Author: Bill Hall

Mark 10:22
Notice here the grief! You would think that grief would cause this young man to change his outlook. But this sorrow is not the kind to produce repentance. It is the ‘that’s too bad’ sorrow. There will be a whole multitude of persons in hell quite sorrowful for thier state, but too late to change it. Why? All for this type of sorrow. It is a ‘feeling sorry for yourself’ sorrow. It has never done anybody any good.

Heavenly Father, you always have the best plans in mind. We think we know what is best for ourselves, but we just don’t. Lord you are so patient! You don’t just give up on us. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 10:21
The first bit of this verse is quite intriguing. Does this mean that Jesus loved this man more than others? No. But, what then does it mean? Well, the disciples knew Jesus fairly well, and they knew his mannerisms. Likely, they saw the look in Jesus’ eyes as he spoke with this man. They probably saw the same kind of look that Jesus had when each of them were called. In other words, this is a recognition of Jesus’ willingness to have this man as one of his followers. Though he knew this would not happen, his desire was there.
Notice also that Jesus asks for two things from this man. He asked for his loyalty in giving. The man would have to be willing to give up whatever was asked for the cause of Christ. But, also Jesus asks for the man to follow him. The first was the cause of this man changing his mind about Christ. However, the second is really the more costly and difficult, though very rewarding. The man could not see the implications of the second because of the first.

Heavenly Father, thank you for challenging us! We tend to want to be happy with where we are, and never try to grow beyond it. You equip us for the work anyway. It is all of you, and you deserve the glory. I will praise you for the hard things, and the easier things. You don’t give us difficulties because you hate us, but because you love us. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 10:20
This fellow was under the impression that he had kept the law. Now, we could be real hard on him here. But, given what he had likely been taught by the Jewish leaders, we can understand why he thought this possible. Indeed, in that society, this man’s prosperity alone would have been seen as a token of great righteousness.
Obviously, this fellow was looking at things subjectively. He had not broken any of these commands directly. So, he assumed, compared to others, that he was in pretty good shape. He was not claiming sinless perfection, but adherence to accepted standards.

Heavenly Father, thank you for helping us to understand our righteousness. Our tendency to justify ourselves can get us into so much confusion. But, your truth gives us an objective measure. That really grounds us. Thank you for always leading us to more truth! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 10:19
Jesus now tests this young man even further. He gives him an opportunity to examine his life in relation to the law. This is not to say that Jesus would consider the works of the law a reliable path to salvation. But, remember, the law is our schoolmaster. It brings us to an understanding of our need for Christ.

Heavenly Father, you are worthy of the praise for your perfect law. Though it cannot save us, it is the reason behind our salvation. It shows us what is expected. It gives us the framework to be able to grasp the full magnitude of your grace. You are so intelligent and you have shared your knowledge with us. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 10:18
Many have pointed to this verse as evidence that Jesus did not claim to be God. This is based on a misunderstanding of Jewish theology. Jesus did not need to identify himself as God in order for it to be understood that he is indeed equal with God.
The New Testament teaches that God is triune. The three distinct persons of the Godhead are equal in one Divine essence. The Old Testament has the same approach. The prophecies concerning the Messiah make it clear that he is equal with God. Jesus did not say he was God the Father simply because he is God the Son. And he definitely did claim that identity.
So, what is Jesus saying here? Rather than denying his deity, he is trying to get this man to think about Who he is. Many of the Jews saw Jesus as a ‘good’ teacher, or even a prophet. But did this man see him as the Messiah? If so, the word good would signify much more than just excellence or distinction.
Jesus always tries to get people to step beyond where they are to get to a place of greater truth. He wanted this man to understand that wasn’t just a great prophet, but that he is The Messiah. Unfortunately, this man ended up leaving Jesus, failing to realize what he was forsaking.

Heavenly Father, you always encourage us to grow beyond where we are. Thank you for working with us like that! You really do care about us. We know that you want to see us succeed in our spiritual lives. You are amazing! We will thank you all our lives for your intervention. You put truth before us and challenge us to grab it. There is always something more we can learn about you. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 10:17
When we read the rest of this passage, and see that this man did not end up following Christ, we tend to think that the enthusiasm he shows in this verse was an unnecessary show. Well, show or not, enthusiasm is not unnecessary. Just becuase our genuiness may not be forthcoming doesn’t mean true enthusiasm should never exist. Blessed are they who have a genuine enthusiasm for service to our Lord!

Heavenly Father, help us to love Jesus with a pure heart. But, in our true faith, may we not forget a real enthusiasm for you and your greatness. You are an exciting person to be involved with. To think that we may be a part of your program is such a wonderful blessing! You have given us a great opportunity. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 10:16
There are those places in scripture where God has obviously given us the opportunity to use our imagination. What better verse could you find to inspire a beautiful painting? What better verse could you find to inspire thoughts of God’s love for us? This is such a beautiful picture of how God cares for his children. It just doesn’t get much better than this!

Heavenly Father, sometimes it is just overwhelming to think of how good you are to us. We must ask ourselves how can we ever give back to you? You have done so much for us, and you will do so much more. But, this is only consistent with your glory. You are worthy of all the praise forever and ever. All the glory and honor belongs to you, and we will praise you forever. Thank you for your love! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Mark 10:15
Does Jesus then mean to say that only children may be saved? It sounds that way. But, remember, why was Jesus so upset about the children being denied access to him? Because the only thing keeping us from Jesus is sin, not age.
What Jesus is saying here is that people most come to him with the understanding that they are no better than any other. The unassuming, trusting faith of a child is what is needed. If one comes to Christ with some preconceived notion of his or her own value, nothing shall come of if. We must just come as total dependents, with nothing to show as our rights or grievances. Just as children are completely dependent upon the judgement of their parents, we are to be that dependent upon Christ.

Heavenly Father, what have I to offer you? And the answer is nothing. I came empty and you have filled me. I came as an outcast, and you made me a son. I came as one full of iniquity, and you have made me righteous. I came with no certainty, and you have given me wisdom. We cannot be anything without you, and with you we may be all that you would have us to be. And that is something quite wonderful. Thank you! You alone deserve the glory. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and I praise you, Amen.

Mark 10:14
Now some might say that Jesus should not be one to get upset. I think however it’s really nice that when he gets very upset it is in connection with something like this. He was very displeased with the disciples decision to deny access to him. But, much more than that, the fact that they denied access on the basis of the age of those who were being brought to him, was a big deal. It is so appropriate to see that Jesus, who is God in the flesh, would not cotton to the idea of children being denied access to him. It just makes sense.
One of the most unique things about God is, as the scripture reveals, he is not a respecter of persons. This means that no one person has any more right to him than any other person. All of us are undeserving, all of us are unholy, all of us are not worthy. So, to deny access to him simply on the basis of age, that is so totally wrong! Sin keeps us from God. And adults are just as guilty as the children. So, age must not stand as an obstacle to access.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your magnanimous mercy! If you were not merciful and gracious, it wouldn’t matter what age we were, we could never hope to escape damnation. But, because of your wonderful grace, you sent your Son to make it possible for us, all of us, to be redeemed. You are worthy of all the praise! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Mark 10:13
This seemed a frivolous thing to his disciples. These people had brought their children just so Jesus could touch them. They probably envisioned this kind of thing catching on, and then they would have to deal with the blessing of the children in every town as some kind of tradition. They felt this is unnecessary abuse of the Master’s time.

Heavenly Father, help us to understand the simple blessings that you have given us. Help us to see how that you can use us in the lives of children to make such a difference for your kingdom. What you can use us to do is not based on our limited ability, but on your unlimited ability. You deserve the glory, for you have used us in ways we would never expect. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.