Mark 10–12

Marriage and Divorce

Matt. 19:1–9

10Then ^aHe arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan. And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.

^2bThe Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” testing Him.

³And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?”

⁴They said, ^c“Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.”

⁵And Jesus answered and said to them, “Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this ¹precept. ⁶But from the beginning of the creation, God ^d‘made them male and female.’ ^7e‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, ⁸and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

¹⁰In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter. ¹¹So He said to them, ^f “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. ¹²And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Children and the Kingdom

Matt. 19:13–15; Luke 18:15–17

^13gThen they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. ¹⁴But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for ^hof such is the kingdom of God. ¹⁵Assuredly, I say to you, ⁱwhoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will ^jby no means enter it.” ¹⁶And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

Rich Young Ruler

Matt. 19:16–22; Luke 18:18–23

^17kNow as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I ^ldo that I may inherit eternal life?”

¹⁸So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, ^mGod. ¹⁹You know the commandments: ⁿ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”

²⁰And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have ^okept from my youth.”

²¹Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, ^psell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have ^qtreasure in heaven; and come, ^rtake up the cross, and follow Me.”

²²But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Difficulty of Riches

Matt. 19:23–26; Luke 18:24–27

^23sThen Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” ²⁴And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is ²for those ^twho trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a ^urich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁶And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁷But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not ^vwith God; for with God all things are possible.”

Eternal Reward

Matt. 19:27–30; Luke 18:28–30

^28wThen Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You.”

²⁹So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother ³or wife or children or ⁴lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, ^30xwho shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with ^ypersecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. ^31zBut many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Coming Crucifixion

Matt. 20:17–19; Luke 18:31–34

^32aNow they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed. And as they followed they were afraid. ^bThen He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him: ³³“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; ³⁴and they will mock Him, and ⁵scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.”

“Whoever Desires to Become Great”

Matt. 20:20–28

^35cThen James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.”

³⁶And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

³⁷They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.”

³⁸But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the ^dcup that I drink, and be baptized with the ^ebaptism that I am baptized with?”

³⁹They said to Him, “We are able.”

So Jesus said to them, ^f“You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; ⁴⁰but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those ^gfor whom it is prepared.”

^41hAnd when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John. ⁴²But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, ⁱ “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. ^43jYet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. ⁴⁴And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. ⁴⁵For even ^kthe Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and ^lto give His life a ransom for many.”

Blind Bartimaeus is Healed

Matt. 20:29–34; Luke 18:35–43

^46mNow they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. ⁴⁷And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, ⁿSon of David, ^ohave mercy on me!”

⁴⁸Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁹So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.

Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.”

⁵⁰And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.

⁵¹So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

The blind man said to Him, ⁶“Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.”

⁵²Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; ^pyour faith has ⁷made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.

The Triumphal Entry

Matt. 21:1–11; Luke 19:29–40

11Now ^awhen they drew near Jerusalem, to ¹Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples; ²and He said to them, “Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it. ³And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it,’ and immediately he will send it here.”

⁴So they went their way, and found ²the colt tied by the door outside on the street, and they loosed it. ⁵But some of those who stood there said to them, “What are you doing, loosing the colt?”

⁶And they spoke to them just as Jesus had commanded. So they let them go. ⁷Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it. ^8bAnd many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:

“Hosanna!

^c‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’

¹⁰Blessed is the kingdom of our father David

That comes ³in the name of the Lord!

^dHosanna in the highest!”

^11eAnd Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.

A Fig Tree is Cursed

Matt. 21:18, 19

^12fNow the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. ^13gAnd seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. ¹⁴In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.”

And His disciples heard it.

The Temple is Cleansed

Matt. 21:12, 13; Luke 19:45, 46

^15hSo they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold ⁱdoves. ¹⁶And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. ¹⁷Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ^j‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ^k‘den of thieves.’ ”

¹⁸And ^lthe scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because ^mall the people were astonished at His teaching. ¹⁹When evening had come, He went out of the city.

Power of Faith

Matt. 21:20–22

²⁰ⁿNow in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. ²¹And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”

²²So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. ²³For ^oassuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. ²⁴Therefore I say to you, ^pwhatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Necessity of Forgiveness

²⁵“And whenever you stand praying, ^qif you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. ²⁶⁴But ^rif you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your…