Mark 10:1-52
10:1 As He was accustomed, He taught them again. Jesus does not get tired or weary or burned out, He does what He's good at with passion and effervescence. Our progress and happiness in life is so dependent on our ability to be motivated and passionate. Jesus had a clear and focused purpose, derived from His heart and soul. If you do not know your purpose yet, make your purpose be: finding your purpose! Think about what inspires your creativity. Think about what motivates you to be your best, most compassionate self and explore those avenues. God wants to work with us and He does not force us to do anything... He wants us to do what we love, become accustomed to it, and keep doing it for the world!
10:2 Although the Pharisees intentions are to confuse and debase Jesus' teachings, Jesus is knows His stuff, so to speak. Be the same. Create yourself. Know what you stand for and why and no person will be able to dismantle you.
The Pharisees want know if it's right for a man to divorce his wife. Before we even go forward we need to consider the time frame the Pharisees and Jesus are currently in. This was a time when women had little to no social standing, society was constructed so that they were entirely dependent on men. In this time, divorcing a woman meant cutting her off from life in many ways.
We also must remember that a union under God is special: two of His children have decided to live and work together during their lives on Earth. In everything good we do, God wants us to remain committed and passionate because He promises to be committed and passionate with us.
God understands and forgives all of our choices. He wants us to make good, wise decisions that promote our happiness and others' happiness. When you feel in your heart that you've made a good decision, chances are good is right there with you, supporting you while you carry it out.
10:3 Jesus refers the Pharisees to the very book they "say" they follow.
10:4 Years before, Moses wrote that a person could divorce another.
10:5 Jesus explains to us that because humans are able to make commitments and then break them, God understands. But realize how sweet and perfect God's love is: He has a difficult time digesting the fact that we can so easily ditch or divorce one another. God's relationship with us is eternal, no matter what we do but more than that...He doesn't do anything bad to us. Humans are not this perfect. Humans hurt each other quite often and are able to break bonds. God forgives humans for having "hard" hearts.
10:6-7 God created the opportunity for families. We are born and raised within our families and then we make new families with our spouses. God wishes for us to stay committed to our families but He understands that it does not always happen.
10:8-9 God takes our relationships with each other (platonic and romantic) very seriously. He wants us to be kind and committed friends, kind and committed spouses, kind and committed siblings, grandchildren...etc, etc. When we destroy or damage those bonds it really hurts Him because He knows how much those situations hurt us.
God is not a strict disciplinarian. He gives us guidelines to live by so that we live the happiest lives we can. Do not be so focused on rules that you forget He loves you and wants to guide you, not command you.
10:10 The disciples have questions of there own regarding this subject.
10:11-12 We already know that God forgives and understands everything that we say, think and do. So, if God is warning us against breaking unification, we have to dissect the reason why (because we know He isn't warning us because He wants to punish us). God does not want a man or a woman to leave their partner sad, lonely or without means (shelter, food, support). So He's just letting us know that it's NOT okay to abandon one person for another. A mutual parting is understood by Him if both people are taken care of. An unhealthy relationship is understood by Him if the person(s) benefit and grow from a bad situation. God is logical and compassionate. He knows your heart. He knows when you make a tough decision for a good reason and He knows when people make malicious or vengeful decisions. He's always in support of kindness and compassion. He wishes we could work through our difference (because WE are the ones who proclaimed unions between each other) but He understands that it's not always simple.
10:13 The disciples are... well, disciples. They are students. They are still learning. There are spending a lot of time with Jesus and probably starting to feel kind of important, maybe a little, tiny bit arrogant. Jesus is here to teach them to be humble and He will take this opportunity to do so.
Likely the disciples want to keep teaching adults because society often gives more attention to adults but God loves and listens to all of His children, regardless of age (and many other things) and He wants us to do the same.
10:14 Jesus was "greatly displeased" at the disciples rebuke of the children and welcomed the children instead. Such is the kingdom of God: God welcomes all people, teaches all people, has compassion for all people.
God does not dismiss any person. He values the thoughts and ideas of children and adults.
10:15 Jesus wants us to realize that we can learn valuable, instructive lessons from children. Children are naturally inquisitive, open, honest and compassionate (it is people and experiences which take that out of them or taint it).
10:16 Jesus so happily and affectionately received them. Jesus blesses the children and we can learn from this because children need our support and encouragement. Our experiences as children largely determine our paths and perspectives as adults. Jesus recognizes that time invested in children is time invested in humanity and humanity's future. When we guide and support children, we help them as they grow to remember that they have value and opportunity and perseverance.
10:17 This question transcends through time, many men have asked it, then and now. How can a person obtain eternal life? There's a bit of trouble with this question, for one thing: it's entirely selfish. More than wanting to live forever, we should desire to help others live. Our compassion should not be narcissistic in nature, but should be given for others. Secondly, of course it's nature to wonder and dream of heaven and of being there but we will learn that this man was a bit selfish -- he wanted to know about the reward and not the work necessary on the road to get there.
If you want to obtain life, ask not how you can save yours but how you can save another's.
10:18 Jesus wants us to understand that God is good. That God is our Indescribable -- the entity through and from which all goodness and wisdom comes. You know, it's possible that maybe this man was trying to "butter" Jesus up. By faking the purity of his reverence for Jesus, perhaps he thought he could inch closer to God's heavenly home. Anyway, we learn that it does not work. Jesus is humble and completely loves and follows the God that even He came from.
But we also can consider it from the opposite point of view: maybe this man really did need the clarification that Jesus is from God, that all is from God. Either way, and maybe intentionally, we learn so much from the context (and what's missing from it) of this situation.
10:19 There are difference intensities of spirituality and as a student and child of God you should be aware of them. God has given us guidelines to live a good life. God has also given us instructions to live another kind of life, one deeper than the first and hidden uniquely for the studious to find. Jesus gives this man a reiteration of what has already been taught in this verse. These are guidelines for the first type of life. This is how to be good. We will continue on before we delve into the second.
10:20 This man has followed the guidelines but he wants to go deeper... or at least he thinks he does. We each, individually, have to decide the type of life we want to live. The more you ask from God, the more He will give you... and with that comes a great responsibility. Most people have a busy or even difficult enough time juggling the first set of guidelines... it takes a truly selfless person to ask for and accept the second. This man requests guidelines for the deeper, more involved guidelines of life, the second type.
10:21 Jesus looked at this man and loved Him. He looked at Him. Do not overlook that sentence. When God, or Jesus through God, looks upon us it is with love and intensity and compassion. Our souls are bared to them: they see all of us, parts even that we are unaware of. Jesus is compassionate with this man who seems to want to do and be more for and with God but Jesus also knows the truth of the man's soul -- that he will not be able to accept the guidelines for this deeper spirituality. It's okay -- God loves us for what we each can handle. He is impartial with His love. If one person is only capable of carrying an ounce of water but they do indeed carry that ounce, God loves that person just as much as the person who was able to carry 10 ounces. Remember, though, that what we ask for, we get. We must assume the responsibility.
Here are the deeper set of guidelines: divest everything you own, donate the proceeds to the impoverished, become poor (in material) yourself and travel throughout teaching the Word of God. Become a teacher and reject the material world.
10:22 This was too much for the man. This man is too deeply attached to his possessions. He liked being wealthy. Money and material made him feel secure. A deeply spiritual student of God feels secure in God alone and does not need money or material. Think about it realistically: SELL everything you own, and become a teacher of God. It would be a scary and difficult decision without complete faith in God. Remember: it's okay. God understands that we are not perfect, and that our faith is always in a constant state of development. However, if you wish to continue to delve deeper and deeper into spirituality, God will provide the water.
The first type of spiritual life: How to live a happy life for yourself and friends.
The second type of spiritual life: How to work a happy life for others and even strangers.
10:23 Jesus wanted the disciples (and therefore us too!) to understand a lesson about wealth. He wants us to know that a life lived with surplus wealth will made it difficult to be in heaven. But let's break this down because God does not want us to live hungry or impoverished.
Jesus wants us to know that wealth should not waste away unused and coveted by the possessor when there are people in the world who have no freedom, money, health or shelter because of their lack of it.
Jesus wants us to know that wealth acquired greedily or unjustly will automatically block an entrance into heaven.
Jesus wants us to know that when we have the opportunity to help, we must (want to!) do so. Remember our two types of spiritual lives: you can live a life where you help your friends and your family and you live as a good person. This means supporting the people around you when they truly, innocently need it. That is giving. We can also live a life where we use our abundance to help God's other children.
God wants all of us to be housed, loved, safe, fed and healthy and that includes you! He wants you taken care of and when you ask Him to, He will take care of you... He will work with you so that you can take care of yourself with Him beside you, helping.
When Jesus suggested the man sell everything He meant this: sell everything and trust that God will feed you, house you and protect you (the way you trust the money to) while you travel and teach in God's name. This is a deep, pure level of belief (and likely not attainable or desirable for everyone --- but offered to everyone).
Not all of us are or can be teachers --- it's unrealistic. God wants us to take care of ourselves, not to be impoverished. But when we have the means, we should want to share with others who do not.
10:24 This was a new lesson for the disciples: they were astonished. Pay attention to what Jesus says next: "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God." Let's examine this:
It is hard for God's children (humanity) to get into heaven when they trust in riches because they devoted their life to an inanimate, soulless material. Their trust in money corrupted them: made them feel unsafe, insecure and drove them to be selfish, deceptive, and greedy. Money is a master, it controls humans and has for thousands of years.
Remember that God never closes His door to you or anyone: instead we walk away from His open door. God never rejects us, we reject Him. When we choose money, we reject everything God stands for and we begin our journey away from His home. God places value in others' well-being, in love, truth and justice. Money's value is itself and that is contradictory to God's word.
And many of us may not be aware of the tight grip money or material has on our hearts. It's the age of technology! We have TVs, cars, iPods, phones,... and endless array of material we love to have. Just ensure that no matter what you have, you would always trade it (without hesitation) for another's well-being. The opportunities present themselves: when we can choose between ourselves and others, and we must ensure that what we have is shared (at least in part) with people who have nothing.
There are so many things we consciously or subconsciously cannot imagine living without: but people around the world live and have lived with so much, much less. All we really need is God who provides the sun, water and sustenance we need. Everything else is surplus. Surplus that we are quite dependent upon.
People chase happiness throughout there lives and never find it, always believing it will come from a possession, a job, opportunity or relationship but truly our wealth (and happiness) is only in our relationship with God and ourselves. Be careful where you place your faith.
10:25 You can take this verse literally or metaphorically. 1) A camel will never fir through an actual needle. Impossible. You know how impossible that would be --- that is how hard it would be for a greedy person to find God house, they wandered too far away. 2) In these times a needle was a small opening where only one traveler could fit through a city's wall (easier to guard). A person and their camel only just squeezed through (and had to leave all of their bags and possessions behind to do so). You can't take anything into Heaven except the good work you did with God's word for His children.
10:26 This verse so perfectly fits with today's world (and makes me chuckle a bit) the disciples are stunned: who on Earth could possibly enter Heaven... people love wealth and material so much! They're very concerned, quite worried (for they know how human's love their money!)
10:27 Jesus looked at them, again do not forget the intensity behind Jesus' attention on a person. God and Jesus through God look through our true selves, they see more deeply than we could possible understand. Jesus looks at the disciples and sees the scrambling going on in their minds. Do not worry, Jesus soothes them (and us) it would be impossible for men, but God works so diligently with us. He is so forgiving, so understanding. We each have a unique and particular relationship with Him and in every moment He is with us when we make good (and bad) decisions... He knows where and why and how we go wrong and He has compassion on us.
10:28 Peter boasts a bit and probably meant something like this: "Look at all of us! We must be really great... we left everything!"
10:29-30 Jesus has an important message, listen and absorb it: When you dedicate yourself to God and to His children... all that you give (time, effort, tears, love, hope, safety...) is returned to you... is multiplied. When you give for God... you receive more than you ever even had. This is a difficult lesson to learn and accept for a lot of humanity. We often believe that we must secure money or a relationship to sustain us... and we are oh, so tragically wrong. God is our life's breath.
When we work for God, He gives us so much, more than we can quantify. Develop your faith and your trust in Him, He only awaits your knock.
10:31 First will be last... and the last first. The people who might appear to be first in this life: the wealthy, the powerful, the famous... may well be last to enter God's house. Never group people together: a wealthy, powerful and famous person can be just as beloved by God as any other person (we do not know anyone's life or soul the way God does). But God wants us to know that while on Earth it may feel like we are unlucky, or victims or poor... but if our spirit and our soul is true and kind, our place in His house is first.
10:32-34 The disciples are going through a profound emotional experience. They are with Jesus, learning about God, learning and seeing things they never believed possible and are also receiving news of Jesus' torture and death... and then resurrection. Jesus' message (like all of His messages) is clear and true. Everything His says WILL happen (as we know from studying the Book of Matthew before this Book of Mark).
10:35 James and John are about to ask for an enormous amount of responsibility, almost more than we can comprehend.
10:36 Let this be evidence: Jesus (and God) always listens to our requests (as they have taught us). Not only to do They attentively listen to our requests... They also grant them. Let this be evidence for you when you feel like you need or want to ask God something: He is listening. He will grant it (if you trust Him to do it in the manner that is in your best interest).
10:37 James and John are asking to have nearly as much task and responsibility as Jesus. Imagine this, James and John spent this precious, valuable time with Jesus and they were inspired, moved with compassion to be like Him. They wanted to teach throughout the world as He was doing.
10:38 Jesus forewarns them first. We must always be observant for God's forewarning in our own lives: He gives us the discernment, the perception, to distinguish what is wise and what is not to do in each of our particular lives. He wants us to be certain when we make a decision. He wants us to be informed and brave. He does not want to overload us with a responsibility we cannot handle -- so He sometimes tests us so that we may test and understand our own strength, ability and bravery. We struggle sometimes in order to learn what strength is and what is takes. We struggle in order to learn the endurance we will need to accomplish great things.
Remember that for all of Jesus' wisdom and purpose and beauty, He was hated and hurt by many people. Jesus is ensuring that James and John know what they are asking for: with the glory comes the struggle and the journey. Jesus' road was not an easy one... and when we love and accept God, we accept that our own lives won't be without struggle... but instead that we will accept that struggle with God and with courage in order to turn something raw or ugly into something formed and beautiful.
10:39 James and John accept the responsibility with the full knowledge of how rough the road could get. This is beautiful to God. They loved and trusted Him so much that their faith would lead them to do impossible things. Jesus reminds them that in order to have what they ask for, they must receive it. It's always a two-way street with God. He will offer you all that you want... but it's up to you to take it, and to use it.
Jesus reminds them to BE as He is and DO as He does. Drink the cup that He drinks. Be baptized with the baptism that He is baptized with. Heart and soul they (we) must be devoted.
Here James and John accept the second type of spiritual life we were talking about. They want to dedicate their entire selves to God and to teaching God's word --- an imperative purpose, a beautiful and selfless mission.
10:40 Jesus reminds them that while we may ask, and are indeed given to, our work determines our place. What we inherit, where we sit in God's house depends on if we will work for it (in good and selfless deeds for others). We may ask God for the opportunity to be great... and He will give us that opportunity...but we must actually do the work of being great to have it. Everything is fair and earned in God's house.
There is a prepared plan. God has prepared it. God knows everything about each individual human and therefore He knows who will rise and succeed, who will accept and love the responsibility. Jesus wants us to know that IF we are true, God knows it... and has allocated a space of us to flourish.
10:41 The other 10 disciples are perhaps a bit overwhelmed. We've been speaking a lot about responsibility in this chapter and remember that there is a capacity limit for each of us. I think the 10 disciples were only worried that they could not be as successful as James and John desired to be. We all want to be our best for God and it's understandable that they might fear falling short. God loves when we do our best... He does not measure it. When we do what we are able to do with what we have, He is proud and happy.
10:42-44 A succinct reminder from Jesus: in God's house, all are equal (and He will further explain this in the next beautiful verse). Jesus wants the disciples (and us) to remember that even if we are given great responsibility, it does not make us any better than anyone else. It just makes us... a good deal busier.
Jesus does not want them (or us) to desire to be great. He wants us to desire to be purposeful. And if our prayers are to be purposeful, they will be answered quickly and fully. We should not desire to be a ruler or famous or wealthy because of our task. We should only desire to do a wonderful task for God. Forget about rank and reward. Do it because your soul thirsts to be purposeful and helpful to your fellow humans.
10:45 Jesus' selflessness, His humility explained in this perfect, concise verse.
Jesus did not come to be served and revered by you. He came to guide you. He came to love you. He came to help you, to hear you, to see you. Jesus does not want to be ranked for what He did... His reward is your happiness, your safety, your comfort. God wants us to love in this way: for others not for our own benefit.
Remember that countless humans have lived to rule over and control others. For generations men have made up fake gods that punish and control others. Our true God is selfless and humble and Jesus is an exemplification of that.
So Jesus is teaching us this: even the Entity you revere is humble... therefore you must be also.
10:46-48 As if to exemplify even the lesson above, we receive this story of Jesus being humble. Jesus was busy and on a mission... but His mission was for us, and therefore He and God always has time for us. This man called to Jesus (and others did their best to interfere) but He remained faithful and persistent and called to Jesus, worked to be known by Him. We must also work and become known to God. He should recognize our voice in His ears (it's sweet to Him to hear).
Through all the mess and confusion God always hears us calling to Him.
10:49-50 When God allows us, our minds or bodies to do something, we respond without delay.
10:51 What do you want me to do for you? Imagine God is speaking this directly to you -- because He is! God loves to help, love, lead, guide His children. He wants the best for you... He wants to give the best to you -- know Him and trust Him to do it.
This man wants to be able to see. Read more deeply into this: this man wants the wisdom and discernment from God to live a brave and purposeful life. God gives us sight beyond what we think is sight. God gives us the ability to be wise and perceptive in all things. A third eye, if you will -- capable of so much more than the first two.
10:52 Your faith will make you well, too. Your faith in God heals you, protects you and guides you. All gifts from God are welcome to you if you want to take them and use them. Immediately. God works without hesitation or delay. He is immediate and complete.
Do not overlook the last sentence, it's important for you to remember to retain all that God has given or will give to you: he followed Jesus on the road. You must follow God... His path is sure and secure. You will be able to keep and grow all gifts from Him so long as you are with Him. Truth, wisdom, security... they all belong to God... how can you expect to have those things when you leave the creator of them? It's impossible. Remember God does not punish or take anything from any person... people walk away from God. When you leave His Sphere... you choose to leave behind all of the other beauty, wisdom and peace that come with and from Him. Follow. Follow God, He loves you and leads the way. He is with you at every obstacle... He gives you courage for every fear, a voice for every thought, warmth and protection for every discomfort and ability to triumph over every obstacle.
10:17 This question transcends through time, many men have asked it, then and now. How can a person obtain eternal life? There's a bit of trouble with this question, for one thing: it's entirely selfish. More than wanting to live forever, we should desire to help others live. Our compassion should not be narcissistic in nature, but should be given for others. Secondly, of course it's nature to wonder and dream of heaven and of being there but we will learn that this man was a bit selfish -- he wanted to know about the reward and not the work necessary on the road to get there.
If you want to obtain life, ask not how you can save yours but how you can save another's.
10:18 Jesus wants us to understand that God is good. That God is our Indescribable -- the entity through and from which all goodness and wisdom comes. You know, it's possible that maybe this man was trying to "butter" Jesus up. By faking the purity of his reverence for Jesus, perhaps he thought he could inch closer to God's heavenly home. Anyway, we learn that it does not work. Jesus is humble and completely loves and follows the God that even He came from.
But we also can consider it from the opposite point of view: maybe this man really did need the clarification that Jesus is from God, that all is from God. Either way, and maybe intentionally, we learn so much from the context (and what's missing from it) of this situation.
10:19 There are difference intensities of spirituality and as a student and child of God you should be aware of them. God has given us guidelines to live a good life. God has also given us instructions to live another kind of life, one deeper than the first and hidden uniquely for the studious to find. Jesus gives this man a reiteration of what has already been taught in this verse. These are guidelines for the first type of life. This is how to be good. We will continue on before we delve into the second.
10:20 This man has followed the guidelines but he wants to go deeper... or at least he thinks he does. We each, individually, have to decide the type of life we want to live. The more you ask from God, the more He will give you... and with that comes a great responsibility. Most people have a busy or even difficult enough time juggling the first set of guidelines... it takes a truly selfless person to ask for and accept the second. This man requests guidelines for the deeper, more involved guidelines of life, the second type.
10:21 Jesus looked at this man and loved Him. He looked at Him. Do not overlook that sentence. When God, or Jesus through God, looks upon us it is with love and intensity and compassion. Our souls are bared to them: they see all of us, parts even that we are unaware of. Jesus is compassionate with this man who seems to want to do and be more for and with God but Jesus also knows the truth of the man's soul -- that he will not be able to accept the guidelines for this deeper spirituality. It's okay -- God loves us for what we each can handle. He is impartial with His love. If one person is only capable of carrying an ounce of water but they do indeed carry that ounce, God loves that person just as much as the person who was able to carry 10 ounces. Remember, though, that what we ask for, we get. We must assume the responsibility.
Here are the deeper set of guidelines: divest everything you own, donate the proceeds to the impoverished, become poor (in material) yourself and travel throughout teaching the Word of God. Become a teacher and reject the material world.
10:22 This was too much for the man. This man is too deeply attached to his possessions. He liked being wealthy. Money and material made him feel secure. A deeply spiritual student of God feels secure in God alone and does not need money or material. Think about it realistically: SELL everything you own, and become a teacher of God. It would be a scary and difficult decision without complete faith in God. Remember: it's okay. God understands that we are not perfect, and that our faith is always in a constant state of development. However, if you wish to continue to delve deeper and deeper into spirituality, God will provide the water.
The first type of spiritual life: How to live a happy life for yourself and friends.
The second type of spiritual life: How to work a happy life for others and even strangers.
10:23 Jesus wanted the disciples (and therefore us too!) to understand a lesson about wealth. He wants us to know that a life lived with surplus wealth will made it difficult to be in heaven. But let's break this down because God does not want us to live hungry or impoverished.
Jesus wants us to know that wealth should not waste away unused and coveted by the possessor when there are people in the world who have no freedom, money, health or shelter because of their lack of it.
Jesus wants us to know that wealth acquired greedily or unjustly will automatically block an entrance into heaven.
Jesus wants us to know that when we have the opportunity to help, we must (want to!) do so. Remember our two types of spiritual lives: you can live a life where you help your friends and your family and you live as a good person. This means supporting the people around you when they truly, innocently need it. That is giving. We can also live a life where we use our abundance to help God's other children.
God wants all of us to be housed, loved, safe, fed and healthy and that includes you! He wants you taken care of and when you ask Him to, He will take care of you... He will work with you so that you can take care of yourself with Him beside you, helping.
When Jesus suggested the man sell everything He meant this: sell everything and trust that God will feed you, house you and protect you (the way you trust the money to) while you travel and teach in God's name. This is a deep, pure level of belief (and likely not attainable or desirable for everyone --- but offered to everyone).
Not all of us are or can be teachers --- it's unrealistic. God wants us to take care of ourselves, not to be impoverished. But when we have the means, we should want to share with others who do not.
10:24 This was a new lesson for the disciples: they were astonished. Pay attention to what Jesus says next: "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God." Let's examine this:
It is hard for God's children (humanity) to get into heaven when they trust in riches because they devoted their life to an inanimate, soulless material. Their trust in money corrupted them: made them feel unsafe, insecure and drove them to be selfish, deceptive, and greedy. Money is a master, it controls humans and has for thousands of years.
Remember that God never closes His door to you or anyone: instead we walk away from His open door. God never rejects us, we reject Him. When we choose money, we reject everything God stands for and we begin our journey away from His home. God places value in others' well-being, in love, truth and justice. Money's value is itself and that is contradictory to God's word.
And many of us may not be aware of the tight grip money or material has on our hearts. It's the age of technology! We have TVs, cars, iPods, phones,... and endless array of material we love to have. Just ensure that no matter what you have, you would always trade it (without hesitation) for another's well-being. The opportunities present themselves: when we can choose between ourselves and others, and we must ensure that what we have is shared (at least in part) with people who have nothing.
There are so many things we consciously or subconsciously cannot imagine living without: but people around the world live and have lived with so much, much less. All we really need is God who provides the sun, water and sustenance we need. Everything else is surplus. Surplus that we are quite dependent upon.
People chase happiness throughout there lives and never find it, always believing it will come from a possession, a job, opportunity or relationship but truly our wealth (and happiness) is only in our relationship with God and ourselves. Be careful where you place your faith.
10:25 You can take this verse literally or metaphorically. 1) A camel will never fir through an actual needle. Impossible. You know how impossible that would be --- that is how hard it would be for a greedy person to find God house, they wandered too far away. 2) In these times a needle was a small opening where only one traveler could fit through a city's wall (easier to guard). A person and their camel only just squeezed through (and had to leave all of their bags and possessions behind to do so). You can't take anything into Heaven except the good work you did with God's word for His children.
10:26 This verse so perfectly fits with today's world (and makes me chuckle a bit) the disciples are stunned: who on Earth could possibly enter Heaven... people love wealth and material so much! They're very concerned, quite worried (for they know how human's love their money!)
10:27 Jesus looked at them, again do not forget the intensity behind Jesus' attention on a person. God and Jesus through God look through our true selves, they see more deeply than we could possible understand. Jesus looks at the disciples and sees the scrambling going on in their minds. Do not worry, Jesus soothes them (and us) it would be impossible for men, but God works so diligently with us. He is so forgiving, so understanding. We each have a unique and particular relationship with Him and in every moment He is with us when we make good (and bad) decisions... He knows where and why and how we go wrong and He has compassion on us.
10:28 Peter boasts a bit and probably meant something like this: "Look at all of us! We must be really great... we left everything!"
10:29-30 Jesus has an important message, listen and absorb it: When you dedicate yourself to God and to His children... all that you give (time, effort, tears, love, hope, safety...) is returned to you... is multiplied. When you give for God... you receive more than you ever even had. This is a difficult lesson to learn and accept for a lot of humanity. We often believe that we must secure money or a relationship to sustain us... and we are oh, so tragically wrong. God is our life's breath.
When we work for God, He gives us so much, more than we can quantify. Develop your faith and your trust in Him, He only awaits your knock.
10:31 First will be last... and the last first. The people who might appear to be first in this life: the wealthy, the powerful, the famous... may well be last to enter God's house. Never group people together: a wealthy, powerful and famous person can be just as beloved by God as any other person (we do not know anyone's life or soul the way God does). But God wants us to know that while on Earth it may feel like we are unlucky, or victims or poor... but if our spirit and our soul is true and kind, our place in His house is first.
10:32-34 The disciples are going through a profound emotional experience. They are with Jesus, learning about God, learning and seeing things they never believed possible and are also receiving news of Jesus' torture and death... and then resurrection. Jesus' message (like all of His messages) is clear and true. Everything His says WILL happen (as we know from studying the Book of Matthew before this Book of Mark).
10:35 James and John are about to ask for an enormous amount of responsibility, almost more than we can comprehend.
10:36 Let this be evidence: Jesus (and God) always listens to our requests (as they have taught us). Not only to do They attentively listen to our requests... They also grant them. Let this be evidence for you when you feel like you need or want to ask God something: He is listening. He will grant it (if you trust Him to do it in the manner that is in your best interest).
10:37 James and John are asking to have nearly as much task and responsibility as Jesus. Imagine this, James and John spent this precious, valuable time with Jesus and they were inspired, moved with compassion to be like Him. They wanted to teach throughout the world as He was doing.
10:38 Jesus forewarns them first. We must always be observant for God's forewarning in our own lives: He gives us the discernment, the perception, to distinguish what is wise and what is not to do in each of our particular lives. He wants us to be certain when we make a decision. He wants us to be informed and brave. He does not want to overload us with a responsibility we cannot handle -- so He sometimes tests us so that we may test and understand our own strength, ability and bravery. We struggle sometimes in order to learn what strength is and what is takes. We struggle in order to learn the endurance we will need to accomplish great things.
Remember that for all of Jesus' wisdom and purpose and beauty, He was hated and hurt by many people. Jesus is ensuring that James and John know what they are asking for: with the glory comes the struggle and the journey. Jesus' road was not an easy one... and when we love and accept God, we accept that our own lives won't be without struggle... but instead that we will accept that struggle with God and with courage in order to turn something raw or ugly into something formed and beautiful.
10:39 James and John accept the responsibility with the full knowledge of how rough the road could get. This is beautiful to God. They loved and trusted Him so much that their faith would lead them to do impossible things. Jesus reminds them that in order to have what they ask for, they must receive it. It's always a two-way street with God. He will offer you all that you want... but it's up to you to take it, and to use it.
Jesus reminds them to BE as He is and DO as He does. Drink the cup that He drinks. Be baptized with the baptism that He is baptized with. Heart and soul they (we) must be devoted.
Here James and John accept the second type of spiritual life we were talking about. They want to dedicate their entire selves to God and to teaching God's word --- an imperative purpose, a beautiful and selfless mission.
10:40 Jesus reminds them that while we may ask, and are indeed given to, our work determines our place. What we inherit, where we sit in God's house depends on if we will work for it (in good and selfless deeds for others). We may ask God for the opportunity to be great... and He will give us that opportunity...but we must actually do the work of being great to have it. Everything is fair and earned in God's house.
There is a prepared plan. God has prepared it. God knows everything about each individual human and therefore He knows who will rise and succeed, who will accept and love the responsibility. Jesus wants us to know that IF we are true, God knows it... and has allocated a space of us to flourish.
10:41 The other 10 disciples are perhaps a bit overwhelmed. We've been speaking a lot about responsibility in this chapter and remember that there is a capacity limit for each of us. I think the 10 disciples were only worried that they could not be as successful as James and John desired to be. We all want to be our best for God and it's understandable that they might fear falling short. God loves when we do our best... He does not measure it. When we do what we are able to do with what we have, He is proud and happy.
10:42-44 A succinct reminder from Jesus: in God's house, all are equal (and He will further explain this in the next beautiful verse). Jesus wants the disciples (and us) to remember that even if we are given great responsibility, it does not make us any better than anyone else. It just makes us... a good deal busier.
Jesus does not want them (or us) to desire to be great. He wants us to desire to be purposeful. And if our prayers are to be purposeful, they will be answered quickly and fully. We should not desire to be a ruler or famous or wealthy because of our task. We should only desire to do a wonderful task for God. Forget about rank and reward. Do it because your soul thirsts to be purposeful and helpful to your fellow humans.
10:45 Jesus' selflessness, His humility explained in this perfect, concise verse.
Jesus did not come to be served and revered by you. He came to guide you. He came to love you. He came to help you, to hear you, to see you. Jesus does not want to be ranked for what He did... His reward is your happiness, your safety, your comfort. God wants us to love in this way: for others not for our own benefit.
Remember that countless humans have lived to rule over and control others. For generations men have made up fake gods that punish and control others. Our true God is selfless and humble and Jesus is an exemplification of that.
So Jesus is teaching us this: even the Entity you revere is humble... therefore you must be also.
10:46-48 As if to exemplify even the lesson above, we receive this story of Jesus being humble. Jesus was busy and on a mission... but His mission was for us, and therefore He and God always has time for us. This man called to Jesus (and others did their best to interfere) but He remained faithful and persistent and called to Jesus, worked to be known by Him. We must also work and become known to God. He should recognize our voice in His ears (it's sweet to Him to hear).
Through all the mess and confusion God always hears us calling to Him.
10:49-50 When God allows us, our minds or bodies to do something, we respond without delay.
10:51 What do you want me to do for you? Imagine God is speaking this directly to you -- because He is! God loves to help, love, lead, guide His children. He wants the best for you... He wants to give the best to you -- know Him and trust Him to do it.
This man wants to be able to see. Read more deeply into this: this man wants the wisdom and discernment from God to live a brave and purposeful life. God gives us sight beyond what we think is sight. God gives us the ability to be wise and perceptive in all things. A third eye, if you will -- capable of so much more than the first two.
10:52 Your faith will make you well, too. Your faith in God heals you, protects you and guides you. All gifts from God are welcome to you if you want to take them and use them. Immediately. God works without hesitation or delay. He is immediate and complete.
Do not overlook the last sentence, it's important for you to remember to retain all that God has given or will give to you: he followed Jesus on the road. You must follow God... His path is sure and secure. You will be able to keep and grow all gifts from Him so long as you are with Him. Truth, wisdom, security... they all belong to God... how can you expect to have those things when you leave the creator of them? It's impossible. Remember God does not punish or take anything from any person... people walk away from God. When you leave His Sphere... you choose to leave behind all of the other beauty, wisdom and peace that come with and from Him. Follow. Follow God, He loves you and leads the way. He is with you at every obstacle... He gives you courage for every fear, a voice for every thought, warmth and protection for every discomfort and ability to triumph over every obstacle.
