Mark 10 - In Depth Bible Commentaries

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1633whoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child, shall surely not enter into it!"1632(...continued)hereafter.” (P. 397)1633Jesus teaches that the Kingdom of God is a spiritual reality which is "received," andwhich is also "entered into." That is, there is a passive "reception" of the Kingdom, andthere is also an active "entering into" that Kingdom. Strange Kingdom, isn't it? --AKingdom unlike any other kingdom the world has ever known! We can't "earn" it, and thereis no way we can ever "deserve" it. It is a Kingdom of the lowly and the humble, of thosewho have no claims to make on God, but who open up their hearts and lives to "receive"God's gifts, and to allow his rulership over their lives. That is the way, like little children, wemust receive the Kingdom of God! Jesus, the King of that Kingdom, comes to us, and toour world, and freely offers himself to us, as God's "gift." We don't have to do anything to"earn" that gift, and there is no way we could ever "deserve" him. We just "receive" him,and when we do so, we also "receive" the Kingdom of God. God accepts us, and forgivesus, and remakes us, freely. It is God's great gift to his people. Is this the way youunderstand the Kingdom of God?But there is also an active "entering into" the Kingdom of God--as we respondhumbly and with courage to the call of God in Jesus. The Kingdom of God places heavydemands upon us. We have to step out in confidence to follow Jesus in his teaching,wherever that teaching may lead us.Both that passive aspect, and that active aspect, are to be done "like a little child."Pride, and self-dependence are our worst enemies. We have to come to Jesus, and wehave to respond to Jesus in quiet humility, in gentleness, always acknowledging our owndeep need, our constant dependence upon our Father's provision. God has not called usto impress the world with our proud claims, or with our exalted opinions of ourselves. Hehas called us to receive his free gifts, and then to go out into our world as his humbleservants, claiming nothing for ourselves, but proclaiming the greatness of God and his lovefor all of us. He has given us the gift of the Kingdom, and now he wants us to go out intoour world and share that unbelievably great gift with others!Is it any wonder that legalistic interpreters of the New Testament, and of theChristian faith, have failed to incorporate this teaching into their legalistic codes? Forexample, have you ever read a church constitution or by-laws, detailing exactly howprospective members had to "become like little children,” setting forth specific rulesconcerning the necessity for becoming "child-like"? How could their fulfillment be judged?It is easy enough to ask, "Have you been immersed?" Or, “Can you repeat thecreed?” Or, “Have you performed the ritual?” But what about, "Have you become like alittle child?"Which do you think Jesus would consider the most important--being immersed inwater, or receiving little children into our arms, or becoming like little children? We knowthis--he taught that becoming like little children is essential for entering into, or receiving,(continued...)925
1634 1635 163610.16 And having embraced them, he was blessing, having laid the hands uponthem. 16371633(...continued)the Kingdom of God!1634Compare Mark 9:36-37, “And taking a little child, he stood it in their midst; and,embracing it, he said to them, ‘Whoever may receive one of such little children, in my name,receives me; and whoever may receive me, receives not me, but rather the One who sentme!’" These two passages, Mark 9:36-37 and 10:13-16 are closely related in content.Again we ask, "Why the repetition?" Is it because of slowness to learn, ourhardness of heart?1635This is the only place in the Greek New Testament where this specific verb forrd"bless," the 3 person singular, imperfect indicative active kateulo,gei, kateulogei, “he wasblessing,” occurs. It means literally to emphatically speak well of. The verb in theimperfect tense indicates that this was not a "one-time" blessing, but one that wasrepeated again and again by Jesus.1636The Greek reads ta.j cei/raj, tas cheiras, literally, "the" hands, although commonlyin English translations the definite article is exchanged for a possessive pronoun, “his.”Swete comments that "The custom of laying on hands with prayer upon children forthe purpose of benediction...finds its archetype in Genesis 48:14-15 [the story of the dyingJacob's laying his hands upon the heads of Ephraim and Manasseh, and Jacob’s utteringblessings upon them]...Such benedictions, it seems, were commonly obtained by parentsfor their children from the [head of the synagogue]...and here was one greater than anylocal synagogue-ruler." (P. 220)France comments that “There is no special ‘liturgical’ significance in the laying on ofhands: it is a natural sign of association, used often in healing (1:41; 5:23; 6:5; 7:32; 8:23,25), but also as a traditional symbol of blessing (Genesis 48:14-18).” (P. 398)1637The phrase kateulo,gei tiqei.j ta.j cei/raj evpV auvta, kateulogei titheis tas cheirasep’ auta, “he was blessing, laying the hands upon them,” is read by Sinaiticus, Vaticanus,Ephraemi Rescriptus, L (probably), Delta, Theta, Psi, Minuscules 579, 892, 1241, 1424(see), 2427 and a few other Greek manuscripts. It is changed to read evti,qei ta.j cei,rajevp v auvta. kai. euvlo,gei auvta, etithei tas cheiras ep’ auta kai eulogei auta, “he was placingthe hands upon them and he is blessing them,” by Bezae, W (see), a majority of the OldLatin witnesses and the Harclean Syriac margin (with markings to indicate that the readingwas not found in the exemplar being copied / translated). It is changed to read tiqei/j ta.jcei,raj ep v auvta. euvlo,gei auvta, titheis tas cheiras ep’ auta eulogei auta, placing thehands upon them he blesses them,” by Alexandrinus, Families 1 and 13 of Minuscules,(continued...)926
Page 1 and 2: JESUS' TEACHING CONCERNING HUSBANDS
Page 3 and 4: 1582(...continued)Jewish leaders ca
Page 5 and 6: 1587(...continued)the first writer
Page 7 and 8: 1595 1596 1597 1598were asking him
Page 9 and 10: 1600they said, "Moses permitted 'to
Page 11 and 12: 1605 1606 1607beginning, 'He made t
Page 13 and 14: 1608 1609leave the father of his an
Page 15 and 16: 1610(...continued)him.2.21 wyt'[ol.
Page 17 and 18: 1610(...continued)blessing and frui
Page 19 and 20: 1614 161510.10 And in the house, ag
Page 21 and 22: 1619(...continued)avpolu,sasa to.n
Page 23 and 24: 1619(...continued)“The balancing
Page 25 and 26: find gracious favor in his eyes, be
Page 27 and 28: have no further intercourse with he
Page 29 and 30: We think that these three scholars,
Page 31 and 32: What is foreseen in Deuteronomy 24:
Page 33 and 34: PRAYERO God, great Father of the en
Page 35 and 36: 1622 1623 162410.13 And they were b
Page 37 and 38: 1624(...continued)c. frequently of
Page 39 and 40: 1625 1626them. Then the disciples r
Page 41 and 42: 1627 1628 1629indignant, and said t
Page 43 and 44: 1630(...continued)Jesus. Swete comm
Page 45: 1631(...continued)if we think we ar
Page 49 and 50: PRAYERLord Jesus, we give thanks fo
Page 51 and 52: 10.28 :Hrxato le,gein o` Pe,troj au
Page 53 and 54: 1646long-lasting life?" 10.18 So th
Page 55 and 56: 1647 1648(is) good, except one-the
Page 57 and 58: 1649 1650 1651murder!'; 'You shall
Page 59 and 60: mother!'" 16541652(...continued)not
Page 61 and 62: 1657 165810.21 So then the Jesus, l
Page 63 and 64: 1662 1663and you will have treasure
Page 65 and 66: possessions. 1666166710.23 And look
Page 67 and 68: 1671 1672 1673to them, "Children, h
Page 69 and 70: 1679 1680to enter into the Kingdom
Page 71 and 72: 1684 1685looking at them closely, s
Page 73 and 74: 1687 168810.28 The Peter began to s
Page 75 and 76: 1693 1694 1695one who has left hous
Page 77 and 78: 1701 1702mothers and children and f
Page 79 and 80: ones!" 17061703(...continued)betwee
Page 81 and 82: 1706(...continued)just a little mor
Page 83 and 84: 10.41 kai. proskalesa,menoj auvtou.
Page 85 and 86: 1711 1712 1713leading them; and the
Page 87 and 88: 1714 1715And again taking the twelv
Page 89 and 90: 1722 1723him, and will spit on him,
Page 91 and 92: 1726 1727 172810.35 And they come t
Page 93 and 94: 1732 1733 1734they said to him, "Gr
Page 95 and 96: 173610.38 But then the Jesus said t
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Jesus said to them, "The cup which
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1745 1746 1747 174810.41 And the te
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1755(...continued)Luccock comments
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1765 1766 1767 1768Person did not c
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1770Many commentators note the poss
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1770(...continued)economy of sacrif
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1770(...continued)payment of that d
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Text with Footnotes 17711771There i
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1775 1776 1777 1778 1779 1780also h
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1778(...continued)concluded from th
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1785 1786 1787Nazarene", he began t
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1788 1789 1790me!" 10.48 And many w
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1794 179510.49 And stopping, Jesus
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1799 1800 1801throwing off his robe
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1811 1812him on the road.1807(...co
Page 127:
1812(...continued)1006
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Mark 10 - In Depth Bible Commentaries

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