Bible Commentaries
Mark 10

Verses 1-12

Mar 10:1-12

Commentary On Mark 10:1-12

J.W. McGarvey

Question about Divorce, Mark 10:1-12. (Matthew 19:1-12)

1. into the coasts of Judea.—(See note on Matthew 19:1.) It should be observed that, according to the corrected reading of this verse, Mark is more specific in his statement about the localities than Matthew; for while the latter says, "into the coasts of Judea beyond the Jordan," Mark says, "into the coasts of Judea and beyond the Jordan," thus making a distinction between the two localities, instead of calling the region beyond the Jordan "the coasts of Judea."

2. to put away his wife.—Matthew adds, "for every cause;" and this is the meaning of the question as reported by Mark, seeing that if it is "lawful to put away a wife," this privilege unqualified makes the husband the judge of the cause.

3. What did Moses command.—The order of the questions and answers in this conversation seems at first glance to be inconsistently reported by our two evangelists. Matthew represents the Pharisees as making the reference to what Moses had commanded, and as making it in the form of an objection to what Jesus had said; while Mark represents Jesus as making it in the form of a question for the Pharisees to answer. If, according to our rule in such cases, we suppose both accounts to be true but elliptical, the entire conversation arranges itself must naturally in the following order: As reported by both evangelists, the Pharisees began the conversation by asking, "Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?" Jesus answered, as reported by Mark (3), "What did Moses command you?" They replied, as also reported by Mark (4), "Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement and put her away." He then responded, as reported in substance by both, "Have ye not read that He who made them at the beginning, made them a male and a female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh. Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder." At this point the Pharisees make their appeal to Moses, as reported by Matthew (7), saying, "Why then did Moses command to give a writing of divorcement and put her away?" Jesus answered, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so." This last remark is quoted out of its original connection by Mark (5), because he condenses the entire conversation.

10. And in the house.—Jesus and the disciples have now left the Pharisees with whom he had been conversing and gone into "the house," where the disciples ask him again of the same matter. The question and answer which follow were not heard by the Pharisees, and the same is true of the parallel in Matthew 19:10-12.

12. she committeth adultery.—In this verse Mark makes an addition to the report as given by Matthew, showing by express statement what is only implied in Matthew’s report, that a woman who puts away her husband and marries another is equally guilty of adultery with the man who puts away his wife and marries another.

For other remarks on this conversation, see the notes on the parallel in Matthew.

Verses 13-16

Mar 10:13-16

Commentary On Mark 10:13-16

J.W. McGarvey

Blessing Little Children, Mark 13-16. (Matthew 19:13-15; Luke 18:15-17)

13, 14. they brought young children.—On these verses, see the notes, Matthew 19:13-14.

15. as a little child.—Strictly construed this clause means, "Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child receives it." To receive the kingdom of God is a different act from entering into it. The distinction is made in this very sentence: "Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom as a little child, he shall not enter therein." Receiving it precedes entering into it, and means no more than accepting its teaching. This a little child does with an implicit faith from the moment that its understanding is sufficiently developed.

16. up" in his arms.—Not content with merely laying his hands on them, he took them up in his arms to do so, and blessed them. The tenderness which he manifested toward the little children should cause parents to more highly appreciate them, and to labor more assiduously to bring them up in the doctrine and discipline of the Lord.

Verses 13-22

Mar 10:13-22

Commentary On Mark 10:17-22

J.W. McGarvey

The Rich Moralist, Mark 10:17-22. (Matthew 19:16-22; Luke 18:18-23)

17. running, and kneeled.—Mark is more graphic in his description of this incident, than either Matthew or Luke. He strikingly depicts the eagerness and humility of the man, by bringing out the facts that he came running to Jesus, and that on reaching his presence he kneeled down before him. The deep earnestness thus exhibited must not be lost sight of in our estimate of the young man’s condition and his subsequent fate.

18. why callest thou me good?—The term good which the man applied to Jesus, saying, "Good Master," and the simultaneous act of kneeling to him, were both suggestive of the Divine Being. Jesus catches the word for the purpose of directing attention to its real force when applied understandingly to himself. "Why do you call me good? there is none good but one, that is, God." If you mean what you say you should acknowledge me to be divine; for you call me good, and there is none good but God. The remark was, indeed, a two-edged sword, for it cut away, on the one hand, all subsequent objections which the man might make to the divinity of Jesus, and, on the other, it cut away all just ground for the man’s conceit concerning his own goodness. Jesus did not dwell on the thought; he merely dropped it in the man’s ear as a seed which should grow in after-time; for though the man paused not to consider it at the moment, it was so singular a part of a conversation which was destined to be a memorable event in his personal history, that in after years he could not fail to think on it solemnly.

While Mark reports the answer just considered, Matthew reports Jesus as answering, according to the corrected text, "Why do you ask me about the good?" Τί με ἐρωτἀς περὶ τοῦ ᾳγαθσῦ. And "the good" referred to in the question is "the good thing" which he supposed he was to do in order to inherit eternal life. (See Matthew 19:17.) No doubt Jesus propounded both questions, putting the one quoted by Matthew first. The man, in his question, had used the term good twice—"Good Master," "good thing." Jesus, in reply, asks him first, "Why do you ask me about the good," as though there were any one thing so good that by doing it a man should inherit eternal life; and secondly, "Why do you call me good?" Matthew, although he does not quote the second question of Jesus, shows that he was not ignorant of it, by adding the remark, "The Good Being is one," which is equivalent to Mark’s words, "There is none good but one, that is, God." (See the corrected readings of Matthew 19:17.)

19, 20.—On this part of the reply, which is reported with some omissions by Mark, see the notes on Matthew 19:17-20.

21. Jesus beholding him, loved him.—There is emphasis on the word "beholding." He looked at him intently, searching into the truthfulness of his declaration, and seeing in the young man’s heart and life that which awakened a personal attachment for him: for the statement that "he loved him," expresses a personal attachment, and not that general love which Jesus bears to all men. How interesting the character which thus excited the affections of Jesus, and how sad the reflection that this character was still without a well grounded hope of salvation! Yet many similar cases are constantly occurring, and our own experiences are often like this of Jesus: we are constrained to love most tenderly persons whose waywardness gives us constant pain, and from whom we must anticipate an eternal separation.

On the question propounded by the young ruler, and his sad departure, see the notes on Matthew 19:20; Matthew 19:22.

Verses 17-22

Mar 10:17-22

3. THE RICH YOUNG RULER

Mark 10:17-22

(Matthew 19:16-22; Luke 18:18-23)

17 And as he was going forth into the way,--Matthew tells us that, immediately after laying his hands upon the young children, Jesus departed thence. "Into the way"--this is, the road leading toward Jerusalem whither his face was now set. there ran one to him,--This was a "young man," and he was rich (Matthew 19:20; Matthew 19:22); he was also a "ruler" (Luke 18 18)--occupied a position of honor. The case of this young man is a remarkable one, from the fact of this youth, wealth, position, character, and the manner of his approach. He came running.

and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Teacher,--Worshiped him. In kneeling to him he recognized Jesus as divine, and entitled to worship. Others had come to Jesus, but it was that their bodies might be healed, or it was a father pleading for his son, or a mother for a daughter. But here was one who from trouble of soul alone sought him.

what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?--He made it a personal matter which was proper. We cannot go to heaven by proxy. The young man seemed to recognize this fact. [Since Jesus had brought it to light, he was the proper one to teach how it could be obtained; so he says, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" Matthew says he asked, "What good thing shall I do?" The ruler understood enough of the dealings of God with men to understand he must do some good thing to fit him for such a blessing. What God requires is good. He calls Jesus good, and Master or Teacher. An authorized teacher was called Master among the Jews.] How to inherit eternal life should be the great concern of all.

18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good save one, even God.--[This question, and the further statement that none is good save God, disavowing his own goodness, has long been a puzzle to many Bible students. Why should Jesus, who was sinless, disavow the claim that he is good? Other passages convey the same idea. Hebrews 2:10 : "For it became him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings." Hebrews 5:8-9 : "Though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation." The explanation of it, I think, is that Jesus had the nature of man. He felt all the impulses and emotions to sin that man does. So long as he felt the emotions to sin in his members he did not call himself good, nor did the Holy Spirit call him perfect. So long as he felt the impulse and disposition to sin he was imperfect, and could not become "unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation." Suffering purged out this impulse to sin. So, through suffering, he was made perfect, and hence he that hath suffered hath ceased from sin; and only when the motions of sin in his members were purged out did he call himself good. In this sense only God is good.]

19 Thou knowest the commandments,--Our Lord proceeds to the second part of his answer, and attends to the great end which the young man wishes to attain, namely, eternal life. He does not wait for a reply to his question. Matthew (Matthew 19:17) says: "If thou wouldest enter into life, keep the commandments." When Jesus said this, the young man said "Which?" (Matthew 19:18.) Evidently he thought Jesus did not mean the ones with which he was familiar. Then Jesus referred to the ten commandments, passing over the first four, specifying the rest, but substituting for "Thou shalt not covet" its equivalent, as stated here, "Do not defraud," and as stated by Matthew (Matthew 19:19), "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." This man being under the law, he was referred to its teachings, the leading precepts of which are here mentioned, and which indeed have been incorporated into the gospel dispensation, and therefore are as binding upon us as on him. (Romans 11.)

Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor thy father and mother.--[Jesus refers him to the commandments, as preparing for eternal life. There are two classes of commandments --one defining man’s duties to God, the other defining his duties to man. He quotes the latter here. These all regulate the conduct toward our fellow men. The questioner was a sincere worshiper of God--he recognized that God required something of him in order to inherit eternal life.]

20 And he said unto him, Teacher, all these things have I observed from my youth.--He was not a hypocrite, pretending to have done what he had not done. Jesus would not have "loved him" had he been a hypocrite, and Jesus knew his heart and difficulty. That he had "observed" these things means that he had made them the rule of his life. He was a splendid, moral young man, candid and honest, and for this reason Jesus loved him. Matthew (Matthew 19:20) states that he asked: "What lack I yet?" He was not yet satisfied or fully assured that he was an heir of eternal life, and he had confidence in Jesus to tell him.

21 And Jesus looking upon him loved him.--[Jesus loved him for his character, and because he loved him, he gave him the further direction that would perfect his character, and fit him for higher blessings of God in the world to come. His was a character approved by God so far as it went.]

and said unto him, One thing thou lackest:--But one thing, and yet the chief thing, which was not being done.

go, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor,--[This last requirement tested whether he loved God with all his heart. Love to God expresses itself in good to man. Nothing in the law of Moses required that spirit of self-sacrificing devotion that constitutes the chief excellency and distinguishing feature of the Christian religion. A man may have the life of morality and virtue set forth in the life of this young man, may fulfill all the requirements of the moral law, yet lack the true Christian spirit. The leading trait of Christ was self-denial and self-sacrifice for the good of others. He yielded up the honors he had with the Father before the world was to come to earth to save man. This was a new manifestation to man of the divine life. The love of God as manifested in Christ was not known to the law of Moses; so the self-sacrifice was not then required of man, as it now is, that he may be like God. "Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross. Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name; that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:5-11.) This shows that Jesus was moved with pity and love so strong that he gave up the glories of the throne of God to bear man’s nature, and took upon himself the death of the cross to lift up and save man. For this God exalted him with honors higher than he had before known. This was the example for man. If man is a worshiper of God, he must be like him.]

and thou shalt have treasure in heaven:--Renouncing earth, we receive heaven. It is worth the sacrifice; the exchange is a profitable one. The test of character is whether we so regard it. The heart that is fixed on earth, so that it hesitates at the exchange, is not yet fit for heaven, therefore, for eternal life.

and come, follow me.--The mere giving of his possessions was not in itself to save him. It only tested his fitness for discipleship. It was discipleship that would save him. To follow Jesus now is to have the mind of Christ and to do God’s will as Jesus did. To give to the poor in Christ’s name is to "have treasure in heaven." We are not required to sell all we have at once, but we are required to hold it for God and to use it in his service. Willingness to give up all for Jesus was the test then, and it is the test now. Will we do it? The cross may not be to give up wealth; it may be business, profession, rank, pleasure, unworthy friends, present church relations when innovations are introduced. It is found in whatever prevents singlehearted consecration to Christ.

22 But his countenance fell at the saying,--As Jesus began his answer, "One thing thou lackest," his countenance, no doubt, lighted up with pleasant anticipation. A legalist by education, he was now to hear the "one thing" that should put the capsheaf to his righteous life, and give him eternal life. And then comes like a thunderclap the remainder of the reply, something utterly out of the question to a man of his wealth and position. Then he stood confounded. The aspect of his whole countenance was changed, indicative of great disappointment. Most persons are, to a great extent, unacquainted with themselves, until Christ, in his providence, lays bare at one stroke the poverty of their souls, and the insincerity of their lives.

and he went away sorrowful:--Sorrowful because eternal life was offered at only such a price as he was not willing to pay. Thus the secret of his heart must have been revealed even to himself. [The young man was like the masses of professed Christians to this day. He did not recognize that to give away his possessions in the name of the Lord was to increase his riches--to invest them in a bank that will never break, and yet will yield the richest dividends through life and in eternity. Christ was the happiest being that ever lived on earth. He was happy because he denied himself to help others. He taught the lesson in this world that the only pathway to true happiness is in denying self in God’s name and for God’s glory to help others. His example and precepts have been before the world for more than nineteen hundred years. His servants today turn sadly away, and refuse to follow his teaching, as did this rich young man, for they have great riches; or, which is the same thing, their affections are greatly set on their possessions, great or small. The willingness to give up all for Christ was the test of his acceptance with Christ, and is ours today. What God requires us to do is for our happiness and for our good. God requires service and gifts at our hand not because he needs them, but because we need the discipline and training that they give. Whatever of self-denial we make in obeying God will yield a hundredfold of good in this world and in the world to come.]

for he was one that had great possessions.--"He was very rich." (Luke 18:23.) He had a hard struggle and a severe one, but he could not give up the world. Here was an act of obedience he could not perform. Here was a turning point in his history. How solemn that moment!

Verses 23-27

Mar 10:23-27

Commentary On Mark 10:23-27

J.W. McGarvey

The Danger of Riches, Mark 10:23-27. (Matthew 19:23-26; Luke 18:24-27)

24. them that trust in riches.—The three expressions, "they that have riches" (Mark 10:23), "them that trust in riches" (Mark 10:24), and "a rich man" (Mark 10:25), are used in consecutive sentences to designate the same character, and are therefore equivalent, though by no means synonymous expressions. They show that the kind of rich man contemplated is one who trusts in riches; that is, one who depends for happiness on his riches rather than on obedience to the will of God. The danger of riches, and the difficulty of saving rich men arise from their proneness to thus trust in riches. But those already rich are not the only persons exposed to this danger: those who are eager in the pursuit of wealth are equally exposed; for it is said by the apostle Paul, "They who will be rich, fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition." (1 Timothy 6:9.)

25-27. It is easier.—See notes on Matthew 19:24-26.

Verses 28-31

Mar 10:28-31

Commentary On Mark 10:28-31

J.W. McGarvey

Reward of Self-denial, Mark 10:28-31. (Matthew 19:27-30; Luke 18:28-30)

28. Then Peter began.—On the cause of Peter’s remark and inquiry, see the note on Matthew 19:27.

30. and lands, with persecutions.—Mark omits much of the reply to Peter’s inquiry (see the parallel in Matthew), but here he introduces an interesting item omitted by Matthew. It is the promise that the "houses, brethren," etc., are to be received "now in this time," and that they are to be received "with persecutions." The promised return is realized usually in the enjoyments of the Christian life, which are an equivalent for an hundredfold of all that is lost in serving Christ. It is often the case, however, that a person who loses one friend for Christ actually gains a hundred, and that he who loses his home actually gains a hundred in the welcome which he finds to the homes of his brethren. The qualifying expression, "with persecutions, was intended to guard against a too literal construction by showing that these were not inconsistent with the real meaning of the promise.

31. first shall be last.—On this verse, and on what is omitted from the paragraph by Mark, see the notes on the parallel in Matthew.

Verses 32-34

Mar 10:32-34

Commentary On Mark 10:32-34

J.W. McGarvey

32. amazed... afraid.—They were amazed that he would go to Jerusalem, and they were afraid in regard to their own safety as they followed him. Mark leaves us without information as to the cause of these feelings; but John’s narrative incidentally supplements Mark’s, and supplies the needed information. Since leaving Galilee Jesus had already been to Jerusalem on a visit not recorded by Mark (John 7:1-10; John 10:22), and had encountered such opposition there that he had been constrained to retire beyond the Jordan. From this retirement he had been recalled by the sickness and death of Lazarus, and as he started in obedience to this call, the disciples had exclaimed, "Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?" Thomas said, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." (John 11:1-8; John 11:16.) After raising Lazarus he had been driven away again by the machinations of the Jews, and had retired to a city called Ephraim, in a country near the wilderness. (John 11:46-54.) He was now once more returning to Jerusalem, and it is not surprising that the disciples were amazed at his apparent recklessness, and that they followed him with fear.

The fact that Mark makes the statement about their surprise and fear, without furnishing the facts which account for it, shows the artless simplicity with which his narrative was constructed; and the fact that the causes of their alarm, when once discovered, are ample to account for it, shows that his simplicity is that of a truthful historian telling an unvarnished story. The frequent occurrence of such coincidences should also teach us that many other obscure portions of the gospel narratives would be rendered perfectly intelligible, if we were only acquainted with details which have been omitted from the record for the sake of brevity.

33, 34. Son of man shall be delivered.—This third prediction of his final sufferings is much more circumstantial than either of the preceding. (Comp. Mark 8:31; Mark 9:31.) He now gives in epitome, and in chronological order, the entire history of the mournful event (Comp note, Matthew 20:18-19.)

Verses 35-45

Mar 10:35-45

Commentary On Mark 10:35-45

J.W. McGarvey

Ambition of James and John, Mark 10:35-45. (Matthew 20:20-28)

35. sons of Zebedee come to him.—Matthew states that "the mother of Zebedee’s children came to him with her sons," and preferred the request about to be named; while Mark, saying nothing of the mother, simply states that the two sons came. The omission does not detract from the truthfulness of the narrative; for although the request was preferred through the lips of the mother, it was really the request of the sons. So Matthew himself represents it; for he quotes Jesus as replying, not to the mother, but to the sons, saying, "Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink," etc. (Matthew 20:22.) The difference, then, arises from an unimportant omission in Mark’s account.

38, 39. baptized with the baptism.—There can be no doubt that Jesus here refers to his last sufferings, of which he had just given a brief prophetic description. (Mark 10:32-34.) They are called a baptism, because, while enduring them, his soul was sunk in sorrow as the body when buried in baptism. It is impossible to think of baptism in the light of this metaphor as any thing else than immersion. Neither sprinkling nor pouring could have suggested the comparison which the metaphor implies. Sprinkling, indeed, if used metaphorically for suffering, could represent only a slight degree of it.

For remarks on the other points of interest in this conversation, see the notes on the parallel in Matthew.

Verses 46-52

Mar 10:46-52

Commentary On Mark 10:46-52

J.W. McGarvey

The Healing of Blind Bartimeus, Mark 10:46-52. (Matthew 20:29-34; Luke 18:35 to Luke 19:1)

46. blind Bartimaeus.—This blind beggar is introduced as a well-known character. Mark does not introduce him as a certain blind man, whose name was Bartimaeus, the usual manner of introducing a stranger, but simply as "blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus." He had probably become well known by his zeal and activity in the cause of Christ subsequent to the recovery of his eyesight. His notoriety accounts for the fact that Mark describes his restoration to sight without saying anything of the other who sat with him and was healed at the same time. (See the note on Mark 11:2, and the parallel in Matthew.)

52. thy faith hath made thee whole.—Although Bartimaeus was sitting by the wayside begging as Jesus "went out of Jericho with his disciples" (Mark 10:46), and was there healed, we learn from Luke, that he also "sat by the wayside begging" as Jesus "came nigh unto Jericho." (Luke 18:35.) This shows that between the time at which Jesus came nigh to the city, and the time at which he went out of it, the blind man had changed his position. This change of position is accounted for by other statements in Luke. It is said (Luke 18:36), that, "hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant." Now he could not know that a multitude were approaching him, unless they were making a great deal of noise; but that they were not, is evident from the fact that when he began to cry out they told him to hold his peace. It was a quiet and sober throng, following Jesus, and stretched along the highway to a great distance. The blind man could only know that a multitude were passing by when a large number had already passed, and others were continually passing. It was then that he asked what it meant, and was told that it was occasioned by the presence of Jesus (Luke 18:36-37): but when he began to cry out for mercy, it was "they who went before" that told him to hold his peace, and as they had already passed by, he must have changed his position and got in front of the multitude before he commenced his outcry. (Luke 18:39.) That he did change his position, then, is clear from Luke’s narrative; and from Mark and Matthew we learn the point to which he moved: from a position near the gate at which Jesus entered the city, he moved around to that at which he passed out (if, indeed, he actually passed out through a different gate), and there resumed his begging until the multitude drew near again.

We can now see how his faith made him whole. Having believed, not by having seen the miracles, but by having heard of them through others, that Jesus could give eyesight to the blind, and having concluded that he was the Christ the Son of David, when he learns that Jesus had passed by him into Jericho, on his way to Jerusalem, he springs to his feet, and either by his own knowledge of the locality, or by the help of a friend, he makes his way to where he will intercept Jesus as he passes out of the city. Most likely he passed around the wall, instead of trying to press through the narrow and crowded streets. When he hears the head of that great column of men approaching him, he cries out, "Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me;" and when those who were going before rebuke him and tell him to hold his peace, the more they rebuke him "the more a great deal" he cries out, until Jesus comes opposite, stops, and calls him to him. His faith saved him by causing him to employ the means necessary to arrest the attention of Jesus and to secure the coveted blessing. In the same way does the faith of the sinner save him. Faith alone, or faith without action, could not have made the blind man whole, nor can it bring the sinner out of darkness into light followed Jesus.—As Jesus healed the man, he said to him, "Go thy way;" and this gave him liberty to go in any way that he might choose; but he chose to "follow Jesus in the way," "glorifying God." (Luke 18:43.) Such a beginning was doubtless followed by a lifetime of devotion to Jesus, and though we meet not his name again in the sacred record, the familiar manner in which Mark introduces his name (see note on Mark 10:46, above) is more than a hint of his high distinction among the disciples at a later period.

Argument of Section 1

In this section Jesus is exhibited as a teacher, a prophet, and a worker of miracles. His instruction on the subject of divorce (Mark 10:1-12), displays a knowledge of the primary intention of God concerning the relation of the sexes, and an insight into the design of the Mosaic statute on the subject, which not only rose high above the Jewish learning of his own age, but laid claim to a knowledge of the unrevealed counsel of God. None but the Son of God, or one specially commissioned to speak the mind of God, could blamelessly speak as he speaks on this subject He sets aside, for the future, the statute of Moses, stating the reason which governed the mind of God in giving it, and restores as the law of his kingdom the original law of wedded life prescribed in the garden of Eden.

His teaching, in the same section, on the spiritual relations of infants; on the duties and dangers connected with riches; on the rewards of self-sacrifice for his sake; and on the true exercise of ambition, are alike suited to his character as the Son of God, and to the highest happiness of mankind. It is inconceivable that they can be the teachings of an ignorant or a wicked pretender.

While his superhuman wisdom is thus displayed in his teaching, his ability to look with divine foreknowledge into all the details of future events is demonstrated by his minute description of the sufferings which awaited him.

The account of blind Bartimeus, while it proves again his power to heal, reflects additional credibility on the account of his previous miracles. This man, being blind, could have known of the previous miracles only by hearsay; he could not have seen them for himself. That he did, then, believe in the power of Jesus to heal, shows the abundance and sufficiency of the testimony which was brought to his ears; and the very existence of this testimony in regard to a matter about which men could not be mistaken, is proof that real miracles had been wrought.

Questions by E.M. Zerr For Mark Chapter Ten

1. To what region did Jesus go?

2. What did he do for the people?

3. Tell what the Pharisees asked him.

4. What was the purpose of their question ?

5. To what did he direct a question ?

6. Did they answer it correctly?

7. State Jesus5 explanation of this law.

8. How was it from the beginning?

9. For this cause what should a man do?

10. This results in what union?

11. Who is able to put this asunder?

12. Tell who repeated the same question.

13. What makes one guilty of adultery?

14. Who were brought to Jesus ?

15. Tell what the disciples did.

16. What did Jesus tell them to suffer ?

17. Are the children in the kingdom?

18. What do they have to do with it?

19. Tell what he did for the children.

20. Repeat the question a certain one asked him.

21. By what title did he address him?

22. How did Jesus reason on this title?

23. Give his answer to the question.

24. State reply the man made to this.

25. And the further reply of Jesus.

26. What grieved this man?

27. On what subject did Jesus now speak ?

28. Why were the disciples astonished?

29. State the explanation Jesus then made.

30. To what did he refer for illustration?

31. What kind of place is often called needle’s eye

32. Can man get camels through that place?

33. Was this case of Jesus possible with men?

34. What sacrifice did Peter profess ?

35. Tell the reward Jesus promised.

36. What were to go with the reward?

37. Where were these things to be received?

38. What was to come in the end?

39. For what sake must these sacrifices be made ?

40. What reversal did Jesus predict?

41. To what place did they next go?

42. What astonished the disciples?

43. Of what did Jesus tell the twelve?

44. Tell what was to occur the third day.

45. What brothers came with a special request?

46. Where did they wish to be placed?

47. On what error was this request based?

48. For what did they claim to be able?

49. To what did that refer?

50. To whom would their request be given ?

51. Who were displeased at this time?

52. State the cause.

53. What was the practice of Gentile rulers?

54. Tell the contrast Jesus required.

55. To what example did he refer?

56. What ransom was to be given?

57. Through what city did they go ?

58. Who was sitting by the way?

59. For what did he cry to Jesus?

60. What did he call Jesus?

61. Was he correct?

62. How did the matter end?

63. What had made the man whole?

64. How had he manifested it ?

65. What length of time was required ?

Mark Chapter Ten

By Ralph L. Starling

The Pharisees now question Him about divorce.

He asked, “What does Moses say in his court?”

They answered, “He would allow him to put her away.”

Jesus said, “God in the beginning didn’t say it that way.”

”God made them male & female, to become as one.

For it was not good for either to be alone.

What God, therefore, has joined together,

Let not man put asunder.”

When children were brought they were displeased.

When Jesus heard them, He was much displeased.

He picked up a child, “of such is God’s Kingdom!

He that refuses them will not enter with them.”

As they were leaving, a man approached running fast.

He said, “How can I have eternal life?”

Jesus said, “Keep the commandments, you know the ones.”

He replied, “from my youth this I have done.”

Then Jesus said, “Sell all you have and follow me.”

He was devastated and went away grieved.

Jesus said, “How hard for a rich man to go to heaven,

It’s like a camel trying to go through a needle.”

Peter said, “To follow you we have left all.”

Jesus replied, “for those leaving all for our cause

Enduring persecution, and worldly strife,

In the world to come, will have eternal life.”

Going to Jerusalem He talked about His death

He would be mocked, cursed and covered with spit,

Delivered to the Gentiles to be put to death.

But He would rise the 3^rd day, so don’t resist.

James and John came to Him with a request,

To sit on His right and left in that eternal rest.

“Can you be baptized with what I’m baptized with?”

They said, “We can” and they said it real quick!

As they left Jericho there was blind Barimaeus

When he heard them, “Help me, please lord Jesus.”

Jesus c0mmanded that he be brought.

Jesus restored his sight as he had sought.

Jesus said to him, “Go on your way.

It all happened because of your faith.”

Bartimaeus was grateful but din not know what to say.

But he continued to follow him for a long way.