Lange Commentary - Mark 10:17 - 10:31

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Lange Commentary - Mark 10:17 - 10:31


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

THIRD SECTION

THE WORLD’S RICHES, AND THE HOLY POVERTY OF BELIEVERS

Mar_10:17-31

(Parallels: Mat_19:16 to Mat_20:16; Luk_18:18-30.)

17     And when he was gone forth into the way [to Judea, i.e.], there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? 18And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. 19Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. 20And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from21 my youth. Then Jesus, beholding him, loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt22 have treasure in heaven; and come, and take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. 23And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! 24And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 26And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? 27 And Jesus, looking upon them, saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. 28Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. 29And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, 30But he shall receive an hundred-fold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, 31 and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL

See the parallels on Matthew and Luke.

Mar_10:17. And when He was gone forth into the way.—This can mean no other than the final departure from Peræa to Jerusalem; and therefore, primarily, the journey to Bethany for the raising of Lazarus. It was the time between the last Feast of Dedication in the winter, when the Jews would have stoned Jesus, and the Passover in the spring (783). See John 11—There came one running, and kneeled to Him.—The two words are the more emphatic, inasmuch as he who thus hastened and knelt was a distinguished man, and a head of the synagogue. These clear and realizing traits are peculiar to Mark.

Mar_10:18. Why callest thou Me good?—As to the various acceptations of this expression, see on Mat_19:16-17. According to the strongly supported reading of Matthew, Jesus leads the young man up to God, the source of all good, from the question, “What good thing shall I do?” but, according to Mark and Luke, from the appeal, “Good Master!” Both agree very well together. “Good Master, what good thing must I do?” runs the question; the answer is, “How divided and isolated seems to thee what is good! One is the good Being, and in this One is good.” Jesus does not decline the appellation “good;” He repels it only in the superficial sense of the questioner. The young man deals with good in its relative meaning; and in this sense he says “Good,” that is, “Excellent” Master. Jesus teaches him to apprehend good in its absoluteness; and to that end he must understand the being good, which he ascribes to Christ, as being founded in God. Thus the answer is not to be explained deistically, but christologically: If thou wouldst call Me good, thou must apprehend My unity with God, and My divine nature. Meyer insists that it is the contrast between the divine perfection, and the human development in Jesus (which he confounds with limitation), that is meant, and he terms the explanation that has been current since Augustine, a dogmatic misinterpretation. That term may better be applied to his own notion of Christ’s relative sinlessness, and his own confusion between development and limitation.

Mar_10:19. Defraud not, ìὴ ἀðïóôåñÞóῃò .—The ἀðïóôåñåῖí may mean rob or defraud, and also withhold. De Wette translates it as the former, Meyer as the latter; but in both cases half the meaning is lost. We have only to choose between several expressions: take advantage, withhold, defraud, do wrong. We prefer the last, because of its comprehensive and strong meaning; and hold that the áðïóôåñῖí comprises or comprehends all the preceding ten commandments (Beza), and at the same time explains the tenth (Bengel, Wetstein, Olshausen). Meyer thinks, on the contrary, that the specific commandment of Deu_24:14, ïὐê ἀðïóôåñÞóåéò ìéóèὸí ðÝíçôïò , is meant. But it is impossible that the Lord’s summing up of the precepts should have issued in such a speciality, which moreover falls under the commandment, Thou shalt not steal. When taken in its comprehensive meaning, the words present a more concrete expression of the final sentence of Matthew, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Or, in other words, it signifies, Thou shalt not feel and act selfishly or egoistically (giving is better than receiving). In this case, the entire quotation of the commandments concurs with that of Matthew, only that in Mark the words, “Honor thy father and mother,” are placed at the end. The last expression in Mark is keen, and comes at the end, because its pungent point was best adapted to touch the conscience of a rich man. Luke has omitted the parallel sayings—“Defraud not,” and “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself”—probably on account of the uncertainty of the tradition.

Mar_10:20. Master.—This time not “Good Master.”

Mar_10:21. Beholding him, loved him; for He penetrated his inmost being and nature: exhibiting an honest striving, notwithstanding the self-righteousness in which he is involved. The ἠãÜðçóåí does not refer to His speaking to the young man in an affectionate manner, as Grotius and others thought.—One thing thou lackest, ἕí óïé ὑóôåñåῖ .—It is observable that in Matthew we find the word in a question of the man himself: ôß ἔôé ὑóôåñå ͂:—evidence that the Apostles drew freely from an abundant and never ceasing fountain of objective original remembrances of their own, and traditions handed down to them.

Mar_10:22. And he was sad.—Rather, he stood confounded, ὁ äὲ óôõãíÜóáò . The verb occurs again only in the Septuagint of Ezekiel. In Eze_27:35, it is the translation of ùָׁîֵí , to be astonished and confounded : properly, to stand in silent, amazed confusion. The expression at the same time denotes the being or appearing to be bewildered. It likewise denotes a sad and downcast state; and this is contained in the word óôõãíÜæåéí .

Mar_10:23. And Jesus looked round about.—The “looking upon” of Jesus, Mar_10:21; Mar_10:27, and His “looking round,” Mar_10:23—both observable. Comp. Mar_3:5; Mar_10:34; Mar_8:33; Luk_6:10; Luk_22:61.—They that have riches: ïἱ ôὰ ÷ñÞìáôá ἕ÷ïíôåò .

Mar_10:24. Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches.—Tranquillizing and explanatory. The whole discourse is of trusting in riches. But a severer word follows: It is easier for a camel, etc.; meaning, that it is infinitely hard to separate the trusting in riches from the possession of riches. The decisive explanation of the whole hard doctrine is found in Mar_10:27. A miracle of the grace of God can alone solve this dread mystery.

Mar_10:28. Then Peter began.—It is evident that the “beginning” signifies a venturesome interruption, or taking up the word (comp. Mar_8:31-32), followed by embarrassment. According to Mark, Peter himself seems here to have broken off in inward confusion, or at the suggestion of modesty.

Mar_10:29. There is no man that hath left.—Hath forsaken, ἀöῆêåí . Meyer, correctly: “In case he shall not have received; that is, if the latter is not found the case, it is through the absence of the former. The hundredfold compensation is so certain, that its not having been received presupposes the not having forsaken. Precisely similar is the force and connection of the thought in Luk_4:22.” But it is at the same time positively declared that the ideal receiving of the new possessions in the kingdom of heaven is simultaneous with the renunciation of the old possessions; or even that it is the preparatory condition on which that forsaking depends.

Mar_10:30. Now in this time, and in the world to come.—The compensating retribution in this world and the other definitely distinguished. So also in Luke. The number in hundredfold is manifestly symbolical, as the expression of an immeasurable advantage. The spiritual nature of the new connections is evident from this, that they do not include the father or the wife. The hospitable houses of friends, Christian brethren and sisters, spiritual mothers, spiritual children, lands, and fields, and ecclesiastical possessions.—With persecutions.—That is, not merely in the midst of persecutions and in spite of them: the persecutions are rather part of our best possessions. See Mat_5:12; Rom_5:3; Jam_1:2; Jam_1:4; 1Pe_1:6; Heb_12:6.—Eternal life.—The everlasting, all-embracing unity, consummation, fulness, and depth of all-compensating retribution.

DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL

1. See on the parallel of Matthew.

2. Jesus looked upon him, and loved him.—Even after so self-righteous a declaration. Evidently our Lord sees through the features of the self-righteous his inmost nature; and distinguishes that which is a mistaken effort of the soul from that which is a corrupt self-deception, that which is based upon ignorance from that which is based upon hypocrisy. But this man was not thoroughly self-righteous; for he had a lively conviction that something important was wanting to him; and he did not hesitate, disdaining all Jewish conventional notions of propriety and dignity, to cast himself at the Lord’s feet, and utter the anxious question of his heart.

3. Those who trust in riches.—The explanatory word is peculiar to Mark. Because it is so hard to have riches without coming to regard them as the one thing; to possess much without being altogether possessed by the possession: therefore, with man it is, generally speaking, a thing impossible that the rich should be saved; but the grace of God makes it possible through the miracle of the new birth. Clemens Alexandrinus: ôßò ὁ óùæüìåíïò ðëïýóéïò :

4. It is very observable that Mark, and therefore also Peter, in quoting the words concerning spiritual compensation, speaks indeed of the substitution of spiritual mothers for an earthly mother, but does not set a spiritual father or spiritual fathers over against the earthly father. The reading which places the word father here before the word mother, has but little support, and is manifestly exegetical. The Singular mother, in opposition to the Plural mothers, is strongly authenticated, and should be preferred.

HOMILETICAL AND PRATICAL

See on Matthew.—The unsatisfactory encounter of the rich young man in its contrasts: 1. He runs to Jesus enthusiastically, he leaves Him in sorrow: 2. without reflecting, he throws himself at the Lord’s feet, but he scorns reflectingly His advice; 3. he comes with the consciousness of his lack, but goes away with the consciousness of slavery and guilt.—How much depends upon the right use of words!—Christ sancfities our greetings.—Truth is the salt of courtesy, which makes the difference between it and false compliment.—All commandments converge to the one saying: Thou shalt not covet (that is, thou shalt not deal selfishly or egotistically).—How the Lord entered into the legal notion of the rich young man, in order to lead him in the way of perfect knowledge of the law over into the way of evangelical repentance.—Jesus looked upon him and loved him: 1. A somewhat surprising fact (after he had made such a revelation of himself); 2. a very significant one (Jesus looks through the error and the confusion into the secret better impulse, the drawing of the Spirit); 3. a warning fact also (that we should not regard as the final judgment those humbling tests which the Lord applies to beginners).—The poverty of the rich, and the riches of the poor.—Trust in perishable possessions, the fundamental evil of the carnally-minded: 1. The vain image of a false blessedness; 2. the decisive hindrance to the attainment of true blessedness.—Only by a miracle of God can man be saved.—The hundred fold gain of a man who renounces for the sake of God this world’s gain.—The persecution of a believer one of his best possessions in this life.—The simple gain of eternal life is infinitely greater than the hundred fold gain of the blessings of this life.—Persecutions are among the possessions of the kingdom of heaven: 1. A lessening of them;2. an increase of them; 3. a consummating of them.—Christ the perfect example of the promise which He gave to the disciples: His people sacrificed, hundreds of peoples won; His life sacrificed, infinite life won; earth, etc., renounced, heaven with all its worlds won.—Paul also a very illustrious example.

Starke:—Quesnel:—Christ alone can show us the way to heaven, because He Himself is the way.—Osiander:—Men do not thoroughly know their own wicked and perverted nature; hence they fall into the folly of seeking to be saved by their works.—Quesnel:—If we would pray aright, we must be perfectly convinced of our misery, and know that, because God is the perfect fulness of all that is good, we can only by Him be made good ourselves.—The law of God is the rule of our conduct.—Hedinger:—The external in the law is the least matter: an honest heathen may make his boast on that point.—Osiander:—There are few to be found who really prefer heavenly to earthly treasures.—Quesnel:—That we possess with undue satisfaction, which we cannot without smarting renounce. Let every one apply to himself this test.—Who can regard riches as an advantage, when they stand in the way of salvation?—To how many are these riches their greatest misfortune !—Canstein:—Riches may be possessed without the possessor’s trusting in them; and then they are neither sinful nor hurtful. Rich men, who rightly use their riches, may become very rich towards God.—The rules of Christianity make many things superfluous, but we must not qualify or alter them.—Salvation we must not regard as a matter so very simple and easy. Strive to enter in at the strait gate, etc.—To a sinner who experiences all his impotence, there is nothing more comforting than to know that God is greater than his heart, 1Jn_3:20.—Thou forsakest much, when thou not only for sakest all things in thy mind and spirit, but also forsakest the thought of any merit, and the hope of any reward.—Quesnel:—It is a small thing to leave earthly possessions; for they are another’s, and, strictly speaking, not our own. But we must forsake our own will and our own flesh, and sacrifice them unto God by crucifixion or mortification, Gal_5:24.—Cramer:—Hast thou at once done much and suffered much? Then do not exalt thyself, on that account, above others; for thou art bound to do and to suffer all this and more.—What they lost in Judaism as friends, they would find again among the converted Gentiles.—Canstein:—Let go for Christ’s sake what is taken from thee in persecution; and be fully assured that all will be abundantly given back to thee again. And at length thou hast the treasure of all treasures for thine own—eternal life.—Cramer:—It is among true Christians as among racers for a prize: where one now goes in advance, then falls back, and then again goes forward. Let every one so run as to obtain, 1Co_9:24.

Gerlach:—The perpetual recurrence of wavering in the carnally-minded between the kingdom of heaven and the world. He feels himself, a. attracted by both, b. by both repelled.—He thinks, in his folly, that there must be some profound utterance beyond the commandments of God, which shall reconcile God and the world without. (Does not this last idea hold good, in a sacred sense, of the Gospel?) Nothing can be done without decision.—Braune:—“What is good? That which makes itself common, communicates itself (or devotes itself to the life of others). Him we call a good man, who is common and useful. God is the most common and self-communicating of all: He gives himself to all things. Nothing created gives itself. The sun gives only its rays, but keeps back itself; but God gives himself in all His gifts. His Godhead hangs upon this, that He communicates himself to all things that are capable of receiving His goodness.”—Master Eckhart:—In Christ, who is entirely for the use and benefit of all, God’s Spirit is without measure.—Why does not Jesus suggest to the questioner the commandments of the first table? These all were contained in the words, God is good. And the duties to our neighbor were best fitted to aid the blinded mind in looking into his heart and life, Luk_12:33; Luk_14:33.—(Trusting in riches):—There are poor people also, who with difficulty enter into the kingdom of heaven, because they put too much trust in money. Thus it is the spirit and temper—relying too much upon this world’s goods for happiness, whether possessing or not possessing much, whether rich or poor—that makes that entrance hard, Rom_8:17.—For Christ’s sake, and the Gospel’s, that must be given up which is given up; else it is not seed, and the promised harvest can therefore never be reaped.

Schleiermacher:—When thou askest what is really good, and what thou must do as being good, thou shouldst reflect that thou canst do absolutely nothing of thyself (and knowest nothing of thyself), and that God alone can give the power to do or think anything good.—Why did the Redeemer love the young man? On account of unprejudiced and simple words, his earnest aim, and the fidelity with which he followed his conviction and views, albeit these were limited.—And if at this crisis he did not sustain the test, yet we see that the sympathy which the Lord manifested was so entirely without displeasure, that the young man must have been filled with hope, etc.—The heart should never hang upon worldly possessions, as sufficing to impart earthly satisfaction; but we should always regard them as one part of those gifts, for the use of which we must give a strict account.—It was a laudable purpose of the Apostle to clear up for himself and for others, by an express declaration of the Redeemer, the important matter of a reward for the good, and punishment for the evil:—it was not therefore the common desire for reward.—The nature of Christian love consists in this, that the spiritual bond assumes altogether the form of the natural (brothers, sisters).—So long as we find ourselves entangled in the endeavor to prove that there is any value in ourselves, we are liable to be put to the shame of experiencing that those who would be first become the last; and inversely we shall find that the Spirit of God often prepares for Himself His instruments in profound secrecy.—Brieger:—All the impediments must be removed, but following was the great thing.—Gossner:—When self-love breathes upon the mirror of the law, that mirror becomes obscured or falsified: instead of detecting his own ugliness there, a man finds himself beautiful.—The answer of Jesus was designed to reveal to him the depths of his own heart.—.Bauer:—A man must give up, not only his riches, but also himself.

Footnotes:

Mar_10:21.—The omission of the words ἄñáò ôὸí óôáõñüí in B., C., D., A., [Vulgate,] is not decisive.

Mar_10:29 .—According to B., C., Ä ., [Lachmann, Tischendorf,] the mother comes first. The transposition is explained by the fact of the more usual order. See Meyer.

Mar_10:30.—The Sing. ìçôÝñá [Lachmann] is a correction. Fritzsche places first êáὶ ðáôÝñá , which is not sufficiently supported, and, like the êáὶ ãõíáῖêá afterwards, come from Mar_10:23.