Mark 9:30–10:16
30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.
33 And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 36 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”
38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name,1 and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40 For the one who is not against us is for us. 41 For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.
42 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,2 it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. 43 And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell,3 to the unquenchable fire.4 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48 ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ 49 For everyone will be salted with fire.5 50 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
10 And he left there and went 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 to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” 5 And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. 6 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7 ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife,6 8 and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 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, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, 12 and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
13 And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.
1 Some manuscripts add who does not follow us 2 Greek to stumble; also verses 43, 45, 47 3 Greek Gehenna; also verse 47 4 Some manuscripts add verses 44 and 46 (which are identical with verse 48) 5 Some manuscripts add and every sacrifice will be salted with salt 6 Some manuscripts omit and hold fast to his wife
Section Overview
In the context of his journey to Jerusalem (Mark 8:27–10:52), Jesus pronounces his second major passion prediction (9:31) and instructs his followers in the cost and character of discipleship (9:33–37) as well as patient endurance (9:38–41). He also stresses the radical and cleansing nature of discipleship (9:42–50).
The second prediction of Jesus’ death and resurrection focuses on Gentile participation in his suffering. In Jesus’ second cycle of teaching his disciples (9:33–50) he concentrates on growth in childlike trust and humility (cf. esp. 9:35). Jesus then carries on with the instruction of his disciples (and others) in the context of controversy with his opponents. He speaks about marriage (10:2–12) and childlike faith (10:13–16). In comparison to Luke’s account, Mark, together with Matthew, strongly emphasizes that the unique suffering of Jesus, especially his death with subsequent resurrection, is closely connected to and interwoven with the suffering and hope of the disciples. Such suffering focuses on enduring in healthy humility and trusting patience, waiting for God’s vindication (cf. 1 Pet. 5:6).
Section Outline
III.A. Caesarea Philippi; Journey to Jerusalem (8:27–10:52) . . .
3. Second Passion Prediction; Discipleship; Instruction (9:30–10:16)
a. Jesus’ Second Passion Prediction (9:30–31)
b. Discipleship Instruction on Humility (9:32–37)
c. Instruction in Patient Endurance and Service (9:38–41)
d. The Radical Nature of Discipleship (9:42–48)
e. The Cleansing Nature of Discipleship (9:49–50)
f. Controversy with Jesus’ Opponents concerning Divorce (10:1–12)
(1) The Question concerning the Legality of Divorce (10:1–4)
(2) The Heart of Marriage (10:5–8)
(3) Marriage as a Lifelong Bond between a Man and a Woman (10:9)
(4) Instruction on Adultery (10:10–12)
g. Jesus Blesses Little Children (10:13–16)
Response
Response to 9:30–37; 10:13–16
Jesus does not instruct his disciples to become childish. Instead he calls them to be childlike (10:15) in simple trust and humility (9:33–37) before the God who atones (9:31). The power of humility resides in the fact that a humble person does not depend on his own limited strength. Rather, such a person entrusts himself to the powerful and deeply resourceful hand of God (cf. 2 Cor. 1:8–9; 1 Pet. 5:5–7). Humility does not seek itself. Rather, it pursues God’s purposes in God’s way. In this way, a humble person may be very strong in character, since such a person trusts entirely in God’s power (1 Pet. 5:6–7). Servant leadership is one manifestation of such humility. Jesus himself is humble (Matt. 11:29), be it in the form of the servant of Yahweh (Mark 10:45; see Isa. 52:13–53:12; cf. 2 Sam. 7:8) or in the form of the judging Son of Man (Mark 8:38; cf. Dan. 7:13–14). In other words, Jesus seeks to restore his disciples to a healthy and originally intended use of strength, power, and influence (cf. Gen. 1:26, 28; 2:15, 19), in constant dependence upon God as the source of exercising influence and authority. Such is the nature of humility before God.
Response to 9:43–49
Concerning the removal of members of the body, take note of the following considerations. It is good to dress modestly, for example, but such modesty cannot in itself remove the impurity of the heart. The mere wearing of a hijab, niqab, or burka by a Muslim woman, or the modest dress of a man of a different religion, does not remove in itself the impurity or lust of the human heart. Likewise, the radical extreme of removing a body part does not purify the heart. Therefore Jesus calls the contemporary follower to a willingness to be purified in suffering and progressive surrender (9:49–50). Life’s experiences will be part of God’s purifying fire, leading to increased prayer and repentance.
Response to 10:1–12
Concerning marriage, a follower of Christ is above all one who is less and less self-seeking or self-defensive. A disciple becomes increasingly softened and deferential instead. The effect of Christ is such that he or she recognizes the ongoing need for an ever-increasing radical change, which will directly influence his or her attitude toward marriage and divorce. There may be many difficult and painful circumstances in a marriage, which those looking in from the outside might not be able to understand or see. However, the grace of God can manifest itself in the softening of the heart of one or both partners toward God and thus potentially toward each other. It is a great testimony to the power of Christ when true repentance and softness of heart occur in a marriage, on the part of the man or the woman, or both.
Response to 10:1–16
In contrast to many of his contemporaries, Jesus values men, women, and vulnerable children equally. He contrasts hardness of heart, which can lead to divorce, for example, with childlike and simple trust. Such childlike trust marks those who are permitted to come under God’s eternal rule. A follower of Christ must be wary of negative views of groups of human beings who are ill-regarded in their respective ethnic, racial, or social environment. The kingdom of God does not tolerate such generalizing and slanderous profiling of, for example, a non-violent ethnic, racial, or religious minority in a given country. According to God’s Word, all human beings are image bearers of God, as broken as they also are (Gen. 1:26; Rom. 5:8, 10). They are all and freely invited to come in childlike faith to the gift of the work of Jesus (1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9) and thus have their brokenness removed.
Some manuscripts add who does not follow us
Greek to stumble; also verses 43, 45, 47
Greek Gehenna; also verse 47
Some manuscripts add verses 44 and 46 (which are identical with verse 48)
Some manuscripts add and every sacrifice will be salted with salt
Some manuscripts omit and hold fast to his wife
9:30–31 Privately, Jesus seeks to further teach (cf. comment on 1:21–22) “his disciples” concerning his coming suffering in Jerusalem (cf. 8:31).
While the disciples do not yet understand, some day they will remember Jesus’ simple wordplay “Son of Man . . . hands of men.” In Aramaic the wordplay would be bar ēnash . . . bene anashim (cf. 14:41; 2 Sam. 24:14). God the Father intentionally “deliver[s]” his righteous and innocent Son into the unrighteous hands of Jewish leaders (Mark 8:31) and Gentiles. Note here the present (divine) passive Greek word paradidotai (of paradidōmi), meaning literally “I am being handed over” or “delivered.” The paradox of being delivered over is profound: the evil plan of the opponents of Jesus comes to successful fruition (10:33) only because God the Father hands the Righteous One over to death in order to achieve forgiveness for the sins of his people (Mark 10:45; Heb. 1:3). This motif is present in Isaiah 53:6 LXX, where the sins of the people are placed upon him (paredōken, “he put upon [him]”) as well as in Isaiah 53:12 LXX, where the Righteous One is handed over (paredothē) to death on account of the sins of God’s people. As such, he “bore the sin of many” (Isa. 53:12; cf. Mark 10:45).
9:32 The disciples do not grasp (Gk. agnoeō, “I do not understand”) why it is necessary for the Messiah to die. Neither do they have a category for the resurrection of an individual person. As noted, they fervently expect a political liberator (cf. 9:34; cf. comment on 9:9–10). In terms of the afterlife, they expect the resurrection of mankind at the last judgment (Dan. 12:2). Their deep-seated pre-understanding is so static and fixed that even repeated references to Jesus’ death and resurrection do not lead to true understanding. On the other hand, they will remember Jesus’ words and in due time will understand and believe (cf. comment on 11:20–21). Besides the fear-inducing mention of death, they are perhaps also “afraid to ask him” because they begin to realize that their lack of understanding might have something to do with their hard-heartedness (Mark 8:17–21, 32–33).
9:33–34 Along the lines of a neo-Maccabean revolt and connected with their deeply engrained messianic hopes of a political liberator, the disciples peg their hopes on the ensuing status, honor, and power (10:35–37, 43). Schlatter notes that the ambition to be great was pervasive in the piety of the Judaism at Jesus’ time. This status mentality was also very common in the Greco-Roman world (cf. 1 Cor. 14:27; contrast Mark 8:34–38). As so often, Jesus teaches his disciples in private (cf. 4:10, 34; 6:30; 7:17; 9:28; 10:10). Jesus’ question (“What were you discussing . . . ?”) does not mean Jesus did not know what they had been discussing. Rather, Jesus’ question guides the disciples into the following lesson on godly character (cf. 8:27, 29, 31, 34–38). “They kept silent” because they were embarrassed. They had discussed the issue of “who was the greatest.”
9:35 While teaching, instructors often sit. An important aspect of being in the presence of Jesus (3:14) is to sit under his instruction (Luke 10:39). As the Messiah of God leads by sacrificial service and the willingness to suffer (Mark 9:31), the Twelve are likewise to lead (“be first”) by being “servant[s]” (Gk. diakonos; cf. 10:43; Luke 22:26). The suffering and atoning sacrifice of Jesus signals not only the beginning of the messianic rule of God but also various patterns of conduct expressed, e.g., by humble service in the kingdom.
9:36–37 The disposition of such a serving heart means that not even a vulnerable and defenseless child will be ignored. In general, children were more or less marginalized at the time of Jesus (cf. 10:16). To receive even a simple child in a warm way means to receive Christ, who stands in solidarity with the child. To receive Christ, in turn, means accepting the purpose and will of “him who sent me.” Again, Jesus combines his extraordinary and authoritative claim of intimate closeness with God with a command to the disciples to receive seemingly insignificant children. In contrast, e.g., to Muhammad, Jesus does not seek to find his calling. He knows who he is and what he was sent to accomplish. By receiving and welcoming Jesus as the Son sent by God the Father, the disciples humble themselves (cf. 2 Chron. 34:27). As such, they are then to welcome whomever Jesus welcomes.
9:38–40 The teaching of Jesus is later echoed by Paul (Phil. 1:17–18; cf. 1 Cor. 12:3). The disciples are called to tend to their assignments and leave the rest up to God (cf. Num. 11:26–29). The disciple John may express a sense of ill-placed pride in the statement “because he was not following us.” While Jesus does not condemn a random person healing “in [his] name,” his stated intent throughout Mark is to shape those who follow him personally and thus serve him with the gifts he has given them (cf. Matt. 7:21–23).
9:41 The act of offering someone a “cup of water” ranks among the simplest of good deeds. However, even such a humble act is significant in God’s eyes, especially because the recipient “belongs to Christ” (lit. “because you are Christ’s”). Welcoming a simple person (Mark 9:35–37) and receiving a humble deed (9:41) are associated with the presence of Christ. God notices the smallest of deeds. The “reward” (Gk. misthos, “wage”) mentioned here is not to be associated with the cause of salvation, which rests solely on Christ’s finished work (10:45; 14:22–24). Rather, it is an unexplainable free gift of God in addition to the costly salvation he freely provides in the atoning blood of his Son.
9:42 Jesus has already pointed out in general terms that welcoming lowly and vulnerable persons includes the act of receiving him. Now he explicitly states that these little ones trust in him. He thus warns of causing “little ones who believe in me to sin” (Gk. skandalizō, “I cause someone to stumble in sin”). It is abhorrent to lead such trusting ones to disbelief and to cause them to embrace attitudes and actions that oppose God’s ways, especially by causing them to reject him whom God has sent for salvation (Matt. 11:6; Luke 17:1–2). The most serious aspect of sin is separation from God. Jesus’ warning “it would be better” does not incite the death of such scandalous people but warns that they will face the awful wrath of God. The actions that arise from pride lead to sin (Mark 9:34, 38; cf. Luke 17:1).
9:43 A reference to the “hand” can serve as a metonymy for various offenses done with a hand, such as murder, violence, stealing, sexual immorality, or being possessive/stingy (cf. comment on 9:43–48).
9:45 A reference to the “foot” can serve as a metonymy for pursuing any sinful act, such as getting oneself into a situation in which murder, violence, stealing, or sexual immorality is possible (contrast Eph. 6:15; cf. comment on 9:43).
9:47 A reference to the “eye” can serve as a metonymy for lust, adultery, or the pursuit of deception (cf. Matt. 5:27–30; comments on 9:43; 9:45).
9:48 Jesus quotes Isaiah 66:24, in which the prophet ends his book with the prospect of the great judgment of God upon all ungodliness (Isa. 66:3–4, 16–18) and the great mercy of God upon the repentant (Isa. 66:2, 10–14, 22).
9:49–50 These verses confirm that Jesus looks far beyond the possible removal of a member of the body (Mark 9:43–48) and focuses on thorough, inner sacrifice, purification, and cleansing. The growing disciple is purified in surrender to God. To “be salted” means to be offered in purifying “fire” through the removal of sin. John the Baptist predicted that Jesus would baptize his disciples in “Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16; 12:49). “Have salt in yourselves” further develops the same idea: the process of God-dedicated purification, that is, of applying, metaphorically, “salt” to life (cf. Job 6:6; Zech. 13:9; Mal. 3:2–4) cultivates reconciled “peace” (cf. Rom. 12:18; 1 Thess. 5:13). The final result of such purification is to become, metaphorically speaking, salt of the earth, that is, to be dedicated to preservation and purification of life (Matt. 5:13; cf. Luke 14:34; Col. 4:6). Here, as in Mark 7:14–23, Jesus does not point to the means of removing sin and impurity, but merely exposes the urgent need for purity of heart in God’s service.
10:1 Jesus continues on his last journey from Galilee to Jerusalem, via Jericho (Mark 10:17, 32, 46; 11:1). The Gospel of Luke contains a more detailed description of this journey in its so-called travel narrative (Luke 9:51–19:44). The journey coincides with the popular Jewish Passover pilgrimage to Jerusalem. In Jesus’ work, he continues to engage in lengthy periods of teaching, “as was his custom” (durative imperfect of edidasken; “he kept on teaching”).
10:2 Similar to previous times, some of the Pharisaic opponents try to “test” him (Gk. peirazō, “I test”; cf. comments on 1:12–13; 8:11; 10:2–12; 12:15; 14:37–40). They do so in order to find fault with him (Mark 8:11; 12:15). They seek to accomplish their goal by asking a question (cf. 2:24) about legal provisions for divorce in the hopes of exposing him as an opponent of the law of Moses. Jesus’ answers concerning both ceremonial purity (7:5–23) and divorce concentrate on the disposition of the heart rather than on legal matters. Jesus teaches that the focus must lie on the purity of the heart, since godly conduct and behavior, as well as conformity to the law, arises from it. Furthermore, Jesus appears to teach more restrictively than even Moses did (Deut. 24:1), at least when it comes to the question of divorce (Mark 10:9). He does so by upholding the original creation order of covenantal marriage between one man and one woman as the supreme biblical standard. The opponents of Jesus are thus not only unsuccessful in exposing a flaw in Jesus’ view of OT divorce law, but they also find themselves confronted with the fact that Moses’ divorce law, which was given by God, represented a concession to their hardness of heart (cf. comments on following verses).
10:3 Judiciously, Jesus poses a counter-question, likewise based on the law of Moses. Rather than considering permissions in the law, Jesus searches for a “command” of Moses concerning divorce. Surprisingly, there exists no command about divorce.
10:4 Jesus’ opponents do not face the fact that they inadvertently chose to focus on what “Moses allowed” (Mark 10:3; cf. Deut. 24:1–3), thus placing them in a precarious position from the start.
10:5–8 Jesus then proceeds to trace the physical and emotional marriage/union between one man and one woman (Mark 10:5–8) to the creation order and thus to the original purpose of God (Gen. 1:27; 2:24; Ex. 20:14). By doing so, he rules that the Mosaic permission of divorce (Deut. 24:1–3) merely conceded an exception “because of your hardness of heart” (Mark 10:5). To a certain degree, then, Jesus moves in his argumentation from creation (Gen. 1:27) to the fall of mankind (Deut. 24:1) before presenting the hope of redemption (e.g., Mark 9:31, 49–50; 10:9–12, 45).
10:7–8 The purpose of salvation through Christ is to provide a repentant and reconciling restoration to God’s purposes in his creation. Equal in value, one man and one woman shall “leave . . . father and mother,” “hold fast” to each other, and “become one flesh” in marriage (cf. Gen. 1:27; 2:24; 1 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 5:31). This is both a command and a declaration. Jesus reinforces the deep-seated “leaving” in which a new priority of emotional and will-based loyalty away from parents toward one spouse is established. By “holding fast” to each other in moral purity, the couple strengthens their new loyalty and are thus one flesh. Note, however, that sexual intercourse alone leads to “becoming one flesh” (1 Cor. 6:16).
Married people who are progressively able to deal with their respective and profound hard-heartedness, especially self-sufficient pride, do not need to be worried about the possibility or the legality of divorce (consider Mark 9:49–50; cf. Deut. 10:16; Jer. 4:4; Mark 7:20–23). Instead, they will actively seek to “hold fast to” each other (Gk. proskollaō, “I adhere closely to” or “cleave”) by being fully devoted to each other. Such a marriage bond is profound (cf. 8:37 in this context) and a gift from God (Mal. 2:15–16). This in turn serves as the basis for Jesus’ answer to his opponents (cf. 1 Cor. 7:10–11).
10:9 In his declaration “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate,” Jesus clearly states that human beings must not act against the “joining” work of God. It is less clear, however, how God joins one man and one woman in marriage. Jesus implies that a man and a woman who enter into physical union are already “one flesh” (cf. Mark 10:8; see Matt. 5:32; 19:9; 1 Cor. 6:16). Jesus thus takes every marriage as binding before God (cf. 1 Cor. 7:1–16). Beyond this, Genesis 2:24 conveys the public “leaving and cleaving” of a newly married couple, suggesting a ceremony of declaration and blessing.
10:10–12 As often, Jesus proceeds to teach his followers further in private (e.g., Mark 4:10; 7:17; 9:33). He stresses the sanctity of a monogamous marriage. On the other hand, he concedes the possibility of either partner causing divorce on account of hard-hearted adultery (Matt. 5:32; 19:9). He also speaks to the disciples about those circumstances in which remarriage amounts to “adultery.” If a person divorces a spouse on insufficient grounds and the divorced person marries someone else, he or she “commits adultery against” the first spouse (Mark 10:11–12; Luke 16:18). Only in cases of sexual unfaithfulness in a given marriage is the marriage actually broken or annulled (Matt. 5:32; 19:9). In those cases, the party that did not engage in sexual unfaithfulness may consider remarriage. If one reflects on Matthew 5:32; 19:9; and Luke 16:18 in conjunction with Mark 10:1–12, there is no room for polygamy, since the marriage of one man and one woman is broken if one of them has intercourse with another person, even if he or she is formally “married” to such a person outside of the one binding, monogamous, heterosexual marriage. In other words, the first marriage is the binding marriage, except in cases of sexual unfaithfulness.
10:13 At the time of Jesus, Jews were well aware of the tradition of blessing a boy on the day of circumcision. A prophet’s blessing would be especially sought after. This explains why some parents try to bring their children to him. In the Greco-Roman and Jewish world of Jesus’ time, children were generally considered insignificant and of low value (9:36–37, 42). This explains the gruff (Gk. epitimaō, “I rebuke”) reaction of the disciples (cf. 2 Kings 4:27). They are not yet reflecting the creation-loving and creation-redeeming character of their master.
10:14–16 Jesus rebukes his disciples sharply (Gk. aganakteō, “I am indignant”; cf. comments on 10:41; 14:3–5) and ardently. As a parallel, compare the respective and strong exhortations in Mark 8:32–33. To Jesus, vulnerable children are equally as significant as adults, deserving of love and attention—thus the warm embrace (10:16; see 9:36–37; cf. 5:23). The key to a proper interpretation of verses 14–15 is to understand verse 14 (“to such belongs . . .”) in the light of verse 15. Contrary to some interpreters, children do not automatically belong to the “kingdom of God” by virtue of being children. Instead, their childlike helplessness and innate trust, rather than being children or having some personal merit as children, is the focus. Jesus speaks of someone who “receive[s]” (dechomai, “I receive in a submissive way, welcome, accept”) the kingdom as a gift and “like a child” (cf. 9:37; 10:23–24). This means that the kingdom is received in a childlike manner of dependency and trust rather than by keeping the law of Moses.
Observe the significant parallel between “come to me” (v. 14) and “receive the kingdom of God” (v. 15). To come to Jesus, especially by trusting in his sacrifice and surrendering to his will, is equivalent to entering the kingdom (cf. 10:23–25). It is important to note the various conditions for entry into the kingdom mentioned in 9:43, 45, 47; 10:23–24. Verses 14–16 thus emphasize Jesus’ high regard for vulnerable children as well as his focus on the childlike faith of anyone who would seek to enter the kingdom of God.