Bible Studies
Mark 10:17-31 – The Eye of a Needle
Key Verses:(NRSV)
- 17: “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” – This very pious man was focused on the right question. In addition, there is a sense he already knew the answer since he had the notion that he had not yet done enough.
- 19: “You know the commandments…” – As in any evangelistic opportunity, Jesus begins His answer by building on a point of common ground.
- 20: “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” – He had followed the law but he felt that there must be more to it than that.
- 21: “Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’” – Success, wealth, property, prestige. These attributes were considered to be blessings given directly from God. The man would have been very proud of his holdings as a symbol of his piety and his special stature with God.
- 22: “When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving.” – The truth sometimes hurts, especially when it comes to setting aside the Self.
- 25: “Children, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” – The “eye of the needle” was the narrow opening through a fortress wall that many cities had at this time in order to protect themselves from attack. Camels, heavily laden with goods for commerce, would have to be completely unloaded of everything they carried in order to fit through this small opening. Unloading the things we cherish from our lives is an important, yet difficult task.
- 26: "They were greatly astounded and said to one another, ‘Then who can be saved?’” – They could find nothing wrong with this man. His piety was obvious. If a good person such as this could not earn salvation, who could?
- 27: “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.” – Gaining salvation is not an achievable goal. It can only come about as a gift from God. It is only through His Grace and our faith Jesus Christ that eternal life can be realized.
- 31: “But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” – “Jesus explained that in the world to come, the values of this world will be reversed. Those who seek status and importance here will have none in heaven. But those who have humbly served others are most qualified to be great in heaven.”1
- Are you self-centered or God-centered?
Promises of the Gospel:
Jesus teaches us in lesson after lesson the importance of humbling ourselves before God. Anything we carry that glorifies the self and becomes a source of pride inhibits our access to His glory. When we extract the concepts of wealth and money from today’s lesson, we still face the issue of control as a major hurdle. We are a self-centered species and when we come to the realization that we are unable to set our self aside and bring God into the center, we grieve. What we are asked to do in order to gain access to the kingdom of God is humanly impossible. All the sins and temptations we face that glorify our selves will repeatedly cause us to fall short of God’s perfection. The good news is that earning salvation is not our only pathway. It is through our faith in God and our understanding that He loves us so much that He was willing to sacrifice His Son on the altar as payment for our sins that our eternal life is assured. It is a humbling thought.
1Life Application Bible, notes for verse 10.31, pp 1708.
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