Mark 10:1-52

III. THE PEREAN MINISTRY 10:1-52

Jesus Leaves Galilee. 10:1 (on His way to Jerusalem)

TEXT 10:1

And he arose from thence, and cometh into the borders of Judea and beyond Jordan: and multitudes come together unto him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 10:1

495.

Please note the expression: he arose from thence has more meaning than just a move from one place to another. What significance is there here?

496.

Please locate this move on the mapjust what is involved in the borders of Judea? Where is beyond the Jordan?

497.

Refer to the parallel passage in Luke. Explain the harmonyor lack of it.

498.

What was the purpose in the gathering of the multitude?

499.

Do the gospel writers indicate that teaching was the major work of Christ? Discuss.

EXPLANATORY NOTES

1, And he arose from thence, and cometh into the coasts of Judea by the farther, etc. It will be necessary to say a word or two respecting the sequence of events. Gresswell, with whose Harmony most commentators substantially agree, having inserted as the continuation of this discourse, as given in Matthew 18:10-35, the dealing with an offending brother, and St. Peter's question respecting how often he ought to forgive, and the parable of the Unmerciful Servant, then puts down the events from Jesus-' going up to Jerusalem at the Feast of the Tabernacles in John 7:2, to the departure of the Lord, after His discourse respecting the Good Shepherd, to Bethany, beyond Jordan, where John first baptized (John 10:40). Either during this stay at Jerusalem, or at its conclusion, the Lord enters into a certain village, no doubt Bethany, near Jerusalem, where He is entertained by the sisters Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38). After this when in Bethany, beyond Jordan, he hears of the sickness of Lazarus, and returns to Jerusalem and raises him from the dead, then He again retires, but now into the city called Ephraim (John 11:54). Between this retirement and the final entry into Jerusalem occur most of the events recorded between Luke 10:1 and Luke 18:14, and at the account of the Lord's taking up and blessing the little children the three Synoptics again coincide (Matthew 19:13; Mark 10:13; Luke 18:15) and substantially continue to do so to the end.

We cannot then understand the word thence as referring to the place where the Lord had been speaking of the salt losing its savour, and was urging the Apostles to have salt in themselves. It is quite necessary to understand it, so far as we are concerned, indeterminedly as referring to some place in Galilee not mentioned.
Cometh into the coast of Judea by the farther side of Jordan, i.e., by Peraea. This was the second residence in Peraea, and so the Evangelist intimates, by twice making use of the word again.
And the people resort unto him again; and as he was wont he taught them again.

SUMMARY 10:1-52

In this section Jesus is exhibited as a teacher, a prophet, and a worker of miracles. His instruction on the subject of divorce (Mark 10:1-12), displays a knowledge of the primary intention of God concerning the relation of the sexes, and an insight into the design of the Mosaic statute on the subject, which not only rose high above the. Jewish learning of his own age, but laid claim to a knowledge of the unrevealed counsel of God. None but the Son of God, or one specially commissioned to speak the mind of God, could blamelessly speak as he speaks on this subject. He sets aside, for the future, the statute of Moses, stating the reason which governed the mind of God in giving it, and restores as the law of his kingdom the original law of wedded life prescribed in the garden of Eden.

His teaching, in the same section, on the spiritual relations of infants; on the duties and dangers connected with riches; on the rewards of self-sacrifice for his sake; and on the true exercise of ambition, are alike suited to his character as the Son of God, and to the highest happiness of mankind. It is inconceivable that they can be the teachings of an ignorant or a wicked pretender.
While his superhuman wisdom is thus displayed in his teaching, his ability to look with divine foreknowledge into all the details of future events is demonstrated by minute description of the sufferings which awaited him.
The account of blind Bartimeus, while it proves again his power to heal, reflects additional credibility on the account of his previous miracles. This man, being blind, could have known of the previous miracles only by hearsay; he could not have seen them for himself. That he did, then, believe in the power of Jesus to heal, shows the abundance and sufficiency of the testimony; and the very existence of this testimony in regard to a matter about which men could not be mistaken, is proof that real miracles had been wrought. (McGarvey)