The Testimony of others. Mark 9:37. “Who soever shall receive one of such children in My name, receiveth Me; and whosoever shall receive Me, receiveth not Me, but Him that sent Me.”
The Testimony of the Father [v.1-10] The Testimony of John [v.11-13] The Testimony of His power over darkness [v.14-29] The Testimony of His Words [v.30-32] The Testimony of a child [v.33-50]
The Father had spoken with words from heaven and the disciples were trembling, fearing to die because they were on holy ground. The mountain was holy, for on that high place, two prophets of old came to earth to speak face-to-face with the Lord. He was transfigured, and even His clothing was so white the sunlight seemed dimmer. Many years later, remembering that sight; John wrote of His glory, His grace, and His truth. John had been at the mountain, the cross, and the tomb and the impression that was left deeply carved on his mind was – “Jesus only!”
Elias had come, but they didn’t know him. He came out of the desert with warnings for men. He warned them of sin, and wrath to come. He preached repentance and turning away from the wrongs they had done. He told of Messiah, the One promised by God. John, that faithful forerunner, laid down his life for the truth that he told. We remember John’s message of warnings and pleas to repent but of all that John said, most remembered are these words. “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world,” when he saw – “Jesus coming unto him.”
The powers of darkness have so many faces we can’t always discern them but their presence is felt in so many places. There are pressures and pain, there is suffering and fear because where the powers of darkness are, Satan is near. There are lies and deceit, and all that brings down men and women who never accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. When the Son of God comes, the darkness must flee for cleansing, forgiving, and saving will be given to those who in their deep need, feel the power of His touch - “When Jesus took him by the hand.”
It’s strange about words because all that is said is often not what’s expected and is misunderstood. When Jesus taught His disciples, they couldn’t believe that the One who could save others, Himself would not save. It is never an option to question God’s Word. If you don’t “get it” now, maybe later you will. There is no need to rebuke others because they’re not “with us.” Just tell the truth clearly, and it will always do what He wants it to do, in His own special time – and so – “Jesus said, ‘Forbid him not.’”
And the young children, what about them? Are they important, can they bring glory to Him? A thousand times “Yes,” because they are trusting so that when Jesus bids them to come to Him, they do what He says. They’re not innocent nor guileless but are quick to believe. When He shows interest in them, they want to receive Him who calls them with love – and they willingly come. So too, all others who receive them, He welcomes. The Father is received by each one who responds as Jesus did – “Suffer the children to come to Me.”
MARK 10 The period of time between the end of chapter nine and the events in chapter ten was likely six months or more. During that time our Lord Jesus Christ had gone to Jerusalem for a feast day and spent time in Judea before going to Perea. He had been probably around three months on the “other side of Jordan” in Perea when the Pharisees who had been following Him posed the question about divorce. They had been continually looking for a way to condemn the Lord and have Him legally put to death. The events in this chapter would have taken place around the end of those three months.
There are three important principles the Lord Jesus Christ dealt with in this chapter. The first has to do with natural relationships in human beings that are established by God for the welfare and blessings of mankind. The point is made that marriage is respectable and a God-appointed state for human happiness and the propagation of the human race within divinely appointed guidelines. Then it is made plain that children are recognized and considered by God to be as important as adults. They are not non-entity to be discarded at will because they interfere with the plans of the father and mother. As a last point made in this first principle, the uprightness of life lived as God intends, is recognized by Him.
The second principle addressed in this chapter is that the first one has been corrupted by human sin. The marriage relationship has been marred by the hardness of human hearts. Children are considered of lesser value as human beings than adults, and mere human integrity and earthly possessions separate people from God. Those very things can keep them from entering the kingdom of God.
The third principle that cannot be avoided is that because of human sin and failure, those who are willing to turn in repentance and faith to the Lord Jesus Christ and follow Him are going to suffer. In spite of wealth, a person who follows the Lord must take up the cross of identification with Him, face persecution in this world, and be prepared to take the low place now in view of the world to come. Our Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Perfect Servant, exemplified all of these things when He was here. We are to follow in His steps.
God’s Plan for Marriage, v.1-12 God Himself brought Eve to Adam at the beginning of the human race. She was a help suitable to him. Compatibility was made possible because of the differences in the body and soul of males and females. Both of those human characteristics are unique within the gender differences, and when put together, make a far more complete oneness than is possible in the state of being single. “Marriage is honorable, and the bed undefiled.”
Among people in the past, and it is rampant today; frivolous divorce had become popular among one sect of the Jews. Those who followed the teaching of Hillel practiced trivial divorce shamelessly. Those who followed the teaching of Shammai permitted divorce only for adultery. Adultery was cause for death by stoning according to the law of Moses, and the Pharisees had brought a woman to Jesus with that very accusation. He didn’t make an exception then but stated the way that the stoning law was to be carried out. Now, they were trying to trap the Lord into taking sides against divorce, likely hoping that Herod, who was the ruler in Perea and who had divorced his wife, would imprison Jesus, and He would be put to death like John.
The Lord Jesus exposed the hardness of the hearts of those who questioned Him, by asking them a simple question, “What did Moses command you?” He made Moses’ command not only from a position of authority but He made it personal to them. The point of the matter, in this case, is that the law is given to show us how far short we come of what God intends. “By the law is the knowledge of sin.” The commands of God are clear! It wasn’t a matter of what Moses allowed but what the command said.
We have all sinned, “and come short of the glory of God.” We are all guilty before God, and everyone’s mouth is stopped before divine holiness. Commands from God reveal God’s heart for mankind. He wants us to share eternal life, in all its holiness, with Him. The precepts of divorce were to deal with the hearts of sinful people in all their hardness and willfulness. There never has been a question that God hates divorce. His intention is that marriage between a man and a woman be for life. It has never been God’s will that people divorce, but people do divorce.
The solemnity of marriage was further developed by the Lord when He talked with His disciples privately in the house. To indulge in adultery is to go into a most degrading sin. The mixing of human seed was forbidden, and the consequences were that it had to be stopped completely. Divorce is wrong because it severs a union that was initiated by God. It is for that reason that we read in Matthew’s Gospel that there is one exception for divorce. The fact that Moses insisted on having a certificate of divorce written would give them a fair amount of time to reconsider what a person was doing and what was the real cause of the problem.
To take the time to write out a problem and then define it in as precise terms as possible is probably close to ninety percent of solving the problem. There are psychological and spiritual bonds in a marriage as well as physical bonds. Breaking those bonds has lasting effects that change one’s emotional and spiritual outlook on life, as well as physical distancing from one another. The damage caused will not be entirely removed. The physical distance is dealt with far easier than the emotional and spiritual distance that stays with a divorced person for life.
“…BUT ONE, THAT IS GOD.” THE PHARISEES AND MARRIAGE: it has always been a way for men to complicate what God’s intention is in a matter. It is clear that God intends marriage to be for life. It is clear that He intends all vows to be kept. It is clear that marriage is to be one man to one woman. The facts are, that not all of God’s intentions are kept. His desire is not always fulfilled in any area of life. The standard remains because it is sinless. Sinful man has never, since the fall in Eden, kept all that God intends.
THE DISCIPLES AND YOUNG CHILDREN: too often we overlook the value of simplicity. Children can be hard on each other, vindictive, and just plain mean. But that doesn’t last as it does in adults. In the presence of One who is sinless, they had no trouble responding to His interest. They knew that He cared for them. I, too, will find that if I truly care for children, they will respond to me and my interest in teaching them God’s truth.
THE RICH YOUNG MAN AND HIS POSSESSIONS: there are serious barriers in life that hinder people from getting God’s blessings. To those of us who do not have a lot of things that we hang on to, it seems like this young man must have been an extremely self-centered person. The truth is if there is anything that I am holding on to and claiming it is mine; that is a hindrance to my spiritual life with Christ, just as it keeps an unbeliever from Christ.
PETER AND FOLLOWING CHRIST: when it comes to the paltry things that we claim and then say we give up for the Lord, it really doesn’t amount to much. And yet, even the little that we do forfeit is recognized in a positive way by the Lord. He promised so much in return when we gave so little. How humbling is His grace! God knows.
THE SAVIOR AND HIS SUFFERING: this is the third time in three successive chapters that the Lord speaks clearly of His coming sufferings at the hands of men, His death on the cross, and His resurrection. Yet, the disciples didn’t really grasp what He was saying. This is not uncommon among us today. We can read and hear spoken about, things that are important to God, but if they don’t fit our preconceived ideas of what should be, we reject or ignore them.
THE SONS OF ZEBEDEE AND THE KINGDOM: the promises that relate to the future always intrigue us. We wonder what it’s going to be like, and in a way, like James and John, we wonder where we will fit and what we will be involved in. In a way, I don’t fault them. The Lord didn’t rebuke them but reminded them that there are things we don’t need to know now. What He did though, was to use the situation as a “teaching moment.” He explained the fact that things are different in God’s kingdom. To serve our Lord is the highest privilege of all in God’s kingdom.
BARTIMAEUS AND THE SON OF DAVID: this blind man knew his history. He knew that the One who could do what Jesus did was no ordinary Jew, and yet He was one of their own. David’s Son was God’s chosen One. Insight like this is not always seen among those who are apparently not in the mainstream of society. It may be there are more insightful people around us than we realize. May we bring them to Jesus rather than ignore them.
From distant places or close by, those who are willing to come to Jesus, He bids draw near. The teaching He gave them is the same for us; mean what you say when you’re making a vow. Don’t say one thing and mean another. Whether it is to your wife or your sister and brother that you make a promise, God sees and hears if your word is true. Never blame another if the fault is in you.
“Jesus loves the little children,” v.13-16 When God created human beings, the family was the social structure He had in mind for maintaining order and promoting happiness. That purpose still remains. With the breakdown of family structure and order, society is deteriorating to such an extent and so rapidly, that there is no way to stop it. God’s intention is that He is the Father and we are His children in an intact “family of God.” We are known by our association with Him. This will continue in the future when our Lord Jesus Christ is the Bridegroom, and the church is the Bride of Christ. So, the order of events in Mark ten, indicates the Lord Jesus is the defender of women and children as the head of a family defends those who belong to him.
The Lord is the defender of the woman in the matter of divorce and of little children in family life. Both women and children were very marginalized in pagan families, and that attitude had been taken by Jewish men with hard hearts. In some cases, women and children were overlooked and ignored, because they were considered insignificant in pagan societies. That led to abuses to where even Romans considered the murder of a man to be a capital crime but to kill one’s own child, to be “a beautiful action.” (Quintillian). Even among the Jews who had a different ethical perspective because of the law of God given to Moses, women, and children were of lesser importance than the male members of a family, at least in the eyes of the male members.
Children are never to be despised. It is our responsibility to teach them how to live. They listen and generally trust what their parents say to them. Those who enter the kingdom of heaven must come with child-like trust. The Lord Jesus urges us to let the children come to Him, and for those who will come, He will receive everyone. He didn’t only touch them but took them in His embrace and blessed both the old and young with His abounding grace.
In this brief event, we see the Lord Jesus changing the whole outlook of those disciples who followed Him then, and who do today. As the powerful defender of the weak, He insisted that little children be allowed to come to Him without restrictions. The Lord is concerned about all areas of domestic life, including respect for women and children. Their equality in personhood in the kingdom of God is clearly stated, and their equal value by God is certainly implied in this incident. “Whoever” and “little children” are equal in the eyes of our Lord and in His kingdom. The family institution, in God’s eyes, is composed of people of equal worth. Consequently, family life needs to be defended against the social and worldly points of view. The integrity of family ties has to be defended against frivolous and self-seeking attitudes that cause the disintegration of the God-designed, first and last, human social unit in His sovereign plan.
Parents brought their children to Jesus so that He might “touch” them. That didn’t seem to mean they needed His healing touch as much as His sanctifying touch. They wanted their children blessed by God Himself. The people of Perea would have been looked down on by the critical Pharisees who had come to try to trap Jesus in some legal matter. Pereans were part Jewish and part Gentile. As far as the proud orthodox Jews were concerned, they were pagans. For those parents to “offer” their children to Jesus to have Him “touch” them, was to give Him the highest respect possible. They knew who He was and wanted their children blessed by Him.
It is a critical and all-important duty of parents, to make sure their children get to Jesus. Their health, education, welfare, and full preparation for living successfully in this world, have become an obsession with many short-sighted parents. Worldly success is what they want for their children. They arrange as much as possible for the prosperity and reputation of their children, but many never consider the spiritual needs of their children to be important. In fact, some will say, “We will let them make up their own minds about what they believe. If they want to believe in God, that’s up to them. If they want to follow the Bible or some other book, that’s their choice.” The children are left with no foundation on which to build a life, and as a result, the moral, ethical, and spiritual bankruptcy they live in, leaves them without guidelines for living. The outcome of that is family disintegration, moral degradation, and intellectual frustration, and they end up living without purpose and dying without hope.
The first and most important duty of parents is to offer their children to God. Children can come to Christ at a very young age. Their minds and lives are not complicated and filled with sinful, worldly things if they are guarded and guided by spiritually alive parents. Unrestrained watching of television, computer games, and morally questionable children’s books, can lead young children into a sinful mindset and world-view very quickly.
The Lord Jesus was the children’s Friend. He took them up in His arms with compassion, care, and love. In a deliberate act of grace, He “laid His hands on them and blessed them.” How good are those words, “For of such is the kingdom of heaven!” There is no contempt or neglect in those words. The value of women and children is a unique feature of biblical Christianity. There is no blending of the sexes or of the roles each is to fill in life. We are made suitable by the sovereign will of God, to be who we are and do what we are empowered to accomplish. The helplessness and dependence of children on their parents is the example the Lord used as to our condition in relation to the kingdom of God. We must place complete and whole-hearted trust in our Lord Jesus Christ alone, in order to enter the kingdom of God.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Those who enter the kingdom of God humbly receive the gift God offers, with thankful hearts. There is nothing we do on our part that can add to that gift that has been provided for us at the highest possible cost to Him. As people get older, they respond very differently to gifts than children do. Children take people at their word when a gift is given to them. Usually, there are no questions asked by the children on their birthday or Christmas, as to whether the gift with their name on it is for them. They accept it as belonging to them although it was paid for by someone else. I don’t think I have ever heard a child ask their parents if they can help them pay for the gift they have been given. When their name is on the package, that is all the incentive they need to hurry and open it.
This is the way God intends sinners to come to Christ. Gladly, thankfully, and with an optimistic faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, a sinner turns and comes to Jesus. It is then the cleansing power of the blood of Christ becomes real to the one being blessed with the gift of eternal life. When we take gratefully what God has provided and freely gives; we find eternal life to be far more to us now than we had ever anticipated. Old things pass away, and all things become new. Love for God and the Lord Jesus Christ is real to us. We find ourselves loving our Lord Jesus Christ and His people as natural and normal without having to remind ourselves to love. When we are begotten of God, love is a normal thing in a newborn child of God.
There is a new and real joy in our being loved by God and knowing it to be true. It is not just merely a fact, but it becomes an emotion to us as well, when we live in the good of the love of God being demonstrated in many ways in our lives. There is something instilled in us by the Spirit of God that makes us want to tell others about this wonderful gift we have received, in the same way, a child wants to tell and show his friends the special gift he/she has received from loved ones.
The example of a child coming to Christ is clearly suited to the needy person who comes to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. When there is nothing we can do to deal with our own sin, and we are willing to admit that, the Lord is waiting to give us what He can only give: the gift of eternal life. In our need and guilt, He is willing to give us the “touch” of forgiveness. That assures us He truly cares for us. There is still more. He blesses us with all spiritual blessings and gives us a place near Him. Consequently, “the things of earth grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”
I know I have not always been the proper embodiment of fatherhood. Because of my impatience, busyness, and self-will, my children were waiting for me. When I finally did appear, later than I should have, and sought to impress them that to me they were dear, I think they felt less than important because of my neglect or ways of deportment.
I am glad God saved them by His grace when they were young. It is evident to me that in their lives, faith has a place for they do have a desire to serve Thee and make Thy name known. To their own children, the way to God they have shown. I pray God will give them wisdom and grace and fill them with faith so, they will seriously want to do what the scriptures of truth teach. Perhaps their own families behind them may teach their own children the way to God for themselves and generations yet to come will love God.
I am vaguely content that, in some small way, I have tried with my wife to show them something each day that would recommend to them this wonderful and gracious fact. It is God's will for each generation to, in child-like faith, act to meet God’s expectations and fulfill life's main goal - the salvation and spiritual growth of each individual soul. Then with fundamental unity and a family of faith, we will be able to honor God wherever the path of life we all trace.
The folly of trusting in riches, v.17-31 To have eternal life is a good and great desire. When a person comes to Christ, His words will save or condemn them depending if one comes in faith. He is willing to do things impossible to men when they come to Him with an honest heart. The question the rich young ruler asked the Lord Jesus had been asked before by a lawyer and likely by hundreds of thousands of people since. “What can I do to inherit eternal life?” The desire for eternal life is in every person to varying degrees, although some people, after having lived a sinful life, hope there is no life after death.
Eternal life has to do with the quality of life as well as the length of our existence. For some people, there will be eternal death – everlasting destruction that is unceasing. Eternal life is a gift from God without the sin-polluted works of human hands. That seems too good to be true to many people. Consequently, they reject the offered gift of God and try to earn some part of that life through their own efforts.
Natural man looks at something so important, as demanding a great effort on our part to attain. They cannot seem to accept the fact that it is of such high value that anything they try to do to pay for it only demeans its value as far as being of any good to them. The value of a gift is cheapened when we put what we consider its worth to be what we think. In truth, it ceases to be a gift at all when anything is added to it. It is so far beyond any person’s ability to buy, or for all humanity to buy; that no one is able to have eternal life unless they receive it as the “gift of God.”
Human excellence of character and conduct, and earthly possessions are right in their place. But neither can rise to the worth of the matchless gift of eternal life. In fact, those things may be a barrier to entering the kingdom of God, because nature at its best cannot truly grasp the holiness of God and the real value of eternal life. Eternal life is the life of God. Natural excellence of character and the self-consciousness of living a moral and upright life leave a person without a true sense of need and unwilling to face the condition of their deceptive heart.
The rich young ruler who came running to Jesus had a lot going for him in society and human living. He seemed to be honorable in his character, and successful in his position. He was a ruler and had wealth, and yet did not seem to be allowing those benefits to give him the right to indulge in sinful pursuits. He would be the kind of person every parent hopes their children will be when they grow up. It is likely he had heard Jesus teach previously and had taken time to think about what he heard. He had seen evidence of the Lord Jesus’ extraordinary abilities to heal, forgive, and explain the truth, so he knew of His authority as a teacher of good things.
Even though other people of his class and calling despised and rejected the Lord Jesus and His teaching, this young, earnest, and anxious man came running to Jesus and reverently kneeled before Him. He knew something was lacking in himself, although he honestly didn’t know what it was. He had kept the law as it should be kept – outwardly. He had committed himself to be a man of character socially. He had made an effort to keep in contact with God through his religion, and had become a “ruler.”
No matter who we are or what we might do in life that is good, we will not be fulfilled in our life’s purpose, nor will our spirit be at rest until it comes alive to God. Whomever we are and whatever we have or have not done; we are dead to God by nature and by practice. Our minds and consciences will never let us forget that in spite of what we try to convince ourselves is acceptable.
The attitude of the young rich ruler when he asked the Lord what he could do to inherit eternal life was very different from that of the scribe in Jericho, who had asked the same question. The lawyer wanted to put Jesus into a corner in some way so he could be condemned. This young man wanted to truly know how to inherit eternal life and had an earnest and honest desire. There was no hostility in him toward the Lord, and there was an obvious eagerness that took him beyond his class and accomplishments. There seemed to be an intensity that wasn’t there in Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, as he risked his reputation to come running to Jesus.
There is no way a casual attitude toward our Lord Jesus Christ and His word, will allow a person to receive eternal life. The true need is felt within and takes us beyond what other people think, do, or say. But even that sense of need and earnestness and sincere entreaty does not mean a person can have eternal life. “Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart.” The Lord’s first words went right to the root of the matter. “Why callest thou Me good? There is none good but one, and that is God.” He gave the young man ample opportunity to declare who Jesus really was, but the young man didn’t get beyond the “teacher” opinion of Jesus. Every person whom God gives eternal life knows God and knows the Lord Jesus Christ is God. They may not know much about God, but they have the consciousness of God written on their heart and have made a connection with Him by faith and expressions of words to Him.
There was something fundamental that was missing in this young man. He knew what he wanted, but he didn’t know his own needs. There was no awareness of sin and guilt in him. Good qualities in a person are fine to have and maintain, but that doesn’t give us the right to not face what an honest person knows is wrong about themselves. Far too many people ignore their conscience and don’t take seriously the awfulness of sin of any kind. People are inclined to compare who they are and what they do with other people and use that as a measurement of sin.
The six commandments the Lord quoted that have to do with our duty to other people, were to make him consider who he really was and what he believed the law to be. He apparently believed he had kept the law in the letter at least. He had missed the fact that by the law is the knowledge of sin. Unfortunately, he never got passed considering the Lord Jesus Christ as a teacher. He had not come to Him as God, nor had he recognized as God. “He that cometh to God, must believe that He is, and is a rewarder of them who diligently seek Him.” The young man was without personal faith in Christ. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. A person has to have an understanding of who Christ is before anything else will be given to him or her. To know Him as “good” but not to acknowledge Him as God will leave a person in spiritual darkness now and eternal darkness in the future.
The Lord Jesus knew the young man and loved him, but being loved is not being saved. The young man had a lot going for him, but he did not have the joy and peace for which every person longs. “What lack I yet?” was an honest inquiry. The hungry soul was just what the Lord was looking for, so in simplicity, He put His finger right on the young man’s heart. He went past his outward appearance, his honorable life, and what he appeared to be in the eyes of other people. He exposed what was in the young man’s heart as to his real purpose in life. It is hard to admit pride when one is trying to be humble.
External rites and ceremonies, as well as the outward appearance of a morally upright life, do not move God to give grace. God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. “By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” A humble and contrite heart is not despised by God. Anything that has a prior claim on our hearts, will keep a person from getting eternal life. People, pleasures, and place in society can all keep a person from eternal life. Habits, hopes, and ambition are also other causes for missing out on the gift of God. The motives in one’s heart, are what God looks upon. The qualities of one’s life, whether they are good or bad, are not what excludes a person from God’s salvation. Animals can do good things. The good things people do are what should be expected from everyone. It is the condition of one’s heart that has to be faced before God and dealt with.
The rich young man never saw the Lord for who He is. He never saw the glories of Christ, so never experienced the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. To make such a refusal as that young ruler did seems beyond belief. He literally turned his back on God, the Lord of the universe; because he loved his wealth. To choose anything at all above personally accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior from sin is not just rejecting the love of the Savior, but is rejecting Him. It is choosing the temporary things of this life and losing all hope of eternal life. “To lose one’s wealth is much; to lose one’s health is more. But to lose one’s soul is such a loss, that nothing can restore.”
The Lord Jesus knew the effect His words had on the disciples who thought, like so many still do today, that earthly possessions are evidence of God’s blessing and favor. We really don’t understand how strong and fierce the opposition to a person getting eternal life is until we read scripture passages like this and are again reminded of what is important to God. When the Lord turned from watching the rich young ruler going away from Him to those disciples who were still watching Him; He used that event as a teaching moment they never forgot.
God is not limited in His work to the riches that are distributed for the furtherance of the Gospel, or to meet the needs of people. Riches are not the real problem. The problem is that people are inclined to put their trust in riches, instead of putting faith in God. A camel would be the biggest animal in the Middle East, and the eye of a needle would be about the smallest visible thing people could see. This illustration was not about a little door beside a big door that takes a lot of effort to get through. This means that it is absolutely impossible to enter the kingdom of God by our own effort. To try to thread a big cable through a needle’s eye is as impossible as it is to get a camel through it. The only way into the kingdom of God is by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who is the only door into God’s kingdom.
The Lord’s word overturned every idea the disciples had about wealth, rewards, kingdoms, and positions of authority. No wonder they were astonished at what they had learned. No law, nothing in nature, neither riches nor poverty has anything to do with a person being saved. Salvation is by God’s grace alone, and not of works lest any man should boast. The very thing that can be a help, can also be a hindrance if we think it is an aid to entering the kingdom of God or bringing divine favor to us. Anything that is of value to God, comes from the heart. That changes an action from a duty that may be given grudgingly, to a privilege that is done gladly.
Wealth can be a problem when it claims our attention and affection, and when it becomes what we think about most of the time. It has the tendency to monopolize our lives and put God out of first place in our hearts. Riches tempt us to trust in them because so many things are available to those who are wealthy. Poor people have to look to God for many things rich people take for granted. Wealth is never satisfied, and the more one has, the more one covets. When covetousness comes; sympathy, pity, and love for people are taken over by what money produces. Even those who give away a lot of money for good causes rely on giving money to take the place of giving themselves to God or personally committing themselves to other people.
Peter’s impulsive response to the statement of the Lord, was just the transparent comment of a man who didn’t hold back from saying what he thought. As far as he was concerned, the twelve disciples had already done what the Lord Jesus told the young ruler to do. The gracious Lord knew what was in Peter’s heart. He didn’t put a measure on what the disciples had done or not done. He didn’t object in any way to what Peter said but used that to make another important point for the disciples to learn what it means to follow Jesus.
Love is not measured by bulk or weight. Neither is faith nor can any of those eternal things be calculated as to the worth, by money. The Lord is no one’s debtor. He knows what is important and what true worth is. The sacrifices one makes, motivated by love for the Lord; produce far more than what it might cost us at the time. There is a huge return on the investment of spiritual and eternal things. The rewards are far beyond what our minds can conceive or our hearts feel. There will be hits and misses in our service for the Lord. There will be victories and defeats, but He knows them all and evaluates the worth of that which is done for Him alone.
There is no real value in wondering or worrying about the past. The present and the future are what are important. Persecution, opposition, and misunderstanding are part of what comes from following and learning from our Lord Jesus Christ. Peter left a few nets that needed mending, and a boat on the shore. No matter what a person leaves in order to follow and obey the Lord is worth the loss. Those who trust in prestige, wealth, and the favor of people, will be last. The end of the course is far more important than the starting point.
On the way to Jerusalem, v.32-45 A number of events described in the other Gospels likely took place between verses thirty-one and thirty-two of Mark chapter ten. Most of those not recorded in Mark’s Gospel would not have had the same significance to the Gentile believers in Rome as they would have to the Jews. So, the account Mark wrote moves forward quickly to the last part of the Lord’s final journey to Jerusalem before He died there.
There is something unique that impressed readers then and now, in that the Lord Jesus Christ is striding ahead alone in front of His disciples and the following crowd of people going to Jerusalem for the Passover. He is like a leader of an army going forth to battle and is consciously aware of His own personal responsibility for the outcome of the war. The disciples were afraid as they sensed this change because they had already been told by the Lord of the opposition and plans the Jewish leaders had to kill Him. The attitude of the Lord was also different as He “set His face “to go to Jerusalem. He was stepping forward alone as the Obedient Perfect Servant of God, to carry out His Father’s business and to finish the work He was sent to do. His obedience did not allow for any hesitation on His part, and He did not shrink from “the death of the cross.”
With heroic courage as one eager and determined to fulfill the purpose of His coming; our Lord went on “before them” who followed and were afraid. It seems like there was a sense of urgency that was not haste caused by fear, but rather a timed schedule to keep as He walked alone in majesty. The sacrifice He would make was before Him. The fearful followers were behind Him. He moved forward separated from all as He went forward to accomplish that which would bring “the joy that was set before Him.”
We cannot understand all of God’s sovereign purposes because of our limited perspective, but we can understand the “amazement” of the disciples when we see the unfolding of God’s work in our hands and in others. It moves forward without hesitation to the fulfillment of all God has in His mind. In a limited way, we can have the mind of Christ as we look back to scenes like this final journey to Jerusalem before He was crucified. We realize that in a way, our Lord is on His way to Jerusalem again. Prophecies are yet to be fulfilled and we are included in some of these. We are amazed at the evil He allows to continue in this world, and like the disciples, we are inclined to be afraid when we look around us. But then, as He did for them, He takes us aside and tells us in His word what is going to happen.
Basically, He gives us the big picture and tells us of the important things that are going to happen. He doesn’t tell us what our money is really worth, or who is going to develop a vaccine for the latest epidemic. He doesn’t focus our attention on the newest weapons of war or the availability of air travel. Those things are minor and do not affect the outcome of divine plans. We have to look beyond all of the events of life happening around us, and look to “Jerusalem.” He is coming to get us soon! That is what is important! He has future plans already made, and we will get to “Jerusalem,” when He gets there and brings us with Him.
The Lord Jesus gave His disciples more descriptions of what was going to be done to Him when He got to Jerusalem. No wonder they were afraid! And yet, those fearful disciples and the women who followed Him from Galilee, along with all the others who were following Him, kept on going. They weren’t people of a dauntless spirit, nor were they particularly courageous individuals. They were afraid, but they followed in spite of their fears because they knew who Jesus was and wanted to be where He was. How important it is that we consider Him who “endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest we become weary and faint in [our] minds. Being with Jesus was enough for them in spite of their fears. They loved Him, and “perfect love casts out fear.” It doesn’t eliminate it, but it does keep us from being controlled by our fears.
Christ is our life, and He has loved us even unto the death of the cross. He gave Himself completely without reservation, to save us from sin, death, and hell. Believers in Christ who love the Lord Jesus, persevere in spite of their fears and inadequacy. It is the “love of Christ that constrains us.” The Lord knew His disciples well, so He took them aside to personally tell them again what was going to happen to Him at Jerusalem. Jesus told His disciples He would be delivered to the priests; condemned by the judge, the Jews and the Gentiles who were against Him alleged the things He taught were against the laws of the land. They would mock Him and spit on Him, and strike Him with their hands. Again, He explained how He would die and rise again on the third day. He would give His life as a ransom – a true sacrifice, for guilty sinners.
The shameful treatment and humiliation that would be put on Him even before His death was told to them, and also the wonderful fact of His resurrection after three days. He was not stepping forth to take the throne of David as the Supreme Ruler but was going forward purposefully to the ultimate triumph over every foe. Rome wasn’t the greatest of these. An empire is only temporary at best. The enemies over which people have no power were the ones He was going to deal with at Jerusalem.
It is plain in other accounts of these events in other Gospels, that the disciples did not understand what the Lord was telling them. Whether they thought it was a parable or some other form of instruction is not stated. It is clearly seen that they were still expecting Him as the Messiah, to claim His earthly throne and kingdom. If that were the case, we can make sense of James and John’s seemingly selfish request to have thrones beside the Lord in His kingdom. It is obvious they thought the kingdom would immediately come when the Lord got to Jerusalem.
To want to be closely identified with the Lord Jesus Christ is not wrong. It is a good thing. If the desire of those two men and their mother was that they be given positions higher than the other disciples because they thought they were better, that would be a selfish matter. The reply of the Lord does not seem to imply that was what their request was, and He looks at the hearts of people. He seemed to be grateful that they would want that, even though it wasn’t His to give. Faith, love, and a desire to be as close to our Lord as possible are good things. Even though we do not see Him, we love Him and want to experience the closeness of fellowship with our Savior. We want to be involved in what he is doing and to be able to share in the privilege of laboring in the work of the kingdom of God.
There was faith and courage in the request of these men, although the other disciples didn’t see it that way. Presumptuousness can certainly be seen, and it seemed to those who heard that interchange between the Lord with James and John to be just that. They were really upset with their fellow disciples which is understandable. In the kingdom of God, there are costs to be paid, burdens to bear, and suffering and sorrow to endure before reigning with our Lord and King. The “cup” of suffering is not easy to drink, and the “baptism” of total immersion into what it means to be despised and rejected by men, are real experiences in the lives of those who follow Christ. Suffering and death were the prices to be paid by our Lord before He could take His throne. Scorn, insults, rudeness, and antagonism from those who are hostile to God, are to be endured. When we pledge our allegiance to our Lord Jesus Christ and do the will of God, then the “sufferings of Christ” we share are not hypothetical.
James and John did experience the “cup” and the “baptism” which we read about in the books of Acts and Revelation. The place in the kingdom of God any of us will have depends upon our fitness for it, not as a favor to be granted. Each person will have a position determined by God alone. A brief glimpse into the future is given when we read John’s written account in the book of Revelation. “Be thou faithful,” “him that overcomes,” and other descriptions indicate such positions are linked with our service and commitment, as well as motives, here while we are passing through this land as pilgrims.
We all need to examine our incentives for serving our Lord and make sure we don’t try to compare ourselves and what we might perceive to be our successes, with that of others of the Lord’s people who are all servants of our Lord. Each one of us will give an account of ourselves to God. To want the highest place is not appropriate for a servant. The Lord made that plain when He saw the attitude of the disciples. The “fault” of James and John, created a larger problem among the twelve disciples. Inward strife and bitterness turn God’s people away from the whole point of following Him in the first place. It is His death, burial, and resurrection that are important, not what we think ourselves to be in His kingdom.
The Lord did not wait to address that problem between those men. To leave a problem to fester unattended is to increase the complications of the problem. Deal with such things as soon as possible, and look for the root cause of the matter, rather than the effects. The world’s view of greatness is not the criteria, nor should it be custom, among those who follow the Lord Jesus Christ. In God’s kingdom, greatness is measured by personal service and the cost of service to one personally. The one who is greatest is the one who is the servant of all. The Lord Himself is the example of one who exemplified true greatness. He ministered to the disciples. He met the needs of the hurting and diseased by healing them. He ministered to the hungry by giving them food to eat. He did not turn away from those who came to Him in faith, not even from little children. He had just told them of the greatest service He would give when He would suffer, die, and rise again. “He gave Himself a ransom for all.” “He demonstrated His love to us in that He died for us.” “The Son of God loved me, and gave Himself for me.”
The Reward of Faith, v.46-52 The Lord Jesus Christ had told His disciples one of the most important needs people have. They need a ransom for sin. He came to give His life as the ransom price needed to redeem us from the bondage of sin. The motivation to please the Father, and give His life for us was behind all that Jesus did. That ransom price He paid is the basis of our salvation. “Because the sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free. For God the Just, is satisfied, to look on Him and pardon me.” By the death of our Lord Jesus Christ as our Substitute, we are released from the bondage and penalty of sin.
This whole principle of redemption and its results are seen in real life by the giving of sight to the blind man named Bartimaeus at Jericho. The blind beggar sitting by the side of the road was helpless to meet his own needs. He would have heard of Jesus and His healing miracles previously. Perhaps news of the raising of Lazarus from the dead twelve or fifteen miles away at Bethany would have made him realize Jesus had power that only God has. The point of this is that the blind man had not learned who Jesus was by faith in what he saw, but by what he heard. “The word of faith which we preach” is not something to take lightly or to be spoken of lightly.
When Jesus was passing by, the blind beggar could hear the noise of the passing crowd. When he found out it was Jesus, he called loud and clear. He knew his need was great, and he could do nothing about his blindness, but knowing of Jesus, he knew He could do anything. He kept calling aloud in spite of pressure to cease, and Jesus stood still and said, “What is your need?” Jesus will stop and give a new life and new start to any sinner who hears His word and calls on Him for mercy from his heart.
Every person who speaks the truth of God needs to be conscious of the fact that there is power in the word of God. Every person who hears what is said regarding the Lord Jesus Christ and the way of salvation has the choice to believe what they hear or to reject it. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” The preaching of the word makes people conscious of their needs and provides hope for the hopeless. It gives light that shines upon the darkness of sin and exposes sin for what it is. It also shines upon the dark souls of people and gives the light of the truth that leads a person to the One who is “The Light of the world.” “He that follows Me, shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
When the opportunity is given to speak for the Lord, we must do so, even though we may never know the outcome of the words spoken. Needy souls may not yet be in a place or position to respond to what has been said, but when the Spirit of God arranges people and times, the word spoken bares fruit. “Be not weary in well-doing, for in due season you shall reap if you faint not.”
Bartimaeus’ ears were opened first when he heard the unusual multitude passing by him. Hearing is acute when one realizes their need and inability to meet that need. The obvious response to such a need is to seek help as quickly as possible. To open one’s mouth and call on the name of the Lord, is the most reasonable thing a person can do in spite of what other people may think or say. “He is near unto all who call upon Him out of a pure heart.”
Whenever there is a needy soul who knows they are helpless in themselves to meet their need, obstacles will come in the way. Some are self-imposed and others are put there by people who do not see the urgency of your need and have another agenda they are following that would be upset by your situation. When a person calls on the Lord, He hears and knows the call of faith because He looks at the heart. Bartimaeus knew from what he had heard, that Jesus was the Messiah. He had no hesitation to call upon Him as the “Son of David;” the One who was the promised Messiah of God. The people around who tried to quiet his loud cries knew Him as Jesus of Nazareth, and that was all. Bartimaeus saw through the eyes of faith who He truly was. There is a great difference in the perception of faith in people who realize their need for the Savior, and those who only see Him as another person.
An opportunity, spiritual perception, a felt need, and the hearing of faith take a person beyond discouragement imposed by others or even one’s self. Prevailing faith with urgent boldness and impetuous eagerness makes a person who hears the word of God, cast away everything that ties us to this world and hinders us from coming to Christ. A crowd of people who have a whole different understanding of who Jesus is, will not keep an anxious soul from seeking the Lord and putting their faith in Christ. That is what we know as saving faith which becomes triumphant faith. All obstacles are overcome and whole-hearted trust is placed in the Lord Jesus Christ. That brings light and life to the soul and life of an earnest person.
Bartimaeus did not take the great blessing of eyesight, both physical and spiritual, for granted. He had thrown away his old garment, his eyes were opened, and he had seen Jesus. From then on, he didn’t want Jesus out of his sight, so he “followed Jesus in the way.” He had received the blessing of salvation, forgiveness, and sight, and wanted to be where Jesus was. His heart and spirit were linked to the Savior all the way to Jerusalem, and then to heaven. It is well for us to consider if we are really “following Jesus in the way” today and every day. When that is real to us, we find our Lord Jesus to be the delight of our soul, and the motivation to live for Him each day.
The process seems to challenge the will of many a man. Following Christ is not impossible; in fact, anyone who wants to - can. The problem is not the ability, but what is most important to a person. The path the Savior walks isn't affected by our past occupation. There are some men who followed Him who made their living from the sea. When they responded to His call, He trained them constantly so that they might be able to articulate divine and holy truth. Their effectiveness was not based in any way on their financial worth.
Other people from various walks of life were willing to obey the call of the Lord. When the Savior called them, it was that they would stay with Him until they had learned from the "Good Master" who they knew was God. To His Word and will, they submitted because they knew He truly was their Lord.
The need to do the right thing has an inherent cost. Those who give up all for Christ will find all is not lost. What they have forfeited in obeying Him is of little consequence because all that really counts with God is placed at His own expense. A relationship with God affects our relationship with other people. What we do for the welfare of others is done as unto Him. We can hallow His holy name from the worship in our hearts and our work can also be hallowed when it is for God right from the start. May I never hold what I think is mine with a clenched fist or hand? All belong to the "Good Master". My Lord is the eternal God and He intends me to follow Him. When that first step of faith is taken, is when life truly begins. What is the Lord saying about what is going to take place? Why is there such determination seen upon His face as those disciples followed Him on the road to Jerusalem? Who can really understand His life of holy, obedient faith? He was the One who came to serve! They likely asked themselves, what is going to happen if we follow Him? Is the promised kingdom about to begin? What does this mean about Him being a ransom for sin? Is this all part of being a Servant?
If we become servants, what will happen to us? Is it really practical to put all our trust in God? Can't we serve Him quietly without making such a fuss if we commit to being a servant? The path of service seems to be a hard one to travel. All our previous plans and hopes are beginning to unravel, and we had hoped for a smooth path, not one with hard gravel when we first wanted to be servants to our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, as the years of service are almost gone and what we wanted to do is almost done, looking ahead, I can see the lights of home; I am so glad God let me be a servant. When I think of the people who have come from darkness to light and are now God's people, they are walking by faith, not by sight; knowing that what we sought to do was scripturally right gives me peace in my life as a servant.
It is not my place to keep account of results. I know I have served unworthily with many faults but by God's grace, I will press on until He tells me to halt the responsibilities of being His servant. I do not believe the privilege of serving Him will ever cease – not even for eternal ages.
Mark 10:43. “But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be you minister.”