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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - Mark 10:23 - 10:27
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mar_10:23-27
23And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, "How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!" 24The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is to enter 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 the kingdom of God." 26They were even more astonished and said to Him, "Then who can be saved?" 27Looking at them, Jesus said, "With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God."
Mar_10:23 "And Jesus, looking around" This expression is used several times to denote that Jesus took notice of how His teachings affected others (cf. Mar_3:5; Mar_3:34; Mar_5:32; Mar_10:23; Mar_11:11). Only Luk_6:10 is a parallel. This is uniquely a memory of Peter.
▣ "'How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God'" This would have been so surprising to the disciples (cf. Mar_10:24). The OT traditional view, based on Deuteronomy 27-28, was that wealth and health were related to one's covenant performance and God's blessing. This is the very issue addressed by Job and Psalms 73. Wealthy humans tend to trust in their own resources instead of God.
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Mar_10:24 "'Children'" Jesus called the disciples by the term used in His previous teaching session (cf. Mar_10:13-16). This reenforces that "children" refers to adult believers.
▣ "'how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God'" This is a shocking statement. Salvation is a free gift in the finished work of Christ for anyone/everyone who responds by repentance and faith. The problem comes when we somehow think we deserve it or merit it! Faith is hard for prideful, self-sufficient, fallen humanity. We would like it better if our relationship with God was difficult and hard so that we could take pride in our achieving it, but as it is, God's way of repentance and faith is humiliating to fallen mankind, especially wealthy, educated, privileged mankind.
Because this verse is so terse several ancient scribes tried to limit its scope by inserting a qualifying phrase (cf. Bruce M. Metzger's A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament:
1. "for those who trust in riches" found in MSS A, C, D, and the Textus Receptus
2. "a rich man" in MS W
3. "those who have possessions" in minuscule 1241
Mar_10:25 "'camel to go through the eye of a needle'" Like Mat_23:24, this phrase is an Oriental overstatement. Several scribes and many commentators have tried to explain this statement as (1) a word play between "camel" (kamçlos) and "rope" (kamilus), which comes from the fifth century or (2) using "needle's eye" to refer to a small gate in one of the large gates of Jerusalem, but neither of these have historical evidence (cf. Fee and Stuart's How To Read the Bible For All Its Worth, p.21). These attempts miss the point of the hyperbole (cf. Mat_19:24; Luk_18:25).
Mar_10:26 "astonished" Mark often uses this term (ekplçssomai) to describe how the people reacted to Jesus' teachings and actions (cf. Mar_1:22; Mar_6:2; Mar_7:37; Mar_10:26; Mar_11:18; and a synonym thambeô in Mar_10:24). Jesus' message was so different from the rabbis, both in form (i.e., His authority) and message (i.e., the nature of the Kingdom).
NASB "saying to Him"
NKJV "saying among themselves"
NRSV "said to one another"
TEV "asked one another"
NJB "saying to one another"
These differing translations relate to various Greek manuscript variants.
1. NKJV, MSS A, D, W, and Textus Receptus
2. NRSV, TEV, NJB, MS M* and the Peshitta translation
3. NASB, MSS à , B, and C
4. one minuscule manuscript (i.e., 569) and some Coptic translations omit the phrase, as do Mat_19:25 and Luk_18:26
Mar_10:27 This verse's emphasis on the grace of God is such a welcome balance to the radical nature of NT discipleship. Humans are unable to approach a holy God, but the wonderful, amazing truth is that He approaches us!
This saying may be an OT allusion to Gen_18:14 or Jer_32:17; Jer_32:24. Mankind's only hope is in the character, promises, and actions of the one true God!