Read Mark 10 here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+10&version=NIV
Mark 10 is the here’s some difficult teachings chapter. We’re half way time to get to some meat. The pharisees ask Jesus about if it’s okay to divorce. His response in Mark is no. It’s more eloquent than that, as he says, “What God has joined together let man not separate.” That’s to the pharisees. Later to the disciples he says and if you remarry after divorce- that’s adultery. Now in other books Jesus gives reasons for divorce- unfaithfulness, abandonment, which I would say includes abuse are part of that. Based on all of that I would say there are reasons for divorce and there are some instances where remarriage after divorce could be allowed- but one should take their vows very seriously. “Til death do us part” is a pretty big vow. If people had the idea going into marriage thinking this truly was til death- I think we’d have a lot less divorce and a lot less marriage for that matter. But that’s a conversation over a beverage sometime.
We get away from controversial statement for a moment here and for the second time Mark mentions that Jesus loved children- when the disciples send them away he calls them back to him and blesses them. I’ve never thought about this before but it’s thought that Mark was a child and his mother was the owner of the upper room and an early church leader so it’s possible that Mark knew Jesus as a young boy and that perhaps he was one of the kids who came to Jesus. That would explain his second mention of Jesus love for kids.
Then Jesus tells a guy with money to give it all away to the poor. And at this the disciples are finally at their end of their rope. “Hey Jesus- you serious about that?” Here is where we get the gospel- With man this impossible- but with God all things are possible” That’s incredible! Peter then finds a way to put his foot in his mouth for possibly the third time in the book- “hey we’ve given up stuff for you Jesus don’t that count” Peter doesn’t get it. No matter what we give for God we can’t give everything. You can’t out give God. Yet Jesus doesn’t say that- he says that many will give up a lot for the kingdom of God. So when we give we’re not alone and we should give willingly as God has given us everything and gave up everything for us on the cross.
Jesus predicts his death a third time- then James and John say hey can we be on your right and left in glory? I don’t think they understood what he said before? Hopefully these conversations were further apart than they were recorded. But to the disciples credit they rebuke James and John- but Jesus brings them back with a familiar refrain of the first shall be last. Don’t strive for greatness. Strive to serve. Too often we think about greatness rather than service. Service is great! Figuring out how to do it best is the challenge and the creativity that’s coming to us now.
Then of course we end with another healing because we have to have one of those- this time for Bartimaeus- his story is unique in how little there is to it. Jesus asks the blind man what he wants- and he asks of course for sight and that’s the end. It brings to mind- what should Bartimaeus have asked for. If Jesus can give all- what is the best thing a blind person can ask for? Is it sight? Forgiveness? Wisdom? Regardless it doesn’t matter Jesus says “your faith has healed you” Yet it adds one more little note that’s different than the other healings.
He received his sight and followed Jesus down the road.
Perhaps the important thing isn’t the sight. Maybe it’s that he didn’t let that deter him from following Jesus down the road. Follow Jesus down the road this holy week and every week. Where his spirit says go- go follow Him. Adventures await!
Marking It Up 