MARK 10:1-16     Lesson 25

RESPONSIBILITY AND OPENNESS

I. Greetings:

II. Introduction:
Note: Today’s lesson could be difficult, but it is so important. It is the Gospel’s themselves that bring up the issue we will be discussing. What is interesting is that Jesus was lured into this subject, but once engaged He showed Himself again to be the master teacher.
Note: Chapter 10 opens with Jesus back in open public ministry. In the sections prior (9:30-50) Jesus had deliberately pulled away to spend time with the disciples because He wanted to teach them privately about His death. He had spoken three times of His death in 8:31, 9:9, and 9:31, and in all three of these settings, it was primarily the disciples that heard such words.
Sometimes we need to pull our stuff away and speak to them of the key and the tough issues involved in ministry. Now He was in open ministry again. Again, the crowds were gathering, and again, He was teaching.

III. Dealing with Divorce: 10:1-9
>>>> Have someone read Mark 10:1-2.
Q What was the Pharisees’ outward topic or subject?
An = They said they wanted to know Jesus’ attitude and position on the subject of divorce.
Q What was their real intent?
An = Mark said they asked their question because they wanted to test Him.
Note: John the Baptist was killed in this region on the same issue. Remember, Herod Antipas and Herodias? She had divorced in a crass manner and married Herod. John the Baptist spoke up and called the action sinful. He was killed for speaking up. Perhaps, the Pharisees thought Herod would kill Jesus too, if He had similar views of morality. Jesus was being put in a tight spot here. If you get into ministry, you will be in similar situations.
Jesus modeled for us what to do with politically tough issues that come up among religious people.
Note: One minor point that could be pointed out was that Jesus must have taught in such a manner as to have allowed questions from the crowd. Many of us today will not allow such public challenges as our Lord did.
Q As a listener, in your view, what are the advantages and disadvantages of such an approach?
Q For those of you who have taught publicly, what are the risks with such an approach?
>>>> Have someone read Mark 10:3-9.
Q Was Jesus putting Moses down in verse 5?
An = No, Jesus was not trying to contradict Moses, or to lessen Moses’ or the Old Testament’s authority. Three things could be noted here. 1) Moses’ provision was for the circumstances when divorce had taken place; it did not condone, sanction or encourage its practice. 2) Moses’ provision was to provide a degree of protection for the woman. She would be left more vulnerable without such a certificate. 3) Jesus read Moses well and accurately. He was not putting Moses down, but actually interpreting the true spirit of Moses’ teaching here.
>>>> Have someone read Deuteronomy 24:1, 5
Q Was Moses concerned with women’s best interests?
An = Yes he was. If a woman was found to be indecent (and that is not defined) the marriage was not merely ended, as in some societies, but she was given legal status as a divorced woman. Thus she was given the certificate of divorce.
>>>> Re-read Mark 10:6-9.
Q Why did Jesus quote Genesis? Is there an issue of time or precedence?
An = Jesus tied marriage to the creative act of God (note verse 6 and 9). To divorce was to repudiate how God created us: “breaking of a seal which has been engraved by the hand of God” (J. Murray in Lane, 356). We see that God created the two sexes, and that He designed for them to bond and become one. When we divorce, we separate what He bound together.
>>>> Re-read Mark 10:9.
Q Who are we going against when we get divorced?
An = We are going against God and His created order. If we initiate divorce we are mocking the very nature of God’s intentional creative act. He meant us to remain one, we mock Him in divorce.
Note: Jesus’ statements here were quite shocking and in today’s society certainly not popular. It was not popular then either! Jesus was not making too many friends with His views. Even His disciples had trouble with this teaching. They wanted to question Him privately about the issue.

IV. The Disciples Question Jesus’ Views: Mark 10:10-12.
>>>> Have someone read Mark 10:10-12.
Q Did Jesus address just men, or men and women?
An = He addressed both sexes.
Note: Rabbinic Law (Lane, p. 357) defined adultery in two ways. A man can commit adultery against another man by seducing that other man’s wife. A woman could commit adultery against her husband by having relations with another man. It is the man’s honor that was at stake in both rabbinic situations.
However, Jesus added something new here. He said a man could commit adultery against his wife. Jesus’ statement in 10:11 elevated the woman to the same status as her husband. Jesus’ teaching elevated the position of women. This higher status has traveled everywhere the Christian Gospel has gone in the world.
Of course, with status comes responsibility and so women who initiate divorce were committing adultery.
Q What about the issue of physical abuse?
An = Some of you are no doubt wondering about the issue of abuse, or some rare extenuating circumstance. However, remember most divorces in our society are divorces not motivated by an extreme case. It is usually our personal happiness or inability to get along with someone else that dominates most divorce proceedings in this nation. So what about abuse? There is no answer from this text.
Q Were the disciples just as stunned as the Pharisees at the hardness of Jesus’ teaching?
An = In Matthew 19:10, when the disciples heard of Jesus views, they wondered if it was better not to marry. The disciples, even then, saw this as a difficult teaching.
Note: If you are not married tonight be careful how you choose a spouse. It is a one time deal. No matter what your parents have done, you are responsible to be obedient to Jesus’ commandments and teachings.

V. Openness and Humility: Children with Jesus. Mark 10:13-16
>>>> Have someone read Mark 10:13-16.
Note: This story on the preciousness of children follows on the heels of forbiddance of divorce (also in Matthew 19).
Q Why would Mark put these two stories together?
An = Divorce is hard on children.
Q What does Jesus’ reaction in Mark 9:39 and Mark 10:14 have in common?
An = In Mark 9:39, Jesus says “Do not hinder them”. In Mark 10:14, the disciples again overran their authority (Lane, 359). Perhaps, we have two examples of the “leaders” keeping certain people from Jesus and thus we have two examples of Jesus saying “cut it out”. We should not limit access to Jesus as Christian leaders. If we do we will meet with the rebuke of God.
Give an example.
Q What was Jesus’ emotional reaction in verse 14?
An = He was indignant! In a word, he was angry.
Note: Jesus is presented in the Gospel of Mark as an emotionally involved person. See Mark 1:41, 43; 3:5; 7:34; and 9:19.
Q In Mark 10:14b, how did Jesus justify His view that the children should have access to Himself?
An = God’s kingdom belongs to such as these.
Q Are we guilty of harming children or rejecting children when we divorce?
>>>> Have someone re-read Mark 10:15.
Q Why must we be like little children?
An = It is not any quality children possess in themselves, but their humbleness, they have no claim on grace. One can only enter when one realizes they are helpless, small, and without claim or merit (Lane, p. 361).
>>>> Have someone re-read Mark 10:16.
Q What three verbs were used to describe Jesus with children in verse 16?
An = He “took them” in His arms, He “began blessing” them, and He “laid hands” upon them.
Q What does this say about how we should handle children?
Q Is it manly to be affectionate with little children?
An = Some males (not all males) think it is not masculine to be openly affectionate with little children. Remember Jesus was the man’s man of all men.
Q As we go home tonight, what does this passage say about how Jesus will handle us?
An = If we come to Him today as little children, He will not despise us. If we come with the realization we have no claim upon Him, He will put His arms around us, bless us, and affectionately lay hands on us. This is how we can enter His kingdom, and how He will treat us.
Note: Perhaps, one way we can approach Him tonight with the proper humility and openness of a child is to submit to His views of divorce.
If we refuse to accept His views openly and humbly on divorce, maybe we have yet to come to Him as little children. Maybe we have yet to enter the kingdom of heaven. Where Jesus’ kingdom is, there His views, as King, are obeyed.[:]