothers stood outside, desiring to speak with Him. 47 Then one said to Him, Behold, Your mother and Your brothers stand outside, desiring to speak with You. 48 And He answered and said to him who told Him, Who is My mother? And who are My brothers? 49 And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, Behold, My mother and My brothers! 50 For whoever shall do the will of My Father in Heaven, the same is My brother and sister and mother.”
Matthew 12:49 COMMENTARY ROBERTSON NT WORD PICTURES Jesus loved his mother and brothers, but they were not to interfere in his Messianic work.
Luke 9:59-62 MKJV “59 And He said to another, Follow Me! But he said, Lord, first allow me to go and bury my father. 60 Jesus said to him, Let the dead bury their dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God. 61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow You, but first allow me to take leave of those in my house. 62 And Jesus said to him, No one, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Luke 9:59 COMMENTARY GENEVA BIBLE NOTES The calling of God ought to be preferred without any question, before all duties that we owe to men.
Luke 12:49-53 MKJV “49 I have come to send fire on the earth. And what will I do if it is already kindled? 50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how I am pressed down until it is accomplished! 51 Do you suppose that I have come to give peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division. 52 For from now on, there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. 53 The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
Luke 12:51 COMMENTARY ROBERTSON’S NT WORD PICTURES Peace at any price is not the purpose of Christ. It is a pity for family jars to come, but loyalty to Christ counts more than all else…These family feuds are inevitable where only part cleave to Christ.
Luke 14:26 MKJV “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and his [own] life also, he cannot be My disciple.”
Luke 14:26 COMMENTARY BY ALBERT BARNES The word hate, here, means simply to love less….We are not at liberty literally to hate our parents. This would be expressly contrary to the fifth commandment. See also Eph 6:1-3; Col 3:20. But we are to love them less than we love Christ; we are to obey Christ rather than them; we are to be willing to forsake them if he calls us to go and preach his gospel; and we are to submit, without a murmur, to him when he takes them away from us.