Mark 10 – The Cost of Discipleship and the Heart of the Kingdom
Mark 10 explores themes of marriage, childlike faith, wealth, sacrifice, and servant leadership. Jesus calls His followers to abandon worldly attachments and embrace the values of the Kingdom of God.
Walking the Narrow Road to Glory
In Mark 10, Jesus challenges the culture of His day—and ours—with teachings that cut straight to the heart. He clarifies God’s design for marriage, welcomes children as models of faith, exposes the dangers of wealth, and predicts His suffering while urging humility and service.
✔ Jesus teaches on the sanctity of marriage and divorce.
✔ He blesses the little children and rebukes the proud.
✔ A rich young ruler walks away sorrowfully.
✔ Jesus again predicts His death and resurrection.
✔ True greatness is defined by service and sacrifice.
✔ Blind Bartimaeus is healed through persistent faith.
📖 Key Verse: “Whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister.” – Mark 10:43
🔎 To follow Jesus is to walk the road of humility, surrender, and wholehearted trust.
Mark Chapter 10 - Overview
Mark 10:1-12 – Jesus Teaches on Divorce
📖 Mark 10:2 – “Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife?”
🔎 The Pharisees ask to trap Jesus, using divorce as a controversial test case. But Jesus redirects the conversation to God’s original intent.
📖 Mark 10:6-9 – “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”
🔎 Jesus references Genesis, affirming that marriage is a divine covenant, not merely a human contract.
📖 Mark 10:10-12 – “Whosoever shall put away his wife… committeth adultery.”
🔎 Jesus calls for lifelong faithfulness and elevates the woman’s value by applying the same standard to both genders.
Mark 10:13-16 – Let the Children Come
📖 Mark 10:14 – “Suffer the little children to come unto me… for of such is the kingdom of God.”
🔎 Children represent humility, dependence, and trust. Jesus invites all to approach Him with this posture.
📖 Mark 10:15 – “Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom… as a little child, he shall not enter therein.”
🔎 The Kingdom is not achieved—it is received by faith, not works or status.
Mark 10:17-30 – The Rich Young Ruler & the Danger of Wealth
📖 Mark 10:21 – “One thing thou lackest… sell whatsoever thou hast… and come, take up the cross, and follow me.”
🔎 Jesus sees the man’s heart—his attachment to wealth blocks him from full surrender.
📖 Mark 10:25 – “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle…”
🔎 Wealth can create false security, pride, and self-reliance—barriers to true discipleship.
📖 Mark 10:27 – “With men it is impossible, but not with God.”
🔎 Salvation is entirely a work of God’s grace, not human merit.
📖 Mark 10:29-30 – “There is no man that hath left house… but he shall receive an hundredfold… with persecutions.”
🔎 Following Christ comes with blessings and hardships—both are part of the journey.
Mark 10:31 – “But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.”
🔎 This one sentence undoes pride, resets eternity, and reorders the fallen system.
From Eden: The Fall of the First
🔹 Adam was the first—formed from the dust and given dominion. But through sin, he lost that position (Genesis 3).
🔹 Christ, the Second Adam, was born lowly, mocked, and crucified—but He became first through obedience (Philippians 2:8-9).
🔹 The first creation fell… the new creation in Christ rises.
📖 1 Corinthians 15:45-47 – “The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.”
🔎 The first became last, and the last became first.
Israel & the Gentiles: Reversal of Access
🔹 Israel was chosen first—entrusted with the Law, the prophets, the covenants (Romans 3:1-2).
🔹 But many rejected the Messiah and fell into unbelief.
🔹 Gentiles, once strangers, were brought in last—but now share in the promise through faith in Christ.
📖 Romans 11:11 – “Through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles.”
🔎 Again, the last (Gentiles) become first in receiving mercy—yet the door remains open to all who believe.
In the Church: The Humble Are Exalted
Jesus constantly taught that humility leads to honor:
🔹 The widow with two mites
🔹 The servant who washes feet
🔹 The thief on the cross
🔹 The persecuted remnant in the end
📖 James 4:10 – “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”
🔎 The last in the world’s eyes are first in heaven’s view.
In Revelation: The Final Reversal
🔹 The Beast system exalts the proud, powerful, and wicked—they appear first.
🔹 But God’s 144,000 and faithful remnant, hidden and scorned, will be sealed and exalted (Revelation 7, 14).
🔹 The first resurrection is for those who were faithful unto death—while the mighty of this world are judged.
📖 Revelation 20:6 – “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection.”
🔎 In eternity, the faithful who were last now stand first—before the throne of God.
Final Reflection
“The first shall be last, and the last first” is not just a moral lesson. It’s a cosmic reset, a kingdom key, and a prophetic map from:
🔹 Creation (Eden)
🔹 Redemption (Cross)
🔹 Sanctification (the Church)
🔹 Restoration (Christ’s Return)
The true first is the One who was willing to become last for us—Jesus.
And in Him, the last will be lifted to glory.
Mark 10:32-34 – Jesus Again Predicts His Death
📖 Mark 10:33-34 – “They shall mock him… scourge him… and kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.”
🔎 Jesus walks with full knowledge of His coming suffering—a model of obedience, courage, and sacrificial love.
Mark 10:35-45 – The Request of James & John
📖 Mark 10:37 – “Grant unto us… that we may sit, one on thy right hand…”
🔎 James and John seek glory without the cross.
📖 Mark 10:43-45 – “Whosoever will be great… shall be your minister… the Son of man came… to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
🔎 Greatness in God’s kingdom is measured by service, humility, and sacrifice—the very path Jesus walked.
Mark 10:46-52 – Blind Bartimaeus Receives Sight
📖 Mark 10:47-48 – “Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me… and many charged him that he should hold his peace… but he cried the more.”
🔎 Persistent, humble faith breaks through the noise. Bartimaeus recognizes Jesus’ true identity as Messiah.
📖 Mark 10:51-52 – “What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?… Lord, that I might receive my sight.”
🔎 Jesus responds to faith that is bold, specific, and sincere. Healing follows believing.
Mark Chapter 10 - Deeper Study
Overview: The Inverted Kingdom
🔹 Timeframe: Jesus is on the road to Jerusalem, nearing the climax of His mission.
🔹 Setting: Judea beyond Jordan and on the road to Jericho.
🔹 Theme: Discipleship requires sacrifice, humility, and unwavering faith.
Key Takeaways
🔑 Marriage is sacred—God’s design is unity and permanence.
🔑 Faith like a child is essential to enter the Kingdom.
🔑 Wealth can hinder surrender if it replaces dependence on God.
🔑 True greatness is found in serving others.
🔑 Persistent faith sees what others miss—Jesus sees those who cry out in faith.
Prophetic Patterns & Dual Fulfillment
🔮 Suffering Servant Theme – Jesus again fulfills Isaiah 53 by foretelling His rejection and death.
🔮 Messiah as Healer – Bartimaeus’ healing fulfills Messianic expectations (Isaiah 35:5).
🔮 Kingdom Reversal – The last shall be first echoes spiritual inversion (Matthew 19:30).
Historical & Cultural Context
📜 Jewish View of Wealth – Wealth was seen as a sign of favor, but Jesus subverts this notion.
📜 Children & Status – Children had no social status, yet Jesus elevates them as models.
📜 Rabbis & Marriage Law – Jesus’ teaching cut against the lax divorce norms of the time.
📜 Roadside Beggars – Blind beggars like Bartimaeus were often ignored—but Jesus heard and healed.
💡 Final Reflection: Will You Follow Him Without Reserve?
Mark 10 challenges us to examine the cost of discipleship:
📌 What are we holding on to that keeps us from full surrender?
📌 Do we serve or seek to be served?
📌 Will we persist in faith, even when silenced or overlooked?
🚀 The road to Jerusalem is the road to glory—but it is walked with a cross.
Teaching About Divorce
Mar 10:1 And he arose from thence, and cometh into the coasts of Judaea by the farther side of Jordan: and the people resort unto him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again.
Mar 10:2 And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.
Mar 10:3 And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?
Mar 10:4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.
Mar 10:5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.
Mar 10:6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
Mar 10:7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
Mar 10:8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.
Mar 10:9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
Mar 10:10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.
Mar 10:11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.
Mar 10:12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.
Let the Children Come to Me
Mar 10:13 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
Mar 10:14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
Mar 10:15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
Mar 10:16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.
The Rich Young Man
Mar 10:17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
Mar 10:18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.
Mar 10:19 Thou 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.
Mar 10:20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.
Mar 10:21 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 shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
Mar 10:22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
Mar 10:23 And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
Mar 10:24 And 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!
Mar 10:25 It 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.
Mar 10:26 And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?
Mar 10:27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
Mar 10:28 Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.
Mar 10:29 And 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,
Mar 10:30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
Mar 10:31 But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.
Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time
Mar 10:32 And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him,
Mar 10:33 Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles:
Mar 10:34 And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.
The Request of James and John
Mar 10:35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.
Mar 10:36 And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you?
Mar 10:37 They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.
Mar 10:38 But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?
Mar 10:39 And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:
Mar 10:40 But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.
Mar 10:41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John.
Mar 10:42 But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.
Mar 10:43 But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:
Mar 10:44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.
Mar 10:45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus
Mar 10:46 And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.
Mar 10:47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
Mar 10:48 And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
Mar 10:49 And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.
Mar 10:50 And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.
Mar 10:51 And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
Mar 10:52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.
Date Written
Around 55-65 A.D.
Written By
John Mark
Language
Greek
Verses
52