Mark 10

Divorce

10From 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.G2547G450G2547G2064G1519G3725G2449G1223G4008G2446G2532G3793G4848G4314G846G3825G2532G5613G1486G1321G846G38252Pharisees came up, intending to give him a hard time. They asked, "Is it legal for a man to divorce his wife?"G2532G5330G4334G1905G846G1487G1832G435G630G1135G3985G8463Jesus said, "What did Moses command?"G1161G611G2036G846G5101G3475G1781G52134They answered, "Moses gave permission to fill out a certificate of dismissal and divorce her."G1161G2036G3475G2010G1125G975G647G2532G6305Jesus said, "Moses wrote this command only as a concession to your hardhearted ways.G2532G2424G611G2036G846G4314G4641G5216G4641G1125G5213G5026G17856In the original creation, God made male and female to be together.G1161G575G746G2937G2316G4160G846G730G2532G23387Because of this, a man leaves father and mother, and in marriageG1752G5127G2641G444G2641G846G3962G2532G3384G2532G4347G4314G846G11358he becomes one flesh with a woman—no longer two individuals, but forming a new unity.G2532G1417G2071G1519G3391G4561G5620G1526G3765G1417G235G3391G45619Because God created this organic union of the two sexes, no one should desecrate his art by cutting them apart."G3739G3767G2316G4801G5563G3361G444G556310When they were back home, the disciples brought it up again.G2532G1722G3614G846G3101G1905G846G3825G4012G84611Jesus gave it to them straight: "A man who divorces his wife so he can marry someone else commits adultery against her.G2532G3004G846G3739G1437G630G846G1135G2532G1060G243G3429G1909G84612And a woman who divorces her husband so she can marry someone else commits adultery."G2532G1437G1135G630G846G435G2532G1060G243G342913The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them.G2532G4374G3813G846G2443G680G846G1161G3101G2008G437414The 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.G1161G2424G1492G23G2532G2036G846G863G3813G2064G4314G3165G2532G2967G846G3361G1063G5108G2076G932G231615Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in."G281G3004G5213G3739G1209G3362G1209G932G2316G5613G3813G1525G3364G1525G1519G84616Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.G2532G1723G846G1723G5087G5495G1909G846G2127G846

To Enter God’s Kingdom

17As 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?"G2532G1607G1519G846G3598G4370G1520G4370G2532G1120G846G1905G846G18G1320G5101G4160G2443G2816G166G222218Jesus said, "Why are you calling me good? No one is good, only God.G1161G2424G2036G846G5101G3004G3165G18G3762G18G1508G1520G231619You know the commandments: Don't murder, don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't lie, don't cheat, honor your father and mother."G1492G1785G3431G3361G3431G5407G3361G5407G2813G3361G2813G5576G3361G5576G650G3361G5091G4675G3962G2532G338420He said, "Teacher, I have—from my youth—kept them all!"G1161G611G2036G846G1320G3956G5023G5442G1537G3450G350321Jesus 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."G1161G2424G1689G846G25G846G2532G2036G846G1520G4671G5302G5217G4453G3745G2192G2532G1325G4434G2532G2192G2344G1722G3772G2532G1204G142G4716G190G342722The 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.G1161G4768G1909G3056G565G3076G1063G2192G2258G4183G293323Looking 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?"G2532G2424G4017G3004G846G3101G4459G1423G2192G5536G1525G1519G932G231624The disciples couldn't believe what they were hearing, but Jesus kept on: "You can't imagine how difficult.G1161G3101G2284G1909G846G3056G1161G2424G611G3825G3004G846G5043G4459G1422G2076G3982G1909G5536G1525G1519G932G231625I'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."G2076G2123G2574G1525G1330G1223G5168G4476G2228G4145G1525G1519G932G231626That set the disciples back on their heels. "Then who has any chance at all?" they asked.G1161G1605G4057G3004G4314G1438G2532G5101G1410G498227Jesus 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."G1161G2424G1689G846G3004G3844G444G102G235G3756G3844G2316G1063G3844G2316G3956G2076G141528Peter tried another angle: "We left everything and followed you."G2532G4074G756G3004G846G2400G2249G863G3956G2532G190G467129Jesus said, "Mark my words, no one who sacrifices house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, land—whatever—because of me and the MessageG1161G2424G611G2036G281G3004G5213G2076G3762G3739G863G3614G2228G80G2228G79G2228G3962G2228G3384G2228G1135G2228G5043G2228G68G1700G1752G2532G209830will 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!G3362G2983G1542G3568G1722G5129G2540G3614G2532G80G2532G79G2532G3384G2532G5043G2532G68G3326G1375G2532G1722G165G2064G166G222231This is once again the Great Reversal: Many who are first will end up last, and the last first."G1161G4183G4413G2071G2078G2532G2078G441332Back 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.G1161G2258G1722G3598G305G1519G2414G2532G2424G2258G4254G846G2532G2284G2532G190G5399G2532G3880G3825G1427G756G3004G846G3195G4819G84633"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,G3754G2400G305G1519G2414G2532G5207G444G3860G749G2532G1122G2532G2632G846G2288G2532G3860G846G148434who will mock and spit on him, give him the third degree, and kill him. After three days he will rise alive."G2532G1702G846G2532G3146G846G2532G1716G846G2532G615G846G2532G5154G2250G450

The Highest Places of Honor

35James and John, Zebedee's sons, came up to him. "Teacher, we have something we want you to do for us."G2532G2385G2532G2491G5207G2199G4365G846G3004G1320G2309G2443G4160G2254G3739G1437G15436"What is it? I'll see what I can do."G1161G2036G846G5101G2309G3165G4160G521337"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."G1161G2036G846G1325G2254G2443G2523G1520G1537G4675G1188G2532G1520G1537G4675G2176G1722G4675G139138Jesus 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?"G1161G2424G2036G846G1492G3756G5101G154G1410G4095G4221G3739G1473G4095G2532G907G908G3739G1473G90739"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.G1161G2036G846G1410G1161G2424G2036G846G4095G3303G4095G4221G3739G1473G4095G2532G908G3739G1473G907G90740But as to awarding places of honor, that's not my business. There are other arrangements for that."G1161G2523G1537G3450G1188G2532G1537G3450G2176G2076G3756G1699G1325G235G3739G209041When the other ten heard of this conversation, they lost their tempers with James and John.G2532G1176G191G756G23G4012G2385G2532G249142Jesus 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.G1161G2424G4341G846G3004G846G1492G3754G1380G757G1484G2634G846G2532G846G3173G2715G84643It's not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant.G1161G3779G2071G3756G2071G1722G5213G235G3739G1437G2309G1096G3173G1722G5213G2071G5216G124944Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave.G2532G3739G302G5216G2309G1096G4413G2071G1401G395645That 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."G1063G2532G5207G444G2064G3756G1247G235G1247G2532G1325G846G5590G3083G473G418346They 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.G2532G2064G1519G2410G2532G846G1607G575G2410G2532G846G3101G2532G2425G3793G5185G924G5207G5090G2521G3844G3598G431947When he heard that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by, he began to cry out, "Son of David, Jesus! Mercy, have mercy on me!"G2532G191G3754G2076G2424G3480G756G2896G2532G3004G2424G5207G1138G1653G316548Many tried to hush him up, but he yelled all the louder, "Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!"G2532G4183G2008G846G2443G4623G1161G2896G3123G4183G5207G1138G1653G316549Jesus stopped in his tracks. "Call him over." They called him. "It's your lucky day! Get up! He's calling you to come!"G2532G2424G2476G2036G846G5455G2532G5455G5185G3004G846G2293G1453G5455G457150Throwing off his coat, he was on his feet at once and came to Jesus.G1161G577G846G2440G450G2064G4314G242451Jesus said, "What can I do for you?" The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see."G2532G2424G611G3004G846G5101G2309G4160G4671G1161G5185G2036G846G4462G2443G30852"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.G1161G2424G2036G846G5217G4675G4102G4982G4571G4982G2532G2112G308G2532G190G2424G1722G3598