Mark 10:17-45
Wealth and Pride
Mark 10:17-31 The rich young ruler
It will help you not only to read this passage from Mark but to also read Exodus 20:1-17.
Many of us are looking for assurance at this time, some sense of certainty or future in our time of anxiety. The rich young man (notice he is not named, he remains anonymous when he could have been much more) comes to Jesus with just that request. What can he do, what must be done for him to be sure he belongs to the Age to come, the Kingdom of God - when all the prophecies in the Old Testament of a renewed and righteous creation would come to this earth?
For us we might think, if a wealthy man who has his whole life ahead of him is not assured and confident of his future then what hope is there for the rest of us?
Jesus’ response is interesting, he goes back to the basics of God’s word the 10 commandments (see Exodus 20:1-17).
Q: Which commandments does Jesus quote and which does he omit?
Q: Why do you think he does this?
Q: When Jesus rebukes the young man for calling him ‘good’ saying: ‘Only God is good’ is he implying that the young man is breaking the third commandment about the use of God’s name?
Jesus makes a request of the young man that he cannot obey and so he turns away in sadness, unassured and anxious for his future.
Q: What does this show of the young man’s response to the other commandments?
Q: Why are the disciples (and we) amazed that riches are not a sign that someone will be taken into the Age to come.
Q: What strikes you about Jesus’ answer to Peter’s statement in verse 28?
In Colossians 3:5-7 the apostle Paul writes: "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed (covetousness), which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways the life you once lived." He joins various types of covetousness (breaking the 10th commandment) to idolatry (breaking the first commandment).
Q: How can the pursuit of wealth be an idol?
Mark 10:32-45 The request of James and John
Jesus warns his disciples for the third time what is about to happen to him. He has been heading towards this ever since his baptism (see notes on Mark 1:1-20).
Q: What differs between Jesus’ view and James and John’s view of the journey to Jerusalem?
Q: What is the common view of power and glory?
Q: How does the cross of Jesus affect this understanding of power and glory?
The ‘cup’ in verse 38, seems to be a reference to the cup of God’s anger spoken of by Jeremiah (e.g. Jeremiah 25:15, see also Mark 14:36 where Jesus struggles to take this cup). In the Old Testament this anger is poured out upon nations - it is a political action.
Q: How is Jesus’ taking up this cup of anger a political solution for the wrongs of the world?
Toward the end of Mark’s gospel we see Jesus as he ‘sits in glory’. He is crucified between two thieves. James and John truly do not understand what they ask when they say they want to join him in that version of glory.
Q: How does this make us feel as people who want to follow Jesus?
Q: How will we pray for God's help in these things?
Q: How does the earlier story (Mark 10:13-16 about little children and the Kingdom of God) work as a contrast to the story of the rich young man and the request of James and John?
Q: How does the earlier story (Mark 10:13-16 about little children and the Kingdom of God) work as a contrast to the story of the rich young man and the request of James and John?