Reflections on Mark 10

Mark 10 (Contemporary English Version)


1. After Jesus left, he went to Judea and then on to the other side of the Jordan River. Once again large crowds came to him, and as usual, he taught them.
   
2. Some Pharisees wanted to test Jesus. So they came up to him and asked if it was right for a man to divorce his wife.
   
3. Jesus asked them, "What does the Law of Moses say about that?"
   
4. They answered, "Moses allows a man to write out divorce papers and send his wife away."
   
5. Jesus replied, "Moses gave you this law because you are so heartless.
   
6. But in the beginning God made a man and a woman.
   
7. That's why a man leaves his father and mother and gets married.
   
8. He becomes like one person with his wife. Then they are no longer two people, but one.
   
9. And no one should separate a couple that God has joined together."
   
10. When Jesus and his disciples were back in the house, they asked him about what he had said.
    
11. He told them, "A man who divorces his wife and marries someone else is unfaithful to his wife.
    
12. A woman who divorces her husband and marries again is also unfaithful."
    
13. Some people brought their children to Jesus so that he could bless them by placing his hands on them. But his disciples told the people to stop bothering him.
    
14. When Jesus saw this, he became angry and said, "Let the children come to me! Don't try to stop them. People who are like these little children belong to the kingdom of God.
    
15. I promise you that you cannot get into God's kingdom, unless you accept it the way a child does."
    
16. Then Jesus took the children in his arms and blessed them by placing his hands on them.
    
17. As Jesus was walking down a road, a man ran up to him. He knelt down, and asked, "Good teacher, what can I do to have eternal life?"
    
18. Jesus replied, "Why do you call me good? Only God is good.
    
19. You know the commandments. 'Do not murder. Be faithful in marriage. Do not steal. Do not tell lies about others. Do not cheat. Respect your father and mother.' "
    
20. The man answered, "Teacher, I have obeyed all these commandments since I was a young man."
    
21. Jesus looked closely at the man. He liked him and said, "There's one thing you still need to do. Go sell everything you own. Give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come with me."
    
22. When the man heard Jesus say this, he went away gloomy and sad because he was very rich.
    
23. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "It's hard for rich people to get into God's kingdom!"
    
24. The disciples were shocked to hear this. So Jesus told them again, "It's terribly hard to get into God's kingdom!
    
25. In fact, it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into God's kingdom."
    
26. Jesus' disciples were even more amazed. They asked each other, "How can anyone ever be saved?"
    
27. Jesus looked at them and said, "There are some things that people cannot do, but God can do anything."
    
28. Peter replied, "Remember, we left everything to be your followers!"
    
29. Jesus told him: You can be sure that anyone who gives up home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or land for me and for the good news
    
30. will be rewarded. In this world they will be given a hundred times as many houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and pieces of land, though they will also be mistreated. And in the world to come, they will have eternal life.
    
31. But many who are now first will be last, and many who are now last will be first.
    
32. The disciples were confused as Jesus led them toward Jerusalem, and his other followers were afraid. Once again, Jesus took the twelve disciples aside and told them what was going to happen to him. He said:
    
33. We are now on our way to Jerusalem where the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses. They will sentence him to death and hand him over to foreigners,
    
34. who will make fun of him and spit on him. They will beat him and kill him. But three days later he will rise to life.
    
35. James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, will you do us a favor?"
    
36. Jesus asked them what they wanted,
    
37. and they answered, "When you come into your glory, please let one of us sit at your right side and the other at your left."
    
38. Jesus told them, "You don't really know what you're asking! Are you able to drink from the cup that I must soon drink from or be baptized as I must be baptized?"
    
39. "Yes, we are!" James and John answered. Then Jesus replied, "You certainly will drink from the cup from which I must drink. And you will be baptized just as I must!
    
40. But it isn't for me to say who will sit at my right side and at my left. That is for God to decide."
    
41. When the ten other disciples heard this, they were angry with James and John.
    
42. But Jesus called the disciples together and said: You know that those foreigners who call themselves kings like to order their people around. And their great leaders have full power over the people they rule.
    
43. But don't act like them. If you want to be great, you must be the servant of all the others.
    
44. And if you want to be first, you must be everyone's slave.
    
45. The Son of Man did not come to be a slave master, but a slave who will give his life to rescue many people.
    
46. Jesus and his disciples went to Jericho. And as they were leaving, they were followed by a large crowd. A blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus son of Timaeus was sitting beside the road.
    
47. When he heard that it was Jesus from Nazareth, he shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!"
    
48. Many people told the man to stop, but he shouted even louder, "Son of David, have pity on me!"
    
49. Jesus stopped and said, "Call him over!" They called out to the blind man and said, "Don't be afraid! Come on! He is calling for you."
    
50. The man threw off his coat as he jumped up and ran to Jesus.
    
51. Jesus asked, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man answered, "Master, I want to see!"
    
52. Jesus told him, "You may go. Your eyes are healed because of your faith." Right away the man could see, and he went down the road with Jesus.

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This chapter is about misconceptions regarding the things of God as opposed to the things of man. It opens with the example of divorce. The topic of divorce was brought to Jesus with the intent of trapping Him, but Jesus used it to point to man's reliance on his own traditions in contrast to God's commands. The Rabbinic practice of writing interpretations of the Mosaic law had in turn become the law to them. But Jesus pointed them back to scripture and to God's original intent for marriage. The leaders of Judaism had allowed their traditions to trump God's teachings and commands, but as a bases for playing hardball with Jesus, they were on unstable footing. Jesus trumped their traditions with God's Word every time.

Jesus' exchange with His disciples over the children that were being brought to Him was another example of the misconceptions concerning the things of God. They were thinking of God's kingdom from the context of earthly kingdoms. In this context, those in authority were exalted above others. Thus, those, such as children, who had no power or authority were insignificant. Jesus also corrected this misconception by telling them, "Let the little children come to Me. Don't stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I assure you: Whoever does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." God's kingdom is not built on power but on meekness. This virtue is not synonmous with weakness. It is, instead, a highly esteemed 'fruit of the Spirit.' Rather than denoting weakness, meekness is instead a strength that is controlled. So in God's kingdom, it is not the show of strength that is exalted, but the show of meekness, a display of strength under control.

Another common misconception that Jesus corrected in this chapter concerned the requirements for eternal life. The question of the man who raised this issue with Jesus was, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" It should be noted that inheriting eternal life is synonomous with entering the kingdom of God. In fact, when Jesus discussed the encounter with this man with His disciples later, His comment to them was, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" People continue to hold to these same misconceptions today. The problem is that we use the wrong paradigm in our attempt to grasp these things, using human paradigms rather than God's paradigms. We always default to a system of good deeds versus bad deeds when we think of gaining eternal life. But that is not God's system.

Another common misconception at this point is that we are all trying to get to the same place, but travel different roads to get there. This misconception assumes that the road used to attain eternal life is of little significance. What is important is that we are trying to get there. But the fatal flaw in all of this thinking is that attaining eternal life is something man does. In answer to the disciples' question, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus made it clear that nothing man does through human effort will gain him eternal life. He said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God, because all things are possible with God." All we can do is place ourselves at God's disposal. He takes care of the rest. Since this means not only agreeing with God about eternal life but also about the present life, many do not like this concept.

A final example in this chapter of common misconceptions is given in verses 35-45, though this is not the first time Jesus addressed this subject. James and John approached Jesus with the request that they each be given positions of authority in His new kingdom. One of them would be on His right, and the other on His left. Again, Jesus told them that good standing in His kingdom was not about position but about service. "Whoever wants to be first among you," He said, "must be a slave to all."