Mark 10

King James Version

Full text for Mark Chapter 10

1¶ And he arose from thence, and cometh into the coasts of Judaea by the farther side of Jordan: and the people resort unto him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again.

2And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away [his] wife? tempting him.

3And he answered and said unto them, ‹What did Moses command you?›

4And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put [her] away.

5And Jesus answered and said unto them, ‹For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.›

6‹But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.›

7‹For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;›

8‹And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.›

9‹What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.›

10And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same [matter].

11And he saith unto them, ‹Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.›

12‹And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.›

13¶ And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and [his] disciples rebuked those that brought [them].

14But when Jesus saw [it], he was much displeased, and said unto them, ‹Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.›

15‹Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.›

16And he took them up in his arms, put [his] hands upon them, and blessed them.

17¶ 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?

18And Jesus said unto him, ‹Why callest thou me good? [there is] none good but one, [that is], God.›

19‹Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.›

20And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.

21Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, ‹One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.›

22And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

23And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, ‹How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!›

24And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, ‹Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!›

25‹It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.›

26And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?

27And Jesus looking upon them saith, ‹With men [it is] impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.›

28Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.

29And Jesus answered and said, ‹Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,›

30‹But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.›

31‹But many [that are] first shall be last; and the last first.›

32¶ And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him,

33[Saying], ‹Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles:›

34‹And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.›

35And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.

36And he said unto them, ‹What would ye that I should do for you?›

37They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.

38But Jesus said unto them, ‹Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?›

39And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, ‹Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:›

40‹But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but [it shall be given to them] for whom it is prepared.›

41And when the ten heard [it], they began to be much displeased with James and John.

42But Jesus called them [to him], and saith unto them, ‹Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.›

43‹But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:›

44‹And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.›

45‹For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.›

46¶ And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.

47And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, [thou] Son of David, have mercy on me.

48And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, [Thou] Son of David, have mercy on me.

49And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.

50And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.

51And Jesus answered and said unto him, ‹What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?› The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.

52And Jesus said unto him, ‹Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole.› And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Jesus teaches on the sanctity of marriage, condemning divorce and remarriage, and welcomes children, stating the Kingdom of God belongs to such. He challenges a rich man to sell his possessions to gain eternal life, emphasizing the difficulty for the wealthy to enter the Kingdom, but affirming God's power to save. Jesus again predicts his suffering and death, then teaches his disciples that true greatness is found in humble service, not worldly power. The chapter concludes with Jesus restoring sight to blind Bartimaeus, who then follows him.

Medium Summary

Journeying through Judea, Jesus first addresses the Pharisees' question on divorce, asserting God's original design for marriage as an indissoluble union, and clarifying that Moses' allowance was for human hardness of heart. He then rebukes his disciples for hindering children, declaring that the Kingdom of God is for those who receive it with childlike faith. A rich man seeks eternal life, but is unable to forsake his wealth to follow Jesus, leading Jesus to teach on the perils of riches and the possibility of salvation through God. Jesus reiterates his impending suffering and resurrection. Subsequently, he corrects James and John's ambition for preeminence, teaching that true leadership in his kingdom is characterized by humble service, exemplified by the Son of Man who came to minister and give his life as a ransom. Finally, Jesus demonstrates his power and compassion by healing blind Bartimaeus, whose faith makes him whole.

Long Summary

As Jesus travels through Judea, he is confronted by Pharisees regarding the lawfulness of divorce. He refers to the creation account, emphasizing God's design for marriage as an unbreakable union of one flesh, and states that Moses' allowance for divorce was a concession to human hardness of heart. He further instructs his disciples that remarriage after divorce constitutes adultery. Soon after, Jesus expresses displeasure when his disciples try to prevent children from approaching him, declaring that the Kingdom of God belongs to those who possess childlike humility and faith, and he blesses them. A wealthy man then approaches Jesus, asking how to inherit eternal life. Jesus lists several commandments, which the man claims to have kept, but Jesus then challenges him to sell all his possessions, give to the poor, and follow him. The man departs sorrowfully due to his great wealth, prompting Jesus to teach on the extreme difficulty for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God, though he affirms that with God, all things are possible. Peter points out the disciples' sacrifices, and Jesus promises abundant rewards in this life and eternal life in the world to come for those who forsake all for the gospel, adding that many who are first shall be last. On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus again foretells his betrayal, condemnation, mockery, scourging, death, and resurrection. James and John then make an ambitious request for positions of honor in his glory, which Jesus uses to teach about the nature of true leadership in his kingdom: it is not about exercising authority like the Gentiles, but about becoming a servant of all, mirroring the Son of Man who came to minister and give his life as a ransom. The chapter concludes outside Jericho, where Jesus encounters blind Bartimaeus. Despite being silenced by the crowd, Bartimaeus persistently cries out to Jesus, the Son of David, for mercy. Jesus calls him, and upon Bartimaeus's request for sight, Jesus heals him, attributing the miracle to his faith, and Bartimaeus immediately follows Jesus.

Core Concepts

  • Sanctity of MarriageJesus reasserts God's original design for marriage as an indissoluble union of one flesh, condemning divorce and remarriage as adultery. He clarifies that Moses' allowance for divorce was a concession to human hardness of heart, not God's ideal.
  • Childlike FaithJesus teaches that the Kingdom of God belongs to those who receive it with the humility and trust of a little child. He rebukes his disciples for hindering children and blesses them as an example for all believers.
  • Peril of RichesJesus illustrates the extreme difficulty for the wealthy to enter the Kingdom of God, comparing it to a camel passing through a needle's eye. He challenges a rich man to forsake his possessions, highlighting that attachment to worldly wealth can obstruct spiritual salvation.
  • True Greatness through ServiceJesus corrects his disciples' ambition for power, teaching that leadership in his kingdom is defined by humble service to others. He exemplifies this by stating that the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom.
  • Divine PossibilityIn response to the disciples' astonishment about the rich entering the Kingdom, Jesus declares that while it is impossible with men, with God all things are possible. This emphasizes God's sovereign power in salvation beyond human limitations.
  • Following JesusThe chapter presents examples of following Jesus, from the rich man who could not, to the disciples who left all, and finally to Bartimaeus who, upon receiving sight, immediately followed Him in the way. This theme underscores the cost and commitment required for discipleship.
  • Prophecy of PassionJesus explicitly and repeatedly foretells his impending suffering, death, and resurrection in Jerusalem. This serves as a crucial foreshadowing of his ultimate purpose and sacrifice.