Mark 10

The Question of Divorce

10He ^yset out from there and went to the region of Judea ^zand across the Jordan. ^aThen crowds converged on Him again and, as He usually did, He began teaching ^bthem once more. ²Some Pharisees ^capproached Him to test ^dHim. They asked, “Is it lawful ^efor a man to divorce ^fhis wife?” ^g

³He replied to them, “What did Moses ^hcommand you?”

⁴They said, “Moses permitted us to write divorce papers ⁱand send her away.” ^j

⁵But Jesus told them, “He wrote this command for you because of the hardness of your hearts. ^k6But from the beginning ^lof creation ^mGod ⁿmade them male and female. ^op

⁷For this reason a man will leave ^q

his father and mother

[and be joined to his wife], ^r

⁸and the two will become one flesh. ^st

So they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹Therefore what God has joined together, man must not separate.” ^u

¹⁰Now in the house the disciples questioned Him again about this matter. ¹¹And He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife ^vand marries ^wanother commits adultery ^xagainst her. ¹²Also, if she divorces her husband ^yand marries another, she commits adultery.”

Blessing the Children

¹³Some ^zpeople were bringing little children ^ato Him so He might touch them, but His disciples rebuked ^bthem. ¹⁴When Jesus saw it, He was indignant ^cand said to them, “Let the little children come to Me. ^dDon’t stop ^ethem, for the kingdom of God ^fbelongs to such as these. ^15•I assure you: ^gWhoever does not welcome ^hithe kingdom of God like a little child ^jwill never enter it.” ¹⁶After taking them in His arms, He laid His hands on ^kthem and blessed ^lthem.

The Rich Young Ruler

¹⁷As ^mHe was setting out on a journey, ⁿa man ran up, knelt down ^obefore Him, and asked Him, “Good ^pTeacher, ^qwhat must I do to inherit ^reternal life?” ^s

¹⁸“Why do you call Me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good but One—God. ^t19You know the commandments:

Do not murder; ^u

do not commit adultery; ^v

do not steal; ^w

do not bear false witness; ^x

do not defraud; ^y

honor ^zyour father and mother.” ^ab

²⁰He said to Him, “Teacher, ^cI have kept all these from my youth.”

²¹Then, looking at him, Jesus loved him ^dand said to him, “You lack one thing: Go, sell all you have and give to the poor, ^eand you will have treasure ^fin heaven. ^gThen come, ^hfollow Me.” ⁱ²²But he was stunned ^jat this demand, and he went away grieving, ^kbecause he had many possessions. ^l

Possessions and the Kingdom

²³Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth ^mto enter the kingdom of God!” ⁿ²⁴But the disciples were astonished at His words. Again Jesus said to them, “Children, ^ohow hard it is ^pto enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich ^qperson to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁶So they were even more astonished, saying to one another, “Then who can be saved?” ^r

²⁷Looking at them, Jesus said, “With men it is impossible, ^sbut not with God, because all things are possible with God.”

²⁸Peter ^tbegan to tell Him, “Look, we have left everything and followed You.”

²⁹“I assure you,” ^uJesus said, “there is no one who has left house, brothers or sisters, mother or father, ^vchildren, or fields because of Me and the gospel, ^w30who will not receive 100 times ^xmore, now at this time ^y—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions ^z—and eternal life ^ain the age to come. ^b31But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” ^c

The Third Prediction of His Death

³²They ^dwere on the road, going up to Jerusalem, ^eand Jesus was walking ahead of them. They were astonished, but those who followed Him were afraid. ^fTaking the Twelve aside again, He began to tell them the things that would happen to Him. ^g

³³“Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem. The ^•Son of Man ^hwill be handed over to the ^•chief priests and the ^•scribes, ⁱand they will condemn Him to death. Then they will hand Him over to the Gentiles, ^j34and they will mock Him, spit on Him, flog ^kHim, and kill Him, and He will rise ^lafter three days.” ^m

Suffering and Service

³⁵Then ⁿJames ^oand John, ^pthe sons of Zebedee, ^qapproached Him and said, “Teacher, ^rwe want You to do something for us if we ask You.”

³⁶“What do you want Me to do for you?” He asked them.

³⁷They answered Him, “Allow us to sit at Your right and at Your left in Your glory.” ^s

³⁸But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you’re asking. ^tAre you able to drink the cup ^uI drink or to be baptized with the baptism ^vI am baptized with?” ^w

³⁹“We are able,” they told Him.

Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with. ^x40But to sit at My right or left is not Mine to give; instead, it is for those it has been prepared for.” ⁴¹When the other 10 disciples heard this, they began to be indignant with James and John. ^y

⁴²Jesus called them over and said to them, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles dominate ^zthem, and their men of high positions exercise power over them. ⁴³But it must not be like that among you. ^aOn the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ^b44and whoever wants to be first among you must be a ^•slave ^cto all. ⁴⁵For even the Son of Man ^ddid not come to be served, but to serve, ^eand to give His life ^f—a ransom ^gfor many.” ^hi

A Blind Man Healed

⁴⁶They ^jcame to Jericho. ^kAnd as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus (the son of Timaeus), a blind ^lbeggar, ^mwas sitting by the road. ⁿ⁴⁷When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, ^ohe began to cry out, “Son of David, ^pJesus, have mercy ^qon me!” ^r48Many people told him to keep quiet, but he was crying out all the more, “Have mercy on me, ^sSon of David!”

⁴⁹Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

So they called the blind man and said to him, “Have courage! ^tGet up; He’s calling for you.” ⁵⁰He threw off his coat, ^ujumped up, and came to Jesus.

⁵¹Then Jesus answered him, “What do you want ^vMe to do for you?”

“Rabbouni,” ^wxthe blind man told Him, “I want to see!”

⁵²“Go your way,” Jesus told him. “Your faith has healed you.” ^yImmediately he could see and began to follow Him on the road.