18: The Law vs Following Jesus: divorce, little children, the rich man (Mark 10:1 – 30)

This was the last moment before Jesus entered Jerusalem. He explained why they could not understand Jesus’ message. They relied on the law and their own works. 

👉 Read Mark 10:1 - 30

Q1. Divorce is not God’s will. Then, why did Moses allow it? 

Because of our hard hearts. 

Though divorce is not God’s will, if you really want to divorce your wife, you should give her a certificate of divorce so that she can marry another man. Divorcing your wife is bad, but not giving the certificate is worse. 

You can’t say you have followed God’s will only as you have kept the law. The law is the minimum requirement for you not to go too far from the Lord, like a fence for sheep.

Q2. “I tell you the (           ), whoever dose not receive the kingdom of God like a (          ) will never enter it.”

Truth, child

Receive the kingdom with purehearted devotion, without calculation of gain and loss.

Q3. (17 – 22) This passage shows that the law was not supposed to give us eternal life. The man said, ‘I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws.’ What does he lack? 

Though he wholeheartedly obeys the law, he is reluctant to follow Jesus wholeheartedly, who is the way of life that he wants.

The law explicitly describes how much you need to do. The boundary of your dedication or sacrifice is clear and known. But following Jesus requires indefinite commitment. You don’t know until when and how much you need to serve. Donation of money is offering your past. Obeying is to offer your present. But commitment to discipleship is to offer everything, including your future. 

The promise in the law is the earthly blessings, not the eternal ones. That’s why this man came and sought Jesus’ answer on how to get eternal life. 

“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” This man thought he could get eternal life by doing something. Jesus’ answer, ‘No one is good except God,’ points out his approach was wrong. Jesus meant, ‘you cannot be good enough to inherit eternal life.’ 

Jesus’ answer is this. ‘Follow me. Then you will get eternal life.’

Q4. Verses 23 – 31 answer the rich man’s question, ‘how to inherit eternal life?’ with three statements. A lot of (            ) is a burden for you entering the Kingdom of God (23). Salvation is not what you can secure, what only (          ) can (26 – 27). When you leave everything to follow Jesus, you will receive all with (               ) in this age and (                ) in the age to come (28 – 30).

Money, God, persecutions, eternal life

The rich man failed to follow because he was too rich. (21) It is not only money; anything that boosts your self-confidence makes you hesitate to deny yourself in following Jesus.

The rich man looked for a way to secure his salvation through his works or money. But Jesus answered, ‘there is no way for you to guarantee your salvation. All you can do is to follow me by all means. Then, you will be given eternal life after death.’ 

‘Receive in this age a hundred times as much’: God’s reward could be rendered as spiritual blessings as we follow Jesus. We will have new family relationships in Jesus Christ and the provision of God through the church. 

“Many who are first will be last, and the last first.” Your spiritual maturity doesn’t rely on how long you have served the Lord but on how radically and wholeheartedly you have devoted.

Want eternal life? Remember, the law doesn't promise eternal life. Follow Jesus by all means. He won't fail you.