Bible Question: can you explain Mark 10:17-31? |
Bible Answer: Greetings Rorosal! Here is some commentary that might help in explaining Mark 10:17-31.. Just let me know if you need any more commentary. "Mark 10:17 (4) And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? (4) Two things are to be greatly avoided by those who earnestly seek eternal life: the first is an opinion of their merits or deservings, which is not only understood, but condemned by the due consideration of the law: and the second is the love of riches, which turns aside many from that race in which they ran with a good courage. Mark 10:19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, (d) Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. (d) Neither by force nor deceit, nor any other means at all." (1) "Mark 10:21 Although the most injurious effects upon society would result from the operation of a general rule which should make it the duty of the wealthy to distribute their property among the poor, still the requisition seems a very appropriate one to tender to a man, who, thinking that he had fully kept the moral law of God, came to a divinely-commissioned teacher, and insisted upon having some way pointed out by which he might attain to some superior and extraordinary moral excellence. There is, however, after all, some difficulty in the case. We should have expected that, instead of putting in honest and sincere inquirer suddenly to so severe a test, the Savior would have at once explained to him the spiritual nature of the law, that he might have seen his sinfulness, and his need of inward purification, and of pardon." (2) "Mark 10:23 How hardly shall they that have riches. For notes on the Lord's words concerning riches, see #Mt 19:23-30. Compare #Lu 18:24-30. Mark adds one sentence that furnishes the key to the interpretation of the whole discourse: "How hard it is for them that 'trust' in riches", etc. (#Mr 10:24)." (3) "Mark 10:24 astonished Or, amazed, i.e. as Jews: knowing that temporal prosperity was, to the Jew as such, a token of divine favour. e.g. #Deuteronomy 28:1-12." (4) "Mark 10:25 #Mr 10:25 It is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. The needle's eye here is that of the literal needle, and the expression was a proverbial one to indicate that which was absolutely impossible. Lord George Nugent (1845-6) introduced the explanation that Jesus referred to the two gates of a city, the large one for beast of burden, and the small one for foot-passengers. This smaller one is now called "The Needle's Eye," but there is no evidence whatever that it was so called in our Saviour's time. In fact, as Canon Farrar observes, we have every reason to believe that this smaller gate received its name in late years because of the efforts of those who were endeavoring to soften this saying of Jesus. (TFG 547)" (5) Blessings to you, Makarios (1) Geneva Bible Translation Notes (2) Abbott's Illustrated NT (3) The People's New Testament (4) Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition (5) The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts of Apostles |