Mark 10
The Message
Divorce
10 1-2 From there he went to the area of Judea across the Jordan. A crowd of people, as was so often the case, went along, and he, as he so often did, taught them. Pharisees came up, intending to give him a hard time. They asked, “Is it legal for a man to divorce his wife?”
3 Jesus said, “What did Moses command?”
4 They answered, “Moses gave permission to fill out a certificate of dismissal and divorce her.”
5-9 Jesus said, “Moses wrote this command only as a concession to your hardhearted ways. In the original creation, God made male and female to be together. Because of this, a man leaves father and mother, and in marriage he becomes one flesh with a woman—no longer two individuals, but forming a new unity. Because God created this organic union of the two sexes, no one should desecrate his art by cutting them apart.”
10-12 When they were back home, the disciples brought it up again. Jesus gave it to them straight: “A man who divorces his wife so he can marry someone else commits adultery against her. And a woman who divorces her husband so she can marry someone else commits adultery.”
* * *
13-16 The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: “Don’t push these children away. Don’t ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.” Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.
To Enter God’s Kingdom
17 As he went out into the street, a man came running up, greeted him with great reverence, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?”
18-19 Jesus said, “Why are you calling me good? No one is good, only God. You know the commandments: Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t cheat, honor your father and mother.”
20 He said, “Teacher, I have—from my youth—kept them all!”
21 Jesus looked him hard in the eye—and loved him! He said, “There’s one thing left: Go sell whatever you own and give it to the poor. All your wealth will then be heavenly wealth. And come follow me.”
22 The man’s face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go.
23-25 Looking at his disciples, Jesus said, “Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who ‘have it all’ to enter God’s kingdom?” The disciples couldn’t believe what they were hearing, but Jesus kept on: “You can’t imagine how difficult. I’d say it’s easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for the rich to get into God’s kingdom.”
26 That got their attention. “Then who has any chance at all?” they asked.
27 Jesus was blunt: “No chance at all if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you let God do it.”
28 Peter tried another angle: “We left everything and followed you.”
29-31 Jesus said, “Mark my words, no one who sacrifices house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, land—whatever—because of me and the Message will lose out. They’ll get it all back, but multiplied many times in homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land—but also in troubles. And then the bonus of eternal life! This is once again the Great Reversal: Many who are first will end up last, and the last first.”
32-34 Back on the road, they set out for Jerusalem. Jesus had a head start on them, and they were following, puzzled and not just a little afraid. He took the Twelve and began again to go over what to expect next. “Listen to me carefully. We’re on our way up to Jerusalem. When we get there, the Son of Man will be betrayed to the religious leaders and scholars. They will sentence him to death. Then they will hand him over to the Romans, who will mock and spit on him, give him the third degree, and kill him. After three days he will rise alive.”
The Highest Places of Honor
35 James and John, Zebedee’s sons, came up to him. “Teacher, we have something we want you to do for us.”
36 “What is it? I’ll see what I can do.”
37 “Arrange it,” they said, “so that we will be awarded the highest places of honor in your glory—one of us at your right, the other at your left.”
38 Jesus said, “You have no idea what you’re asking. Are you capable of drinking the cup I drink, of being baptized in the baptism I’m about to be plunged into?”
39-40 “Sure,” they said. “Why not?”
Jesus said, “Come to think of it, you will drink the cup I drink, and be baptized in my baptism. But as to awarding places of honor, that’s not my business. There are other arrangements for that.”
41-45 When the other ten heard of this conversation, they lost their tempers with James and John. Jesus got them together to settle things down. “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around,” he said, “and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage.”
* * *
46-48 They spent some time in Jericho. As Jesus was leaving town, trailed by his disciples and a parade of people, a blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was sitting alongside the road. When he heard that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by, he began to cry out, “Son of David, Jesus! Mercy, have mercy on me!” Many tried to hush him up, but he yelled all the louder, “Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!”
49-50 Jesus stopped in his tracks. “Call him over.”
They called him. “It’s your lucky day! Get up! He’s calling you to come!” Throwing off his coat, he was on his feet at once and came to Jesus.
51 Jesus said, “What can I do for you?”
The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
52 “On your way,” said Jesus. “Your faith has saved and healed you.”
In that very instant he recovered his sight and followed Jesus down the road.
Mark 10
English Standard Version
Teaching About Divorce
10 (A)And he left there and went (B)to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them.
2 And Pharisees came up and in order (C)to test him asked, (D)“Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, (E)“Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” 5 And Jesus said to them, “Because of your (F)hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. 6 But (G)from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them (H)male and female.’ 7 (I)‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife,[a] 8 and (J)the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 (K)What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
10 And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11 And he said to them, (L)“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, 12 and (M)if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
Let the Children Come to Me
13 (N)And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples (O)rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, (P)“Let the children come to me; (Q)do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 (R)Truly, I say to you, whoever does not (S)receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And (T)he took them in his arms and blessed them, (U)laying his hands on them.
The Rich Young Man
17 (V)And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and (W)knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to (X)inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: (Y)‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, (Z)all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, (AA)looking at him, (AB)loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, (AC)sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have (AD)treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 (AE)Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
23 And Jesus (AF)looked around and said to his disciples, (AG)“How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter (AH)the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples (AI)were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, (AJ)“Children, (AK)how difficult it is[b] to enter (AL)the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter (AM)the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him,[c] “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus (AN)looked at them and said, (AO)“With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” 28 Peter began to say to him, “See, (AP)we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, (AQ)there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and (AR)for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold (AS)now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, (AT)with persecutions, and in (AU)the age to come eternal life. 31 But (AV)many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time
32 (AW)And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and (AX)Jesus was walking ahead of them. And (AY)they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33 saying, “See, (AZ)we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will (BA)condemn him to death and (BB)deliver him over to the Gentiles. 34 And they will (BC)mock him and (BD)spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And (BE)after three days he will rise.”
The Request of James and John
35 (BF)And James and John, (BG)the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us (BH)whatever we ask of you.” 36 And he said to them, (BI)“What do you want me to do for you?” 37 And they said to him, “Grant us (BJ)to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, (BK)in your glory.” 38 Jesus said to them, (BL)“You do not know what you are asking. Are you able (BM)to drink the cup that I drink, or (BN)to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, (BO)“The cup that I drink (BP)you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, (BQ)you will be baptized, 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, (BR)but it is for those for whom it has been (BS)prepared.” 41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. 42 (BT)And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles (BU)lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But (BV)it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,[d] 44 and whoever would be first among you must be (BW)slave[e] of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but (BX)to serve, and (BY)to give his life as a ransom for (BZ)many.”
Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus
46 (CA)And they came to Jericho. And (CB)as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, (CC)a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. 47 And when he heard that it was (CD)Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 And many (CE)rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, (CF)“Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” 50 And throwing off his (CG)cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51 And Jesus said to him, (CH)“What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, (CI)“Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” 52 And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; (CJ)your faith has (CK)made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.
Footnotes
- Mark 10:7 Some manuscripts omit and hold fast to his wife
- Mark 10:24 Some manuscripts add for those who trust in riches
- Mark 10:26 Some manuscripts to one another
- Mark 10:43 Greek diakonos
- Mark 10:44 Or bondservant, or servant (for the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
