Mark 10

Mark 10:1

¹He arose from there and came into the borders of Judea and beyond the Jordan. Multitudes came together to him again. As he usually did, he was again teaching them.

Jesus goes to Judea beyond the Jordan; crowds gather and He teaches as usual.

Mark 10:2

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

Pharisees test Jesus by asking if divorce is lawful.

Mark 10:3

³He answered, “What did Moses command you?”

Jesus asks what Moses commanded them.

Mark 10:4

⁴They said, “Moses allowed a certificate of divorce to be written, and to divorce her.”

They reply that Moses allowed a divorce certificate.

Mark 10:5-9

⁵But Jesus said to them, “For your hardness of heart, he wrote you this commandment. ⁶But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female. ⁷For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will join to his wife, ⁸and the two will become one flesh, so that they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”

Jesus says Moses wrote that command for hard hearts; from creation God made male and female to become one flesh—what God joins, humans must not separate.

Mark 10:10-12

¹⁰In the house, his disciples asked him again about the same matter. ¹¹He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. ¹²If a woman herself divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Privately Jesus teaches that divorcing and remarrying constitutes adultery against the spouse.

Mark 10:13-16

¹³They were bringing to him little children, that he should touch them, but the disciples rebuked those who were bringing them. ¹⁴But when Jesus saw it, he was moved with indignation and said to them, “Allow the little children to come to me! Don’t forbid them, for God’s Kingdom belongs to such as these. ¹⁵Most certainly I tell you, whoever will not receive God’s Kingdom like a little child, he will in no way enter into it.” ¹⁶He took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

Jesus is indignant when disciples rebuke those bringing children; He welcomes them, says the Kingdom belongs to such, and blesses them.

Mark 10:17

¹⁷As he was going out into the way, one ran to him, knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”

A man runs, kneels, and asks what he must do to inherit eternal life.

Mark 10:18-19

¹⁸Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except one—God. ¹⁹You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not give false testimony,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and mother.’”

Jesus asks why he calls Him good—only God is good—and lists key commandments.

Mark 10:20

²⁰He said to him, “Teacher, I have observed all these things from my youth.”

The man says he has kept these commandments from his youth.

Mark 10:21

²¹Jesus looking at him loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me, taking up the cross.”

Jesus looks at him with love and calls him to sell all, give to the poor, and follow Him for treasure in heaven.

Mark 10:22

²²But his face fell at that saying, and he went away sorrowful, for he was one who had great possessions.

The man’s face falls and he leaves sorrowful because he has great possessions.

Mark 10:23

²³Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it is for those who have riches to enter into God’s Kingdom!”

Jesus remarks how hard it is for the rich to enter God’s Kingdom.

Mark 10:24-25

²⁴The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus answered again, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter into God’s Kingdom! ²⁵It is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter into God’s Kingdom.”

Jesus repeats the difficulty and says a camel through a needle’s eye is easier than a rich person entering the Kingdom.

Mark 10:26

²⁶They were exceedingly astonished, saying to him, “Then who can be saved?”

The disciples are astonished and ask who then can be saved.

Mark 10:27

²⁷Jesus, looking at them, said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God.”

Jesus says that with people it is impossible, but not with God—all things are possible with God.

Mark 10:28

²⁸Peter began to tell him, “Behold, we have left all and have followed you.”

Peter says they have left everything and followed Jesus.

Mark 10:29-31

²⁹Jesus said, “Most certainly I tell you, there is no one who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or land, for my sake, and for the sake of the Good News, ³⁰but he will receive one hundred times more now in this time: houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land, with persecutions; and in the age to come eternal life. ³¹But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Jesus promises hundredfold return with persecutions now, and eternal life; many first will be last.

Mark 10:32-34

³²They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus was going in front of them, and they were amazed; and those who followed were afraid. He again took the twelve, and began to tell them the things that were going to happen to him. ³³“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes. They will condemn him to death, and will deliver him to the Gentiles. ³⁴They will mock him, spit on him, scourge him, and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.”

Going up to Jerusalem, Jesus walks ahead; He predicts betrayal, condemnation, Gentile mocking, death, and rising.

Mark 10:35

³⁵James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came near to him, saying, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we will ask.”

James and John ask Jesus to do for them whatever they request.

Mark 10:36

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

Jesus asks what they want Him to do for them.

Mark 10:37

³⁷They said to him, “Grant to us that we may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left hand, in your glory.”

They ask to sit at His right and left in His glory.

Mark 10:38

³⁸But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”

Jesus says they do not know what they ask and questions whether they can drink His cup and share His baptism.

Mark 10:39

³⁹They said to him, “We are able.” Jesus said to them, “You shall indeed drink the cup that I drink, and you shall be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with;

They say they are able; Jesus affirms they will share His cup and baptism.

Mark 10:40

⁴⁰but to sit at my right hand and at my left hand is not mine to give, but for whom it has been prepared.”

Jesus says the right and left seats are not His to grant but for those prepared.

Mark 10:41

⁴¹When the ten heard it, they began to be indignant toward James and John.

The other ten disciples become angry with James and John.

Mark 10:42-44

⁴²Jesus summoned them and said to them, “You know that they who are recognized as rulers over the nations lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. ⁴³But it shall not be so among you, but whoever wants to become great among you shall be your servant. ⁴⁴Whoever of you wants to become first among you shall be bondservant of all.

Jesus contrasts pagan domination with Kingdom greatness: whoever would be first must be servant and slave of all.

Mark 10:45

⁴⁵For the Son of Man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus defines His mission: the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.

Mark 10:46-48

⁴⁶They came to Jericho. As he went out from Jericho with his disciples and a great multitude, the son of Timaeus, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the road. ⁴⁷When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, you son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁸Many rebuked him, that he should be quiet, but he cried out much more, “You son of David, have mercy on me!”

Blind Bartimaeus cries out to Jesus Son of David for mercy; the crowd rebukes him but he cries the more.

Mark 10:49

⁴⁹Jesus stood still and said, “Call him.” They called the blind man, saying to him, “Cheer up! Get up. He is calling you!”

Jesus stops and says to call him; the crowd tells Bartimaeus to take heart—He is calling you.

Mark 10:50

⁵⁰He, casting away his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.

Bartimaeus throws off his cloak, springs up, and comes to Jesus.

Mark 10:51

⁵¹Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “Rabboni, that I may see again.”

Jesus asks what he wants; Bartimaeus requests sight.

Mark 10:52

⁵²Jesus said to him, “Go your way. Your faith has made you well.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the way.

Jesus says his faith has healed him; Bartimaeus sees at once and follows Jesus on the way.

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