Thoughts on Mark 10:13-31
The rich young ruler’s folly
The blessing of the children is a fitting introduction to the incident with the rich young ruler that provides a truth-revealing contrast. Parents were trying to bring their children to Jesus for blessing, but the disciples for reasons not explicitly stated, tried to stop them. Their actions made Jesus indignant, which would be an intense level of anger. Jesus used the children as an example of those who would enter the Kingdom. Small children receive what is given as a gift without exerting right to more.
Herein enters the rich young ruler. “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” On the plus side, this young man was sincere and understood he lacked something. Jesus began to chip away at the young man’s defenses.
“Why do you call me good? Only God is good.” Jesus did not deny His own divinity with these words. Rather, he inquired if the man understood His divine nature. Also, if God alone is good, why did the young man think he could do something to make himself good enough? So, Jesus pointed to the half of the Ten Commandments pertaining to human relations. The man thought he had a passing grade with them.
Where English translations say that Jesus looked at the man, it could easily say that Jesus scrutinized him. “You lack one thing.” The rich young ruler’s problem was with the first half of the Decalogue. He loved his possessions. He couldn’t let them go to follow God. In fact, according to Mark, he was dismayed by this demand. His attitude was, “How can Jesus ask me to do such a thing?”
After he left, Jesus pointed out the possessions and wealth were a great hindrance to entering God’s Kingdom and having eternal life. So, the disciples were shocked, perhaps because they understood wealth to be a sign of God’s blessing.
Of course, Peter would take it too far. “Look at us. We gave up everything. What’s our prize?”
Jesus responded as if to say, “Don’t assume that You gave up anything. You have received so much more, even though you don’t escape suffering in this life.”
And when Jesus said, “But many who are first will be last, and the last first,” he warned them against assuming that the Kingdom operated in a worldly way.” That statement would flow into the next event.