Mark 10
The stories in this chapter occur as Jesus travels south through Judea, toward Jerusalem. He was in Capernaum, in Galilee, in chapter 9. As he traveled, he taught about discipleship in every day life He addressed marriage, children, and possessions.
Marriage
10:1-12
As Jesus taught his followers, a group of Pharisees approached. We know they have already plotted to destroy him. You can imagine them meeting and discussing how to discredit him. Here they choose the topic of marriage and divorce.
The Pharisees asked “is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife”. (2) This is trap they wanted to set for Jesus. Mark called it a test.
Being diligent students of the law, they surely know what they law says about divorce. Their hope must be that Jesus will somehow not follow the law. Then they could discredit him.
Jesus recognized the trap. He asked what did Moses command you? The Pharisees answered that Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away. They referred to Deuteronomy 24:1.
The requirement for divorce was that the man found an “indecency” in his wife. As you might imagine, debate arose in the time of Jesus about the meaning of “indecency”. There were two schools of thought, each promulgated by a leading rabbi and his followers. These are recorded in the Jewish Mishnah.
Shammai took the conservative route, teaching that indecency meant adultery. Hillel taught that basically the wife doing anything that did not please the husband, even trivial acts, justified divorce. The Pharisees favored a permissive divorce approach. It allowed them to move between marriages at will.
We see here a hard heartedness behind the Pharisees and their law keeping. Jesus already rebuked them for using the law to avoid taking care of their aged parents. Now we see their hard hearts and selfishness toward their wives.
Jesus, however, was not concerned with their convenience, but with God’s design for marriage. He went all the way back to the Genesis account of God’s creation of man and woman. In verse 6, he cited Genesis 1:27, that God made them male and female. He then went to Genesis 2:24, which said a man shall “hold fast” to his wife. “Fast” means “tightly”.
Jesus was explaining to them that God created men and women and put them together in a marriage. He joined them together. They become one flesh. (8) Therefore, since God joined them together in marriage, men should not separate them.
But, God realized that men would rebel against this. Therefore, in grace, God provided in the Mosaic Covenant, the grounds and procedure for divorce. It also gave some protection to the woman, since she could remarry if she had the certificate. This did not mean, however, that God approved of divorce. His design was lifetime marriage.
Even the disciples had problems with Jesus’ teaching. When they retired to the house they were staying in, they asked Jesus for more explanation. Jesus was very direct. He said whoever divorces his or her spouse and remarries commits adultery against the spouse. (10-12)
Jesus is interested in God’s will more than in finding exceptions to it.
By putting God’s design above Jewish customs, Jesus also elevates the status of women. In Israel at this time, a woman’s status and value was defined by the males in her life. She was a daughter, wife or mother. She had few rights.
Jesus & Children
10:13-16
At some point, people began to bring children to Jesus. They wanted him to touch them, probably as a blessing.
The disciples did not want the interruption and rebuked the people. They again demonstrate the elitist mentality and pride that Jesus had rebuked them for when they tried to stop a man from casting out demons in Jesus’ name. They were still more influenced by their culture than by Jesus’ teaching.
Certainly, children had even less status than women in that culture. Sons had some value because they might carry on the family name and inheritance, but mostly children were to stay out of the way and obey their parents.
Jesus was indignant, meaning he was roused to anger. (14) He had expressed on multiple occasions his love and car for those who were powerless and weak. But the disciples continued to be unchanged.
Jesus actually commended the children. The disciples were not to hinder their coming to Jesus, because they were the type of people who could come into the kingdom of God. Jesus equated himself with the kingdom of God. If they came to him, they came to the kingdom.
Children come to Jesus as powerless and not entitled. They make no claims or demands. Whatever they receive is by grace not by work. And so Jesus received them. He took them in his arms, lay his hands on them, and blessed them. (16)
That is how we all come to Jesus. We do not come by right or by claim, but seeking his grace and mercy. Jesus said we must receive the kingdom of God like a child or we will not enter it. (15)
The rich and powerful come to Jesus with empty hands just as the poor and powerless. They just have a harder time realizing it.
But if they do come to Jesus in faith and humility, Jesus will receive them. He will receive you today also, if you come to him.
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