Mark 10:17-45

Mark 10:17. 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? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

This was a hint that Christ was more than man. If he was really worthy of the title that the enquirer gave him, he was God as well as man, for «there is none good but one, that is God.»

Mark 10:19. 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. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.

Possibly, in the ordinary sense of the words, he had observed these commandments, but Christ tested the reality of his declaration.

Mark 10:21. Then 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. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

Thus he proved that he had not kept either table of the law perfectly, for he did not love the Lord with all his heart, nor did he love his neighbor as himself.

Mark 10:23. And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And 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! 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. And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

It is impossible for man, unaided by the Spirit of God, to enter the kingdom of heaven, but that which is impossible to man by himself is made possible by the grace and power of God.

Mark 10:28. Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.

He spoke as if they had done what the rich man had failed to do, and evidently he thought they should be rewarded, for, according to Matthew, he added, «What shall we have therefore?»

Mark 10:29. And 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 gospels, 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. But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.

In the final account, it shall be found that no man has been a loser through giving up anything for the Lord Jesus Christ though he has his own method of deciding who are to be first and who are to be last.

Mark 10:32. And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem;

It was well known to them all that the crisis of our Saviour's history was close at hand and a sort of indefinable dread was upon them all. The bravest spirit in the whole company was their blessed Lord and Master. He knew that he was going up to Jerusalem to die, so you may view him as the Sacrifice going to the altar, or as the Hero going to the conflict in which he would die and yet conquer. They were in the way going up to Jerusalem;

Mark 10:32. And Jesus went before them:

The disciples might well have been filled with holy courage as their Leader was in the van. This is true concerning the whole life of all the saints: Jesus went before them.» What if trials lie beyond, and the dark river itself is in front of them, yet Jesus goes before them, so they need not fear to follow.

Mark 10:32. And they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid.

They did not know much about what was to happen, but a great depression was upon their spirits. They must have wondered at the cheerful bravery of their Master when all of them were ready to turn back from this mournful march.

Mark 10:32. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him, 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: 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.

He thought it right that the twelve, who led the way, should be better acquainted than the rest with the sad history that was so soon to be enacted. So he tells them about it in private, and I want you to notice how he dwells in detail upon his sufferings. He does not describe them in general terms, but he brings out into strong relief each separate set of infamy: «they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him and shall kill him;» from which we learn that our Saviour knew all that he had to endure, yet he went bravely forward to bear it for our sakes. For this reason, we should admire his divine courage and complete self-sacrifice. Mere men may promise to do a certain thing without knowing what it will involve, but

«This was compassion like a God,

That when the Saviour knew The price of pardon was his blood,

His pity ne'er withdrew.»

I think, too, that as our Lord thus dwells upon each point, he means us also to dwell upon the details of his redeeming griefs. We should not be strangers at the cross-foot, nor in Gethsemane; but should hear each one of these notes ring out its sorrowful yet joyful music: «They shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him.» But what a glad note that concluding one is: «and the third day he shall rise again.» Death cannot hold him in her bands, the sepulcher cannot continue to enclose him in her gloomy prison This is the glory and boast of our Christianity, our hope and our joy, for

«As the Lord our Saviour rose,

So all his followers must.»

Mark 10:35. And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire. And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you?

Our Saviour's question suggests to us the prudent lesson, never to promise in the dark. If anyone shall say to you, «Promise that you will do whatever I ask,» follow the example of Christ and first ask, «What would you that I should do for you?» Otherwise, you may entangle yourself with your own words. These young men evidently needed to have this question put to them, for they had not themselves thoroughly considered what they were asking their Lord to do for them.

Mark 10:37. They 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.

There was, undoubtedly, much that was wrong about this request, and you have often heard that view of the matter dwelt upon, so I will call your attention to that which was right about it. These disciples showed their faith that this same Jesus, who was to be mocked, and scourged, and spit upon, and killed, would yet reign; and I think it was wonderful faith that, after they had heard from his own lips, in sorrowful detail, the description of how he should die, yet nevertheless they so fully believed in his kingdom that they asked to have a share in its honours. It is true that they were ambitious, but their ambition was to be near the Saviour. It would be well if all those, who ask for right hand and left hand places, wanted them at the right hand and the left hand of the Saviour.

Mark 10:38. But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask:

Has the Lord ever said to us, when we have been praying, «Ye know not what ye ask»? I suppose that is usually true in a certain sense; we do not fully understand the compass of the most of our prayers, and sometimes we ask so unadvisedly that we prove that we know not what we are asking.

Mark 10:38. Can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?

«Can ye share my drinking in Gethsemane and my sinking on Golgotha?»

Mark 10:39. And they said unto him, We can.

They knew not what they said, but they felt that such was the strength of their love, that they could share anything that had to do with Christ! His throne! Yes, they would like to sit at the right hand of it. His cup! Yes, they can drink of it. Immersion into his suffering! Yes, they can endure that baptism.

Mark 10:39. 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:

And so they were, for James was soon put to death, and John lived, the last and longest of the apostles, a life-long martyrdom for the Master's sake.

Mark 10:40. 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. And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John.

Why were they displeased? Because they were of the same spirit as James and John. As they were displeased with James and John, it is evident that they wanted those places themselves, and many a man is thus displeased with his own faults. Did you ever see a dog bark at himself in a glass? You and I have often done that; we have even grown very angry with what was, after all, only our own image.

Mark 10:42. But 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. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: and whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Christ instituted bishops, that is, overseers; but never prelates. He never had any idea of setting some men in his Church over the heads of others, but he put all his servants upon an equality. They are to exercise no lordship the one over the other, nor to seek it, for the truest honour in the Church of God is found in service. He that serves most is the greatest He that will occupy the lowest office, he that will bear patiently to be the most put upon, he that is readiest to be despised, and to be the servant of all, shall be the chiefest of all. The way to rise in the kingdom of heaven is to descend, for even so was it with our Lord himself. God give to all of us the humble and lowly spirit that will make us willing to be the least of all!