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Mark 10

And he arose from thence, and cometh into the coasts of Judaea by the farther side of Jordan: and the people resort unto him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again.

And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.

And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?

And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.

And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.

But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;

And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.

What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.

And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.

And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.

But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.

And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.

Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?

And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.

And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,

But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.

And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him,

Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles:

And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.

And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.

And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you?

They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.

But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?

And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:

But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.

And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John.

But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.

But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:

And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.

For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.

And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.

And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.

And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.

And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.

And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.

And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

What does Mark 10:26 mean?

Explanation

This verse from the Gospel of Mark captures the reaction of Jesus' disciples to His teachings on wealth and salvation.

It follows Jesus' encounter with a rich young man who asks what he must do to inherit eternal life.

Jesus tells him to obey the commandments and to sell all he owns and give to the poor to have treasure in heaven, and come, follow Him.

When the man goes away sad because he had great wealth, Jesus comments on how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God.

This astonishes the disciples, and Jesus further states that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter God's kingdom.

The disciples are bewildered by this teaching and question among themselves, "Who then can be saved?"

Literal meaning: The disciples are greatly surprised and can't understand how salvation is possible if even the wealthy can't easily be saved.

Deeper meaning: This verse speaks to the universal challenge of salvation and the apparent impossibility when viewed from a human perspective. It questions human assumptions about wealth and righteousness and emphasizes total dependence on God for salvation.

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

The Gospel of Mark was written in the first century, a time when wealth was commonly viewed as a sign of God's favor.

The early Christian communities were also dealing with defining what it meant to follow Jesus and how to live out His teachings.

In this particular historical setting, Jesus' statement that it is difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of God would be shocking because it upends the social and religious expectations of the time.

Theological Insights

Different theological perspectives offer varied insights into this verse:

Traditional Christian View: Salvation is not achievable through human means or wealth but is a gift from God.

Humans need divine intervention due to the innate sinful nature.

Calvinist Perspective: This reflects the doctrine of total depravity and irresistible grace; human beings cannot save themselves, and salvation comes exclusively through God's election.
Arminian View: Highlights the need for individual response to God's grace, which can be resisted or accepted.

It emphasizes human free will in the context of salvation.

Liberation Theology: Interprets Jesus' teaching as a call for social justice, suggesting that wealth can lead to systemic sin and that following Jesus involves advocating for the poor.

Practical Applications

In terms of practical everyday life, this verse can lead to self-examination of one's values and priorities. It can inspire believers to hold their possessions loosely and prioritize spiritual over material wealth.

Additionally, it can encourage actions of charity, a focus on social justice, and a deeper trust in God's providence regardless of one's socioeconomic status.

Cross-References

Matthew 19:24 , "And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."
Luke 18:25 , "For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."
Matthew 19:25-26 , "When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible."
Acts 4:12 , "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

Language Study

Key words in the original Greek text of this verse contribute to a deeper understanding:

"Astonished" (ἐκπλήσσω, ekplēssō): To be struck with amazement to the point of being almost terrified.
"Out of measure" (περισσῶς, perissōs): Exceedingly, beyond measure, indicating the intensity of their astonishment.
"Saved" (σῴζω, sōzō): To save, keep safe and sound, rescue from danger or destruction, and specifically with reference to eternal salvation.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In many ancient cultures, wealth was associated with divine favor. For instance, in Greek mythology, figures such as King Midas were depicted with great wealth as a blessing from the gods.

However, stories like that of Midas also contain a moral that wealth can be a curse.

In contrast, Jesus' teaching in this verse inverts the assumption of wealth as a positive spiritual indicator, suggesting that dependency on wealth can be a spiritual hindrance.

Scientific Perspectives

Scientifically, this verse does not directly intersect with any specific theories or findings.

However, psychological studies on materialism and happiness could be related, as they often conclude that after basic needs are met, increased wealth does not correlate with increased happiness or ethical behavior, which can be seen as loosely parallel to the idea that wealth does not facilitate spiritual salvation.

Commentaries

Various biblical scholars and theologians have commented on this verse:

John Calvin suggested that this astonishment of the disciples was due to their ingrained belief that the wealthy were favored by God.
William Barclay notes that the disciples' question represents a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of God's grace and the impossibility of earning salvation through human means.
**R.T.

France** emphasizes that the statement is hyperbolic and aimed at illustrating the inability of humans to save themselves instead of stating a literal impossibility.

NT Wright often discusses the cultural context of Jesus' teachings, proposing that the disciples' amazement reflects their struggle to grasp the counter-cultural aspects of Jesus' message regarding the last being first in the kingdom of God.

Mark 10

Mark 10

What does Mark 10:26 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Mark 10:26 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?