Mar 9:35-10:31 | TNotes | STEP | 9:35 Jesus sat down , assuming the role of a teacher (see 4:1-2 ; 12:41 ; Matt 5:1 ; Luke 4:20 ; 5:3 ). True greatness in God’s Kingdom involves being the servant of everyone else , not the master, as Jesus would make clear by his own example in Mark 10:45 .

9:35 ^a Jesus sat down, assuming the role of a teacher (see 4:1-2 ^b; 12:41 ^c; Matt 5:1 ^d; Luke 4:20 ^e; 5:3 ^f). True greatness in God’s Kingdom involves being the servant of everyone else, not the master, as Jesus would make clear by his own example in Mark 10:45 ^g.
Summary for Mark 9:36-37: 9:36-37 ^h In Jesus’ day, children were not romanticized as innocent and pure but were considered to be weak and inferior. Children were to be received on my behalf. Welcoming a child is an example of humbly taking the last place and serving everyone else (9:35 ⁱ; cp. 10:13-16 ^j). Other sayings about receiving or rejecting Jesus also involve receiving or rejecting his followers (Matt 10:40 ^k; 25:31-46 ^l; Luke 10:16 ^m; John 13:20 ⁿ).
Summary for Mark 9:38-41: 9:38-41 ^o An unknown exorcist was casting out demons in Jesus’ name though he was not one of the twelve disciples (9:38-40 ^p). John objected, but Jesus corrected him.

• we told him to stop: Cp. 10:35-43 ^q; Luke 9:51-55 ^r.

• The success of the unknown exorcist is contrasted with the failure of the disciples in the previous account (Mark 9:14-29 ^s).
9:40 ^t The negative parallel to this proverb is found in Luke 11:23 ^u. These two proverbs should be understood as complementary, not contradictory, for Luke includes them both (Luke 9:50 ^v; 11:23 ^w). The exorcist casting out demons in Jesus’ name was not against Jesus, but for him.
Summary for Mark 9:42-50: 9:42-50 ^x if you cause ... sin: The consequences of causing sin ties these verses together (9:42-43 ^y, 45 ^z, 47 ^aa). These sayings were not meant to be interpreted literally, for carrying them out would not prevent sin (see Matt 15:10-20 ^ab). What Jesus conveys by these warnings is that no sin is worth going to hell for. It is better to repent—even if repenting is as painful as cutting off a hand, foot, or eye—than to suffer the punishment of hell.
9:43 ^ac hell: Greek Gehenna, referring to the Valley of Hinnom, which bordered Jerusalem on the southwest. It was a garbage dump for the city, and the continual burning of refuse there became a metaphor for the final place of judgment for the wicked.
Summary for Mark 9:43-48: 9:43-48 ^ad Most of the best manuscripts do not include 9:44 ^ae, 46 ^af, but a few include them. These two verses were almost certainly copied from 9:48 ^ag and were not in the original text of Mark.
9:48 ^ah The eternality of hell is emphasized by the phrases never die and never goes out (cp. 9:43 ^ai). The horror of hell is emphasized by its portrayal as a place of everlasting fire, and of decay and corruption where maggots eternally eat everything away. The putrid smell of decay and the presence of maggots in the Valley of Hinnom may lie behind this imagery (see study note on 9:43). This imagery is a powerful warning for people to repent in order to escape the punishment of hell.
Summary for Mark 9:49-50: 9:49-50 ^aj tested with fire: Literally salted with fire. The fire of testing has a purifying effect, like salt (see also 1 Pet 1:7 ^ak; 4:12 ^al; Rev 3:18 ^am). Salt also refers to Christian character. Genuine Christian character will have a genuinely purifying influence.

• But if it loses its flavor: The salt mined from the Dead Sea often contained gypsum, so although it looked like perfectly good salt, it was useless. It did not taste salty, and it created a disposal problem.

‏ Mark 10:1-31

Summary for Mark 10:1-2: 10:1-2 ^an The Pharisees’ question about divorce was much debated in Judaism, but it had a hostile purpose as they tried to trap Jesus (see 2:16 ^ao, 18 ^ap, 24 ^aq; 7:5 ^ar; 8:11 ^as; 12:13 ^at). John the Baptist was beheaded over his teaching that Herod Antipas’s divorce and remarriage was unlawful (6:18-19 ^au), and according to the Jewish historian Josephus, John was martyred close to Jesus’ current location east of the Jordan River, at Herod Antipas’s fortress at Machaerus (see 6:28 ^av; Josephus, Antiquities 18.5.2). If Jesus answered in agreement with John the Baptist, the Pharisees could indict him before Herod. But if Jesus said that divorce was lawful, he would be contradicting a prophet.
10:3 ^aw Jesus answered the Pharisees’ trick question with a counter-question (cp. Matt 22:20 ^ax).
10:4 ^ay The Pharisees quoted what Moses permitted. There was much debate among rabbis as to what constituted the “something wrong” (see Deut 24:1 ^az) that made divorce permissible. Rabbi Shammai allowed divorce only on the basis of sexual immorality. Rabbi Hillel permitted divorce even if a woman burned her husband’s dinner or was less attractive than someone else (Mishnah Gittin 9:10).
Summary for Mark 10:5-9: 10:5-9 ^ba God permitted divorce as a concession to the hard hearts of the people. But God’s will is more aptly expressed in the passages that Jesus quotes from the law of Moses (Gen 1:27 ^bb; 2:23-24 ^bc; see also Mal 2:16 ^bd). Jesus shows that God delights in marriage, which is the creation of a new union in which two become one. No one should rebel against God’s will by seeking to split apart what God has united.
10:10 ^be Jesus often explained his teaching to his disciples in the privacy of a house (see 7:17 ^bf; 9:28 ^bg, 33 ^bh).
Summary for Mark 10:11-12: 10:11-12 ^bi Whoever divorces ... and marries someone else commits adultery: The parallel in Luke 16:18 ^bj agrees with Mark and mentions no exceptions to this prohibition of divorce, while Matthew’s parallel account allows an exception in cases of infidelity (Matt 19:9 ^bk; see also Matt 5:32 ^bl). Paul also allows an exception if an unbelieving partner deserts the marriage (1 Cor 7:15 ^bm). Mark’s account focuses on the core principles—God hates divorce (Mal 2:16 ^bn), marriage is meant to be for life, and divorce betrays the divine purpose of marriage.
Summary for Mark 10:13-16: 10:13-16 ^bo Jesus’ love and concern for children has already been seen in 5:41-43 ^bp; 9:36-37 ^bq, 42 ^br. Jesus uses the incident to teach that the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. 10:13 ^bs The ages of the children cannot be determined from this passage. The Greek word paidia can refer to a broad spectrum of ages, from a twelve-year-old child (5:41-42 ^bt) down to an eight-day-old infant (Gen 17:12 ^bu, Greek version).

• the disciples scolded the parents: See study note on Luke 18:15-17.
Summary for Mark 10:14-15: 10:14-15 ^bv Mark does not explain what characteristics of children make them fit for the Kingdom of God; Matthew 18:4-5 ^bw suggests that the attributes include humility and the ability to receive things simply.
Summary for Mark 10:17-31: 10:17-31 ^bx The story of the rich man continues the themes of discipleship begun in 9:33 ^by and the requirements for entering the Kingdom of God (10:13-16 ^bz). The attitude of the rich man contrasts sharply with the childlike faith necessary for entering the Kingdom of God. 10:17 ^ca The rich man (10:22 ^cb) was a young ruler (Matt 19:20 ^cc; Luke 18:18 ^cd) who showed respect toward Jesus by kneeling and calling Jesus Good Teacher. Teacher is a frequent title for Jesus in Mark (see Mark 4:38 ^ce; 5:35 ^cf; 9:17 ^cg, 38 ^ch; 10:20 ^ci, 35 ^cj; 12:14 ^ck, 19 ^cl, 32 ^cm; 13:1 ^cn; 14:14 ^co); the addition of good is unique.
10:18 ^cp Jesus’ reply has troubled interpreters for centuries. Jesus was probably objecting to the man’s loose application of the term good to any human being, since ultimate goodness and perfection belong to God alone. Without in any way denying his own goodness, Jesus wanted to focus the rich man’s attention on God. The rich man wanted to enter the Kingdom of God, and Jesus was contrasting God’s goodness with the man’s own human sinfulness.
10:19 ^cq Jesus’ reply seems strange to Christians who are familiar with Paul’s teaching on this subject (e.g., Rom 3:20 ^cr; Gal 2:16 ^cs). In naming five of the Ten Commandments Jesus was not implying that the man could earn eternal life by keeping them; he was telling him what God’s standards are and allowing the man to evaluate his own performance. Truly loving God with all one’s heart, soul, mind, and strength, and one’s neighbor as one’s self (Mark 12:30-31 ^ct), requires trusting in God’s grace, accepting Jesus’ sacrificial death on our behalf (10:45 ^cu; 14:24 ^cv), and keeping his commands (John 15:10 ^cw; 1 Jn 2:4 ^cx; 3:22 ^cy).
10:20 ^cz The man’s reply was naive (as to what it really means to keep these commands; see Matt 5:21-48 ^da), but it was not arrogant, as the lack of any rebuke indicates (cp. Mark 12:13-17 ^db; Matt 23:1-36 ^dc).
10:21 ^dd Instead of having an extended discussion about what it means to truly keep the commandments, Jesus focused on the specific issue that revealed this man’s problem. He still lacked one thing: He loved riches more than he loved God, thus breaking the first and most important commandment (12:29-30 ^de; Exod 20:3 ^df; Deut 6:5 ^dg). Entering the Kingdom of God requires repentance (Mark 1:15 ^dh; 6:12 ^di), and Jesus helped this man to understand exactly what repentance entailed for him. He did not need, as he might have thought, to attain a higher level of personal righteousness. He needed to enter God’s Kingdom through repentance and wholehearted love for God, thereby obtaining eternal life. He must deny himself (8:34 ^dj) and love God first and foremost by giving away his money. For other commands involving a negative [sell all] and a positive [follow me] element, see 1:15 ^dk, 18 ^dl, 20 ^dm; 10:28 ^dn; see also Acts 2:38 ^do; 20:21 ^dp.

• Jesus’ command to the rich man was not a universal requirement for entering the Kingdom of God but was addressed to his particular situation. It teaches anyone seeking eternal life that nothing else can come before God; repentance (Mark 1:15 ^dq; 6:12 ^dr) requires the removal of anything that we place above God.
10:22 ^ds Mark records the rich man’s tragic choice. The man departed, still possessing his earthly riches (Matt 6:19 ^dt) but lacking eternal treasure (Matt 13:44-46 ^du). His demeanor (face fell ... sad) showed his awareness that his awful choice had brought him sorrow rather than joy.
Summary for Mark 10:23-27: 10:23-27 ^dv Jesus astounded the disciples by reversing the idea, popular at that time, that riches were a sign of God’s favor.
10:24 ^dw In response to the disciples’ amazement, Jesus addressed them affectionately as dear children.
10:25 ^dx Jesus was emphatically warning that riches are an obstacle to entering the Kingdom of God. The camel was the largest animal in Palestine, the eye of a needle the smallest hole. Some rich people are evidently able to overcome the problem created by riches and follow Jesus, but Jesus’ followers came from among the poor more than from the rich.

• Explanations about a gate in the Jerusalem wall called the “Eye of the Needle” are ill-conceived. There never was such a gate, and this explanation loses sight of Jesus’ frequent use of hyperbole in his teaching (see also Matt 7:3-5 ^dy; 23:24 ^dz).
10:26 ^ea The disciples were astounded: It was generally believed that wealth was a sign of God’s blessing that enabled the rich to do good deeds. Accordingly, it was assumed that the rich had an inside track on entering the Kingdom of God. The disciples’ question was natural, given this understanding. God’s assessment was the opposite of their conventional wisdom.
10:27 ^eb This verse tends to be interpreted in one of two ways: (1) Although salvation by one’s own effort is impossible, by God’s grace people can be saved through faith (Eph 2:8-10 ^ec). (2) God can give an unusual grace that enables people to overcome their sinful love of riches and believe. Mark does not explain his understanding.
10:28 ^ed The disciples had done what Jesus told the rich man to do—they had given up everything to follow Jesus (1:16-20 ^ee; 8:34-38 ^ef).
Summary for Mark 10:29-30: 10:29-30 ^eg Jesus assured his disciples that they would receive whatever they had given up for him many times over, including a new family in Christ (brothers, sisters, mothers, children) and Christian hospitality (houses).

• a hundred times: What is gained in following Jesus far outweighs any loss. And in the world to come they will inherit the eternal life that the rich man desired but did not receive.
10:31 ^eh But many ... greatest then: The account ends with a proverb, contrasting the way that God understands life and how people generally understand it (for similar sayings, see Matt 20:16 ^ei; Luke 13:30 ^ej). For those with eyes to see and ears to hear (Mark 4:9-12 ^ek; 8:18 ^el), the Kingdom of God has already come, and the overturning of this world’s values has begun.