MRK 10
10
Concerning Divorce
Matt. 19:1-12
1 Jesus set out from there and came to the region of Judea and to the area on the other side of the Jordan River. Crowds came together to Him again, and as was His custom, He began to teach them again about the kingdom.
2 Some Pharisees came to Him and began to question Him, asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?" They were testing Him, trying to trap Him in a controversial issue.
3 Jesus responded with a question, saying to them, "What did Moses command you in the Law?"
4 They answered, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send his wife away."
5 But Jesus said to them, "Moses wrote this commandment for you only as a concession because of the hardness of your hearts and your stubborn refusal to live according to God's will.
6 But at the beginning of creation, God's original design was different. 'He made them male and female.'*
7 'On account of this design, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined permanently to his wife,
8 and the two shall become one flesh,'* united inseparably. So they are no longer two separate individuals, but one flesh joined by God.
9 Therefore, what God has united together in marriage, let no human being separate by divorce."
10 Later, in the privacy of the house, the disciples began to ask Jesus again about this difficult teaching.
11 Jesus said to them clearly, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.
12 And if she herself divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery."
Jesus Embraces and Blesses Children
Matt. 19:13-15; Lk. 18:15-17
13 People were bringing little children to Jesus so that He might touch them in blessing, but the disciples rebuked those who brought them, thinking children were unimportant.
14 But when Jesus saw this, He was greatly indignant. He said to the disciples, "Permit the children to come to Me. Do not prevent them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.
15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child in humility, dependence, and trust will never enter it."
16 Jesus took the children in His arms and embraced them lovingly. He began to bless them earnestly, laying His hands on them in benediction.
The Rich Man
Matt. 19:16-30; Lk. 18:18-30
17 As Jesus was setting out on the road to continue His journey, one man ran up eagerly, fell on his knees before Him, and asked, "Good Teacher, what must I do so that I may inherit eternal life?"
18 But Jesus challenged his casual use of the word "good," saying to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good in an absolute sense except God alone.
19 You know the commandments from Scripture: 'You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false evidence against your neighbour. You shall not defraud anyone. Honour your father and mother.'"
20 The man said to Him confidently, "Teacher, all these requirements I have carefully observed and kept from my youth onward."
21 Jesus looked at him intently and loved him, seeing his sincerity. He said to him, "You lack one thing to complete your righteousness: Go, sell everything that you have, and give the proceeds to the poor. Then you will have treasure in heaven instead of on earth. After that, come and follow Me as My disciple."
22 But at this statement, the man looked downcast. He went away grieving and sorrowful, for he was one who possessed many material possessions that he could not give up.
23 Jesus looked around at His disciples and said to them, "How difficult it is for those who have riches and wealth to enter the kingdom of God!"
24 The disciples were astounded at His words, since wealth was seen as God's blessing. But Jesus responded and said to them again, "Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God!
25 It is easier for a camel—the largest animal in Palestine—to go through the eye of a sewing needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."
26 The disciples were exceedingly struck with amazement, saying to one another, "Who then can possibly be saved, if even the rich cannot?"
27 Jesus looked directly at them and said, "With men, salvation is impossible. No one can save themselves. But not with God—for all things are possible with God, including the salvation of the rich."
28 Peter began to say to Jesus, "Look, we have left everything behind and have followed You. What will we receive?"
29 Jesus was answering, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or mother, or father, or children, or farms and lands, for the sake of Me and for the sake of the gospel,
30 who will not receive a hundred times as much now in this present age—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions that will come—and in the age to come, eternal life.
31 On the contrary, many who are first in this age will be last, and those who are last now will be first then."
Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection a Third Time
Matt. 20:17-19; Lk. 18:31-34
32 Now they were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them, leading the way. The disciples were astonished at His determination, and those who were following behind Him were afraid of what lay ahead. Jesus took aside the twelve once more and began to tell them in detail the events that were soon to happen to Him:
33 "Listen carefully. We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over and betrayed to the chief priests and the scribes. They will sentence Him to death and will deliver Him over to the Gentiles for execution.
34 The Gentiles will mock and deride Him, spit on Him in contempt, flog Him brutally, and kill Him. But after three days, He will rise from the dead in victory."
The Request of James and John
Matt. 20:20-28
35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus privately and said to Him, "Teacher, we desire that You do for us whatever we ask of You."
36 Jesus said to them, "What do you desire that I should do for you?"
37 They said to Him boldly, "Grant us that we may sit in positions of honour, one at Your right hand and one at Your left, when You come in Your glory and establish Your kingdom."
38 But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking for. Are you able to drink the cup of suffering which I must drink, or to be baptised with the baptism of suffering with which I am baptised?"
39 They answered Him naively and confidently, "We are able." Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup which I drink, and you will be baptised with the baptism with which I am baptised—you will share in My sufferings.
40 But to sit at My right hand or at My left is not Mine to give. Those positions are for those for whom they have been prepared by My Father according to His sovereign plan."
41 When the other ten disciples heard about this request, they began to be greatly angry with James and John for their presumption and ambition.
42 Jesus called all twelve to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
43 But it shall not be in this way among you and your community. Instead, whoever desires to become great among you must become your servant, ministering to others.
44 And whoever desires to be first and foremost among you must become the slave of all, taking the lowest position.
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served and waited upon, but to serve others, and to give His life as a ransom payment for many, purchasing their freedom from sin."
The Healing of Bartimaeus
Matt. 20:29-34; Lk. 18:35-43
46 Then they came to the city of Jericho. As Jesus was departing from Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd following, Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting beside the road.
47 When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene passing by, he began to call out loudly and persistently, saying, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
48 Many people in the crowd were rebuking him and telling him to be quiet and stop bothering Jesus. But he continued to call out all the more urgently, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"
49 Jesus stopped walking when He heard the cry. He said, "Call him here to Me." The crowd called the blind man and said to him, "Take heart! Rise up! He is calling you."
50 Bartimaeus, in his excitement, threw aside his beggar's cloak and leaped up with joy. He came to Jesus.
51 In response, Jesus said to him, "What do you desire that I should do for you?" The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni"—my Master and Teacher—"I desire that I may recover my sight."
52 Jesus said to him, "Go your way. Your faith has healed you and made you whole." Immediately Bartimaeus recovered his sight completely. He began to follow Jesus on the way to Jerusalem as a grateful disciple.
Notes
6 Quoted from Gen. 1:27
7-8 Quoted from Gen. 2:24
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Copyright © 2026 Michael Adeyemi Adegbola. This Scripture text is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).
