Chapter 10

Read Mark 10:1-12; Jesus teaches on Divorce

Jesus and the disciples go to Judea. As usual a crowd gathers. In the crowd were Pharisees that were always trying to trap Jesus with questions. The Pharisees challenged Jesus with one of their laws, but Jesus gave them a Kingdom answer in verses 4-9…

⁴ They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”

⁵ “It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. ⁶ “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ⁷ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, ⁸ and the two will become one flesh.’ So, they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹ Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

In verses 10-12 Jesus finishes the teaching with His disciples…

¹⁰ When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. ¹¹ He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. ¹² And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”

Read Mark 9:13-31; The Kingdom verses The Law

The next two teachings back-to-back are powerful. The faith of a child verses following the letter of the Law. The disciples, assuming a child could not understand Jesus teaching, tried to send the children away from Jesus. Jesus teaches the disciples a deep truth in verse 14…

¹⁴He said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Until we have the faith of a child, we will never know true peace. With their innocence, these children only knew they were in the presence of a very loving man and felt very safe. So are we, if we have the faith of a child.

Verses 17-22 tell a different story. A rich young man, trying to justify himself, asked what he should do to inherit eternal life. He tells Jesus he has kept all the commandments since he was a boy. We all justify the things we do. I doubt seriously he never told a lie or took something that wasn’t his. How many times have we thought what we did wasn’t “that bad”. Then Jesus tells him what was really standing between himself and heaven in 21-22…

 ²¹ Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” He said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”

²² At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

The man wasn’t looking for a life change, just a recognition he had followed all the rules. Remember Peter is recalling this 30 years later. Verse 21 says “Jesus looked at him and loved him”. Peter must have been touched deeply to remember that look 30 years later.

Then in verses 23-24 Jesus shocks the disciples…

 ²³ Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!”

²⁴ The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God! ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.”

The more of this world you have, the more it has you. Conversely, the more of the Kingdom you have, the more it has you. Where we spend our time and resources tells the story. 

Again, in verse 34 Jesus predicts His death and resurrection. Starting to think about the coming Kingdom, James and John ask for the two highest seats of honor in His Kingdom. The other ten became indignant. Jesus once again clarifies what it means to be a leader in the Kingdom in verse 45…

⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

The chapter finishes with another miracle, healing of blind Bartimaeus. It is interesting that Peter calls him by name, although it doesn’t tell us how Peter knew his name. When Bartimaeus heard Jesus was passing by he called to Jesus, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me”. Verse 51-52 tell the story of his healing…

⁵¹ “What do you want Me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.

The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

⁵² “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

Bartimaeus became a follower. That is probably how Peter discovered his name.