Mark 9:30- 10:16 (Week 17) Study Notes and Questions
Key Theme
Radical obedience, radical care for others.
During the personal study time, have people think about how the various stories might be connected.
Who is the Greatest? (9:30-9:37)
Why might they be arguing now about who is the greatest? How does Jesus handle their conflict?
There may be conflict between Peter, James and John and the others (the 3 got to see the transfiguration; the 9 couldn't cast out the demon; maybe all Jesus' talk about his death is making them feel the need to choose a successor). Jesus handles the conflict by calling them together, publicly.
What would a child represent in this society? The lowest, not honored, taken advantage of.
What does Jesus say about greatness? It's not bad to want it; it's how you go about it that matters.
Why would John say what he does? What has he been thinking about? Demons, deliverance; he picks up on "in my name".
What does giving a cup of water represent? Servanthood.
Who bears the name of Christ? Children, new believers, disciples.
Radical Treatment of Sin (9:42-9:50)
Who has put a stumbling block in front of one of the little ones who believes in me? The disciples who tried to stop the man from casting out demons in Jesus' name.
What consequences do you see in the passage? Led to competitiveness and envy.
Why is it so serious to cause a little one to stumble? Who does Jesus identify with? The little ones.
What would be the other options, rather than cutting off the hand? Why does Jesus insist on cutting it off? What things are true about that action?
Could put the hand behind your back etc. But Jesus insists on the clean break – it's public, permanent and painful rather than private, temporary and half-way. It's humbling, others know, you can receive prayer and accountability.
How should we understand the teaching about salt? Try replacing "salt" with "judgment"....
"Judgment is good but if judgment has lost its justice, how can you season it? Have judgment in yourselves, and be at peace with each other". Judge selves and be at peace with each other. What have the disciples been doing? Judging others and having disunity among themselves.
What chain of events/themes can you see connecting this series of teachings?
The disciples' failure to cast out the demon led to insecurity and arguments about who is the greatest. Jesus reorients their thinking about who is the greatest – must be last and servant of all – offers the child as an example, "in my name". But this gets the disciples back to thinking about the man casting out demons, who is offering a cup of cold water to others. The 12 could have offered him a cup of cold water (grace) – instead, they caused him to stumble, which is serious sin. Jesus encourages them to judge selves and be at peace with each other. Instead they argued over who is the greatest.
How have the disciples been acting? What has been the result?
They've been serving themselves and judging others. The result has been tension and conflict instead of peace.
Application Questions:
- What are some examples of areas where our right hand or eye tempts us to sin? What would it look like to cut it off?
- How are we to have salt in ourselves – to judge ourselves in a way that will produce peace with others?
Teaching About Divorce (10:1-10:12)
Where is Jesus? Why do the Pharisees ask this question?
He's heading for Jerusalem, in Herod Antipas land. The Pharisees are probably trying to trap Jesus in the same issue that led to the death of John the Baptist. Wanted to compromise Jesus, perhaps have him seized as John was.
How does Jesus deal with the issue?
He points to the intent of the law. He shows what Moses allowed, but also indicates that God wanted something better. The Biblical view of divorce:
- Genesis 2:24 – man and wife are one flesh.
- Deuteronomy 24:1 (Mosaic law) – men can divorce if displeased, something indecent/shameful, but can't remarry divorced wife after she's been married to someone else.
- Hillel law – can divorce if there's anything causing annoyance/embarrassment to husband.
- Mosaic law was meant as a protection of women. Jewish practice meant that only men could divorce, not women.
Why does Jesus say "For your hardness of heart, he wrote this commandment"? Who was the commandment intended to protect?
The wife, apart from the husband, had no rights or economic protection. The certificate allowed her to remarry and so provide for herself. Deuteronomy 24 also prevented a husband from lightly divorcing his wife and taking her back.
How did the disciples respond?
They didn't understand – clearly a hard teaching. But they approached him afterwards and asked him for an explanation.
What does Jesus emphasize? What is radical about this teaching?
Marriage is insoluble. God's design is that two would become one flesh. "Let not man" put them asunder -- not the husband, not the Pharisees, not even Moses.
There is no concept in rabbinic law of a husband committing adultery against his wife – this is a new, radical teaching. A man could commit adultery against another married man, a woman could commit it against her husband, but a husband couldn't commit it against his wife. Jesus brings back the principle underlying the law, sharply intensifying the concept of adultery, elevating the status of a wife to the same as her husband and placing the husband under an obligation of fidelity.
Also mentions women divorcing their husbands (v.12 - possibly pointing at Heroditus) OT does not provide for women divorcing husbands, only husbands could divorce wives. Radical statement of equality! But also radical statemen of responsibility for women in marriage.
Welcoming the Children (10:13-10:16)
Why did the disciples rebuke folks for bringing children to Jesus?
Children had no status. Disciples were possibly more concerned about order and propriety than compassion. Similar to their attitude to the exorcist.
What does it mean "to such belongs the kingdom of God"?
Children are humble, lacking in societal worth, utterly helpless. They are able to receive the Kingdom of God without pride, affront, the need to be important.
Why must one become like a child to enter the kingdom of God? How must we enter the kingdom?
Entering the kingdom is like entering life. Need to enter as a child being born, without our own effort, needy, without a resume or skills and talents. We need to enter the same way.
What does Jesus do?
Receives children, serves children.
Application Questions
- How do we enter the kingdom of God like a child? What will that cost us?
Mark 10:17 - 10:31 (Week 18) Study Notes and Questions
Key Theme
Worldly blessing makes it hard to enter the kingdom.
The Rich Young Ruler
How does this man approach Jesus?
Humble, anxious, eager.
What is his question? What's ironic about it?
"What must I DO to inherit eternal life?". But you can't DO anything to inherit anything – inheritance comes simply from being a child of your parents etc.
Why does Jesus first respond to being called "good"? What does he mean by "good"?
When he calls Jesus "good," what is he thinking about himself? He thinks he's good too; that the kingdom is coming to him because he's fulfilled the commandments. Jesus emphasizes that God alone is good. Jesus is not contrasting himself and God, but rather man's goodness and God's goodness. Only God is good in the OT and subsequent Judaism.
What might the man have been hoping Jesus would say? What does he need to learn?
Probably hoped Jesus would say "Wow, you really ARE good". But he needed to learn that people can't be good, only God.
Why does Jesus lay out commandments? Which ones does he not say? Why?
Jesus quotes 6 of the 10 commandments, but none of them have to do with God. He leaves out the first 4 commandments, which have to do with our relationship with God (no other gods, no idols, don't misuse God's name, honor the sabbath: Exodus 20). This seems to be connected with the "one thing" the man lacks – faith, relationship with God.
Can the man really have observed these perfectly from his youth?
Jesus doesn't rebuke him (even though no-one is able to perfectly uphold the law) – he loves him and points him beyond those 6 commandments to his lack of relationship with God.
What does Jesus tell the man to do?
He tells him that he lacks ONE thing and then gives him FIVE more commandments: go, sell, give, come, follow.
What was the man's problem? Why was he sorrowful?
Money had become his god. To obey the five new commandments, he would have had to give up his idol, have faith in God and be drawn into relationship with God (the "one thing"). But he was sorrowful because his love for his idol was greater than his love of life. He wasn't ready to take up his cross (8:34-36). Thorny soil.
Then Jesus began teaching about the Kingdom of God. Why is it hard for those who have riches to enter the Kingdom of God? Why is it easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle?
It's so easy for money to become an idol, to depend on one's riches instead of having faith in God. The camel analogy illustrated the difficulty – largest Palestinian animal, smallest opening.
Why do the disciples respond the way they do? How does Jesus respond?
They are amazed and exceedingly astonished. Jesus' teaching seemed contrary to the belief at the time – that those with riches were particularly blessed by God. Everyone thought that those with riches had the best chance of getting into the Kingdom. If it's so hard for them, it must be impossible for everyone else. Jesus responds by giving hope ("all things are possible with God"), but says that all hope is in God.
Who did we see entering the kingdom of God in the last study?
Children, entering dependent and needy, without possessions or wealth.
What does Jesus call the disciples here? Why?
"Children" – the first and only time he calls them this in the gospel of Mark. This is affirmation, not rebuke.
What must one do to inherit eternal life? How does this differ from the man's original question?
You must be born into the Kingdom, enter like a child. With men it's impossible (you can't decide to birth yourself), but all things are possible with God. Again, this shows the irony in the man's question – there's nothing he can DO. Looked at from that angle, it's impossible.
Why does Peter chime in? How does Jesus respond?
Peter seems despairing – it all seems so hard, all of a sudden. And they've given up so much! Jesus reassures him – you will receive hundreds of mothers, brothers, sisters, children, properties. But note: only one father. And also persecutions. Also, everyone in the Kingdom will get this, not just Peter. He shouldn't be seeing himself as a spiritual elite, like he deserves better treatment (and neither should we).
What did Jesus want for the rich young ruler? A life of solitude and poverty?
No, he invited him to join the community of people who are together being provided for by God. Not a lonely, depressing existence, but entrance into a growing family with hundreds of homes and lands and relational riches. Where have we heard something like this before? (Remember Jesus' words in 3:35: Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother).
What is the problem of money? What is to be done with it instead?
It can replace God. It can prevent us from receiving the Kingdom of God. Instead, use it to serve people, give it to the poor, store up treasure in Heaven.
How does Jesus expand the concept of the first shall be last here?
Those who are richly blessed in this life face more temptation from idolatry, worldliness. This was a new concept.
Application Questions
- What could Jesus say to us? "How hard will it be for those who have education/a Harvard degree/ good connections/good jobs/prestige/multiple talents to enter the Kingdom of God." How do these things make it hard for us?
- Why would anyone want to leave their home, family etc? Only if more was promised. How does this work? The Kingdom of God is a big family with one father. Has that been your experience?
- How does this teaching apply to friends who are really good and moral (nicer than us), but lack faith?