For there are eunuchs who were born that way; others were made that way by men; and still others live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven’s sake. He who is able to receive it, let him receive it.”For 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.For there are eunuchs, that were so born from their mother’s womb: and there are eunuchs, that were made eunuchs by men: and there are eunuchs, that made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.
3 sermons cite this verse
… him, if such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry. But he said to them, not everyone can receive this saying, but only to those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this, receive it. All right, let's think together about the word of Christ. and I invite you to follow along in those notes that hopefully you received when you came in. Let's hear four truths and then think about what Jesus' word means for our lives. Truth number one, God created marriage. God created marriage. This is where Jesus starts. When he's asked about marriage and divorce, he says in verse four, have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female and said, therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. …
… Follow this, verse 12, there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men. And there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it. What Jesus is saying here, the disciples come to Him and say after their conversation about divorce and marriage, well maybe it's just better for somebody not to marry. And Jesus basically shocks them and looks back at them and says, well yeah, maybe. Because there are some, obviously, who are not reproducing eunuchs. This picture because it's been taken from them, but there are some who choose to basically remain single without physical reproduction. Obviously, the picture here is marriage under God is the divinely designed way for physical reproduction to happen. That there are some who will choose to be single for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. And so Jesus is basically turning this picture in a sense on a sign. …
… his response. He said, not everybody can receive that saying, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth. There are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men. And there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. let the one who is able to receive this receive it. Like the whole picture here is not just talking about physical eunuch, it's talking about singleness. And it's saying, Jesus is saying, it's good to be single for the sake of the kingdom. And the disciples were shocked. This was revolutionary. In the Old Testament, God's people multiplied almost exclusively through marriage and children. But now in the New Testament, the kingdom of heaven is expanding regardless of whether you're single or married? All that leads to 1 Corinthians, where Paul opens chapter 7, and look at what he writes. Now concerning the matters about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman. So follow this, because sexual relations are designed by God for marriage. …