Let's look at some texts. 10:1,2 Departing from there, he comes to the borders of Judea on the Jordan side. Again the people gathered to Him, and, according to His custom, He again taught them.
2 The Pharisees came and asked, tempting Him: Is it permissible for a husband to divorce his wife? In Deut. 24:1-4 clearly states that the answer (yes or no) depends on the circumstances. Perhaps the Pharisees wanted to involve Jesus in a dispute about Herod Antipas and his "illegitimate" wife ( Geneva)

10:3-5 He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?”
4 They said: Moses allowed a letter of divorce to be written and a divorce to take place.
5 Jesus answered and said to them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts, he wrote you this commandment.”
Jesus shows the Pharisees that the hardness of hearts of the people of this wicked age prompted God to allow divorce for the sake of allowing people to choose between evil and a lesser evil: divorce is not good in any case, but it is better to allow divorce (a lesser evil) than to allow the hard-hearted to cause a greater evil to life partners, preserving the marriage.

10:6-9 At the beginning of creation, God created them male and female.
7 Therefore a man will leave his father and mother
8 And he will cleave to his wife, and the two will become one flesh; so that they are no longer two, but one flesh.
9 Therefore, what God has joined together, let no man separate.
See Gen. 1:27.
Does text 9 about the combination of two by God refer only directly to Adam and Eve, whom God actually gave to each other?
No.
Firstly, in the texts 7.8. it is explained: a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh; so that they are no longer two, but one flesh. Adam and Eve had no parents except God.
Secondly: since God gives a helper-wife, corresponding to the man-husband in everything (as in the case of Adam), no one would even have the thought of divorcing such a wife (husband) and the words of Jesus would have no meaning.

What, in this case, do the words of text 9 mean, “what God has joined together, let no man put asunder” - for the random combinations of this age, in which God Himself does not produce such a combination of exactly two halves of one whole?

Here we are talking about the fact that if two people decide to get married by their own choice, they in any case become before God a union of one flesh, sealed by the marriage procedure provided for by the states of this century to legitimize marriages (although the procedures themselves are different, from shamanic rites to wedding in a church or registration of marriage by state bodies) - the essence is the same: those who voluntarily and openly testified before the society in which they live - their entry into the marriage union of husband and wife, having made a vow of fidelity to each other in any circumstances - must this vow of marriage perform until death.

10:10 At home, His disciples again asked Him the same thing.
If we didn’t understand something the first time, then we shouldn’t be embarrassed to ask again to clarify: it’s better to ask again than to do the wrong thing later.
The disciples perhaps thought that Jesus would say one thing to the Pharisees and another to them?
Later, and in fact, the disciples received clarifications on this matter from God through Paul in case Pharisaism was excluded in this matter (more on this below, in the analysis of texts 11,12). In the meantime, Jesus clearly indicated the position of God's servant:

10:11,12 He said to them: whoever divorces his wife and marries another (not due to adultery , Mtf. 19:9) he commits adultery on her behalf;
12 And if a wife divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery. (breaks the one-flesh marriage union)

Jesus shows that the current revelation of the New Testament, despite the presence of evil in the world, for Christianity has the goal of restoring on earth those principles of human life in an ideal version that existed before the Fall in paradise. Permission to divorce is no longer legalized - it is prohibited by God.

However, for exceptional cases of the impossibility of living together in marriage not because of adultery, but for some other reasons for the hardness of heart of this age, God still allows divorce without the subsequent right for the divorced to remarry - in contrast to the concessions of the Mosaic Law, which allow remarriage. marriage in such cases (1 Cor. 7:10,11).
This commandment allowed by God does not allow the New Testament Pharisee to develop his view on this matter, who loves the letter of the law and is ready to sacrifice even the good of other people’s married lives in order to categorically force them to fulfill the letter of the law.

10:13 They brought children to Him so that He could touch them; The disciples did not allow those who brought them.
Sometimes those who love us, out of their best intentions, surround us with their care and attention so much that this not only does not do well, but sometimes even causes harm. As, for example, in the case of the disciples’ attempt to protect Jesus from all sorts of unnecessary and annoying little things - out of sincere concern about the lack of his time: in their opinion, children are mere trifles, Jesus’ communication with them would distract him from something more important and significant , for which he came from God to earth.

10:14 When Jesus saw [this], he was indignant and said to them: Let the little children come to Me and do not hinder them, for to such is the Kingdom of God.
However, overdoing it in our desire to please those we love may not produce the response we hope for - those who provide us with unnecessary benefits because of their understanding of the essence of caring for us: Jesus made it clear to his disciples that they should not make decisions for him. The easiest way to actually help the one we want to help (in this case, Jesus) is to ask him himself: how would you like us to act in this or that case in helping you? And do as he says (today Jesus speaks through the word of God, the Bible).
And not as we ourselves would like to do or as we ourselves think is right.

10:15,16 See also analysis Matthew 18:1-5
Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.
16 And he embraced them, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

Barkley showed very well what there is in children that opens the way to the Kingdom of God (this is something that adults do not have):
1. Humility of a Child. There are, however, narcissistic children who strive for self-promotion, but this is rare and is almost always the result of improper treatment of the child. Usually the same child fame is embarrassing. He is not yet accustomed to thinking about a place of honor, high position and prestige; he has not yet discovered the importance of his “I”.
2. Obedience. A child often shows disobedience, but no matter how paradoxical it may seem, he has a natural instinct of obedience. He I have not yet known pride and false independence , alienating a person from his fellow men and from God.
3. Gullibility child. The authority of parents. Up to a certain age the child believes that his dad knows everything, and that dad is always right. The child will grow up soon, he admits his helplessness and trusts someone who he thinks knows something.
4. Child not vindictive. He has not yet learned to harbor anger and harbor enmity . Even when they treat him unfairly, he forgets and forgives. And truly such is the Kingdom of God.

10:17-24 Jesus' conversation with a rich young man, grieving over the impossibility of leaving his wealth in order to follow Christ. See detailed analysis Mtf. 19:16-23.
Let's look at some texts.

10:17 When He set out on the road, someone ran up, fell on his knees before Him and asked Him:
Luke (18:18) says that this man was a “ruler,” Matthew (19:22) says that he was a young man, and Mark (10:22) says he was very rich.
In a word, this man had everything by the standards of a prosperous life in this world, with the exception of the most important thing - eternal life.

Good teacher! What must I do to inherit eternal life?
Most Bible translations do not include the word “good” in the word “teacher.” (One day a man came to Him and asked:
- Teacher, what good must I do to receive eternal life?, R.V. )
The questioner was interested in“By what deeds can we earn the right to inherit eternal life?” His religious views were based on the doctrine of the possibility deserve eternal life in the promised land - through righteous deeds. The teaching was based on the blessings and curses of the Mosaic Law for failure to do all the works of the Law.

10:18 Jesus said to him: Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.
- Why are you asking me about good things? God alone is good, Jesus answered him. - And if you want to enter Life, keep the commandments, R.V.
Jesus showed the young man that it is not he himself, but God who gives knowledge of good things - for the possibility of inheriting eternal life.

10:19 You know the commandments: do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not offend, honor your father and mother.
Jesus also shows that without righteous deeds, eternal life on earth cannot be achieved.

10:20 He answered and said to Him: Teacher! I have kept all this from my youth.
The young man seemed to understand that Jesus brought something additional and new to the doctrine of eternal life, for, according to Matthew’s story, he asked: “What do I still lack?”

10:21 Jesus looked at him and loved him and said to him:
Jesus had the ability to see a person's thoughts. Most likely, he knew in advance that that young man would not follow him after the offer to distribute the property. But he still fell in love with him: apparently, there was a reason for it, because the guy tried to live righteously as best he could, he had a family and a large estate, he took care of his parents, did not commit adultery, did not steal, etc. – everyone was so good that Jesus liked him (we remember that Jesus did not invite everyone he met to leave everything and follow him - Matt. 8:19,20).

We don’t know what happened to this man next: maybe he did become a Christian after all. Or maybe he died in luxury, keeping the commandments of the Mosaic Law, but never following Christ.
You lack one thing: go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me, taking up the cross.
The message of Matthew 19:21 clarifies that in order to achieve spiritual perfection and the heavenly treasures associated with it - one must learn more than just performing a set of righteous deeds: one must take upon oneself the cross of Christ and follow in his footsteps.
That is, Jesus told him about the opportunity to live forever in heaven, but for this he must follow the path of Christ and be ready for self-sacrifice and self-denial.

However, Jesus understands that not all people on earth are able to give up their personal earthly interests for the sake of acquiring the spiritual treasures of the Kingdom of God and observing the interests of God and His Christ: not everyone is ready to acquire a pearl of spiritual goods, having lost ALL their earthly values ​​(Matt. 13:46 ), as well as “castrate” oneself for the sake of this – not everyone will be able to (19:11,12)

10:22 He, embarrassed by this word, went away sad, because he had great property.
The young man's love of wealth and refusal to give it away in order to follow Jesus shows that he was, in fact, not ready for the moment to accept the word of Christ and, in fact, was breaking the greatest of the commandments of the law: " Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength", loving yourself and your personal values ​​more (Deut. 6:5; cf. Matt. 22:37).

Because the young man himself refuses to achieve spiritual perfection in this age and the honor of being with Christ in heaven, having eternal life(as someone who has achieved spiritual perfection) - then, naturally, he will not be able to achieve it yet.
Although eternal life cannot be achieved without works of righteousness (10:19), however, works of righteousness of the law alone without love for God and without the willingness to deny oneself for the sake of His interests will not help to achieve eternal life.
In the Millennium, all who wish to achieve eternal life will have to learn to love God more than their own.

10:23,24 And, looking around, Jesus said to His disciples: how difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!
24 The disciples were horrified at His words. But Jesus answers them again: children! How difficult it is for those who hope for wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!
It is difficult for a rich man to enter, but Jesus did not say “impossible.” And the tax collector Matthew, and Joseph from Arimathea, and Zacchaeus, and the Ethiopian nobleman were not poor people. However, many poor people who do not love God will also not get into the Kingdom of God: the mere lack of wealth has not yet made anyone a man of God.
But these rich were able to accept Christ and renounce what was dear to them personally (each person has his own values ​​and his own “possessions,” but this is not necessarily material wealth)

10:25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.
Variation in ancient codes: in some cases the word “kamelos” - camel; in others - "kamilos" - a ship's rope. Obviously, the second option is more correct. ( Geneva)

10:26 They were extremely amazed and said to each other: who can be saved? Since wealth was considered in Palestine as evidence of God's favor, the Jews believed that the rich were the most likely and prime "candidates" for the Kingdom. Jesus changed their idea of ​​salvation, which is why the disciples asked him: " so who can be saved?" (if not the rich, then who?)

10:27 Jesus, looking at them, says: This is impossible with men, but not with God, for all things are possible with God.
What seems incredible to us or, on the contrary, even very calculated and predictable, can look completely different in the eyes of God: He sees the WHOLE complete picture about each of us and sees our hearts.
Jesus emphasized here that a person by himself - be he rich or poor - will not be saved even if he fulfills all the points of the law. Only with God's help is salvation possible: for the salvation of humanity, God sent Christ into the world. He who accepts him as the son of God and the redeemer from sin and death, and also demonstrates faith in this in practice, will be saved.

10:28 And Peter began to say to Him: Behold, we have left everything and followed You.
That is, Peter is interested: if salvation depends on God, then how will He treat those who left everything that was theirs according to the word of Christ (unlike the rich young man)?

10:29,30 Jesus answered and said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or land, for My sake and the gospel’s sake,
30 And now in this time, in the midst of persecution, I would not have received a hundred times more houses, and brothers and sisters, and fathers, and mothers, and children, and lands, and in the age to come eternal life.
As we see, for this wicked age, Jesus did not promise eternal life to anyone. Only in the COMING CENTURY - the next to replace the wicked age after his death - does it make sense to expect eternal life for the disciples of Jesus Christ, who left ALL THEIR OWN, and it does not matter how much or little of this “all theirs” was. But according to the list enumerated by Jesus Christ - a man accustomed to even small earthly joys - there is something to leave behind.

With houses, lands and other inanimate values ​​- no matter what, you can understand how to throw it all away.

But in what sense was it possible to leave families FOR THE WAY OF CHRIST? Is it good if we literally take it and leave them all to their own devices? No, of course, a Christian cannot perceive these words of Christ THIS way, for whoever does not take care of his family is worse than an infidel - 1 Tim. 5:8.

There is a known case when Jesus did not allow one disciple to watch his father until his death, saying that those relatives of his father who were not interested in the path of Christ (spiritually dead) would also be able to worry about this - Matt.8:22. There is the example of Aquila and Priscilla, who together carried out the work of God.

So, the principle is this: a Christian, if he has a Christian family, may well do God’s work with his family, but devote time FIRST OF ALL to God’s, and only then, if there is still time left, to personal family happiness.
If a family, for example, opposes him and prevents him from performing Christian service and a person’s enemies are his family, a Christian can try to organize everything so that the family has everything necessary for life, and he himself can do God’s work, not taking into account the family’s resistance or their requirement to sit next to them without fail.

10:31 But many who are first will be last, and those who are last will be first.
All of us, in the eyes of God and Christ, are on some kind of conditional “lists”, in the first or last ranks of Him, but it may happen in the end that, thinking of ourselves as the first in the ranks of God, we are not in the ranks at all. what lists for life we ​​won’t find ourselves on.
Therefore, it makes sense to carefully study what God’s priorities are, so that we can navigate not according to our own, but according to HIS priorities, if we want to please HIM and not ourselves.

For example, it is actually very difficult to part with what we personally cleave to throughout life with all our hearts - in order to acquire just one heavenly pearl (choose the desire for spiritual perfection). Sometimes it’s hard to understand how it’s even possible - to take and detach yourself from everything you’ve become familiar with on a painfully familiar land - for the sake of acquiring who knows what from a set of spiritual values.
That’s why Jesus said that many who consider themselves first will end up last on God’s lists: not everyone will be willing to pay for a pearl with all their earthly acquisitions.

10:32-34 When they were on the way, going up to Jerusalem, Jesus walked ahead of them, and they were terrified and, following Him, were in fear. Calling the twelve, He again began to tell them about what would happen to Him:
33 Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles,
34 And they will mock Him, and beat Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him; and on the third day he will rise again.
Fear and horror are not the most suitable “companions” on the journey to God. But it happens like this. The fear of the disciples - the potential of losing Christ, whom they loved, to whom they were accustomed and without whom their future - seemed to them foggy and uncertain, all this terrified them. Apparently, therefore, some of them decided to secure at least something from Christ in advance while he was with them, asking for “dividends” in the form of future places of honor in the Kingdom.

Don’t we sometimes demand from our family, loved ones, fellow believers - those who are able to give us something valuable, the same “dividends” in the form of our, as it seems to us, “reasonable” requests? Maybe we ask more for ourselves than for the benefit of the Kingdom, as John and James did?

10:35-37 [Then] the sons of Zebedee, James and John, approached Him and said: Teacher! We want You to do for us whatever we ask.
36 He said to them, “What do you want me to do to you?”
37 They said to Him, “Grant us to sit at Your side, one on your right hand and the other on your left, in Your glory.”
So, Jesus tells his disciples about his approaching mortal fate, and the apostles James and John (unexpectedly to know this about John, at least) are fussing about their personal mercantile interest, about a warm place for their seat - under the sun of Christ.
And the death of Christ for them is as if by itself, an expected phenomenon.
As we remember, John and James are those few of the apostles who were given the honor of writing down the word of God. (about the other apostles - perhaps only the names remained in our memory). It turns out that even such shortcomings are NOT a criterion of suitability or unsuitability for God - from the point of view of God himself. It happens that someone with shortcomings is pleasing to him because he is able to realize them and get rid of them. And it happens that even someone who considers himself righteous is not pleasing to Him (Matt. 5:20, 1 Sam. 13:14)

And what about Jesus? How did you react to this interest from the students?

10:38-40 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking.” Can you drink the cup that I drink and be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?
39 They answered: We can. Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized you will be baptized.”
40 But to let you sit on My right hand and on My left is not up to Me, but to whomever it is prepared.
Jesus responded to their vanity as a weakness, so nothing explosive could happen: he does not at all reproach them for such cynicism, but explained in all details the essence of the reason for the impossibility of satisfying their such a modest desire.

From his explanation we see that even if the disciples of Christ, ready to fully convey Christ’s torment for upholding the word of God, convey them in fact by drinking the cup of Christ and being baptized with the baptism of one doomed to death for the word of God - then even then not to Christ, but It is up to God to decide which of those who have brought their pillar of torment to sit with Christ on the heavenly thrones, and who, perhaps, to use for other purposes in his Kingdom.

10:41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be angry with James and John.
Why were the others outraged? Maybe because they chose the wrong moment for such troubles. Maybe because they were only worried about themselves - it doesn't matter. John and James should have realized that they were wrong in this case.

10:42-44 Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that those who are considered princes of the nations rule over them, and their nobles rule over them.
43 But let it not be so among you: but whoever wants to be great among you, let us be your servant;
44 And whoever wants to be first among you must be slave of all.
How do the princes of men differ from the princes of the heavenly government? Because human princes want to lead, to command, to see that they are obeyed and respected.
For example, in order to dig up a field of potatoes, a human prince will not get his white hands dirty, he will certainly find bast man men for this task and order them to dig, and check whether his instructions were followed exactly or not. He will also find something to punish for.
And the prince of heaven will show by his own example that it’s time to dig up the potatoes: he will and will continue to dig. And it won’t just show 5 minutes HOW to do it. And he will dig until
will dig up the entire field. And it doesn’t matter whether there are those who want to help him among the “men - lapotniks”.
The Tsar of Russia Peter the Great - he was so similar to the heavenly princes in his desire to work, he personally tinkered with the “unwashed” Russia.

10:45 For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His soul as a ransom for many.
Likewise, Jesus Christ did not come to earth to sit on a throne and give instructions to those who served him. But he came not only to “dig up an entire field of potatoes” and to feed people. But also so that those who eat his food can live forever. And for this, he parted with the most precious thing a person has: his life.
And for modern Christians, it is sometimes difficult to give up the desire to watch a series on TV.

10:46-48 They arrive in Jericho. And when He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a multitude of people, Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat blind by the road, begging [alms].
47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout and say: Jesus, Son of David! have mercy on me.
48 Many forced him to remain silent; but he began to shout even more: Son of David! have mercy on me.
The blind man began to shout for help to Christ, but it often happens: the “sighted” cannot understand the aspirations of someone who wants to see, so they tried to forcibly close his mouth, forcing him to remain silent, so that he would not, they say, burden Christ, who accomplishes deeds of cosmic proportions, with just his desire see the light

10:49-52 Jesus stopped and told him to call him. They call the blind man and tell him: don’t be afraid, get up, he’s calling you.
50 He took off his robe, stood up and came to Jesus.
51 Jesus answered him and asked, “What do you want from Me?” The blind man said to Him: Teacher! so that I can see the light.
52 Jesus said to him, “Go, your faith has saved you.” And he immediately received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
But the blind man turned out to be not a timid man, because he VERY STRONGLY wanted to see clearly - he began to scream louder. Thanks to this, he was heard.

So today - if you want to be heard by someone - shout to him louder and don’t pay attention to anyone’s attempts to silence you.

And if you want to receive spiritual insight, then “shout” to heaven: pray fervently to the Father of Christ in the name of Jesus (John 14:13), asking for help in understanding His word and the way of His Christ. And then - use the “gift of healing”: read the word of God, delve into it so that you are not a forgetful listener, but a doer of the word - and you will definitely receive help from above, and Jesus Christ will become an Intercessor for you

Departing from there, he comes to the borders of Judea on the Jordan side. Again the people gathered to Him according to His custom, He again taught them. The Pharisees came and asked, tempting Him: Is it permissible for a husband to divorce his wife? He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?” They said: Moses allowed the writing of a letter of divorce and divorce. Jesus answered and said to them, Because of the hardness of your hearts he wrote you this commandment. At the beginning of creation, God created them male and female (Gen. 1:27). Therefore a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh; so that they are no longer two, but one flesh. So, what God has joined together, let no man separate.

The Lord often left Judea because the Pharisees hated Him. But now he comes again to Judea, because the time of His suffering was approaching. However, He does not go directly to Jerusalem, but first only “to the borders of Judea” in order to benefit the kindly people; while Jerusalem, through the cunning of the Jews, was the center of all evil. And look how, in their malice, they tempt the Lord, not tolerating the people to believe in Him, but each time approaching Him with the intention of putting Him in difficulty and blocking Him with their questions. They offer Him a question that put Him between two abysses: is it permissible, they say, for a man to let his wife go? For whether He says that it is permissible, or whether He says that it is impermissible, in any case, they thought to accuse Him of contradicting the Law of Moses. But Christ, the Self-Existing Wisdom, answers them in such a way that he escapes their snares. He asks them: what did Moses command them? And when they answered that Moses commanded to let his wife go, Christ explained to them the Law itself. Moses, He says, was not so unmerciful that he could give such a Law, but he wrote this because of your hardness of heart. Knowing the inhumanity of the Jews, such that a husband who did not love his wife could easily kill her, Moses allowed the husband to let his unloved wife go. But from the beginning it was not so: God combines two persons in the union of marriage so that they become one, leaving even their parents. Notice that the Lord says: God does not allow polygamy, so that one can let go of one wife and take another, and then again leave this one and marry another. If it had pleased God, He would have created one husband and many wives; But that’s not what happened, but “God created man and woman” to be united - one husband with one wife. In a figurative sense, this can be understood this way: the word of the Teaching, throwing good seeds into the soul of a believer, has the meaning of a husband for the soul that accepts it. But (the word of teaching) leaves his father, that is, a lofty mind, and his mother, that is, decorated speech, and cleaves to his wife, that is, the benefit of the soul, adapts to her and often prefers low thoughts and simple speech. And then they both become one flesh, that is, the soul believes that “the Word (of God) became flesh,” and no human thought can separate the soul from such faith.

At home, His disciples again asked Him the same thing. He said to them: whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if a wife divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.

So the disciples were tempted (regarding the divorce of husband and wife), so they too come to Him and ask about the same thing. Their way of thinking was not yet completely sound. The Lord answered them: whoever lets his wife go and understands another, becomes an adulterer with this second wife; Likewise, a wife who leaves her husband and marries another becomes an adulteress.

They brought children to Him so that He could touch them; The disciples did not allow those who brought them. Seeing this, Jesus was indignant and said to them: Let the little children come to Me and do not hinder them, for to such is the Kingdom of God. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it. And he embraced them, laid his hands on them and blessed them.

There was great faith among the people when they accepted the laying on of hands by Christ as a blessing for the children brought to Him, but the disciples did not allow those bringing them, thinking that it was unworthy of Him. What about Christ? Teaching his disciples to be humble and reject worldly arrogance, He accepts and embraces children. By this He shows that He accepts those who are not evil; That’s why he says: “For of such is the kingdom of God.” Notice that he did not say: these children “are the Kingdom,” but “such children,” that is, those who have acquired the same kindness that children have by nature. For the child does not envy, does not remember evil and, being punished by his mother, does not run away from her, but even if she wore rags, he prefers her to the queen; So a person who lives virtuously prefers his mother, I mean the Church, to everything and is not carried away by worldly pleasures. For this reason, the Lord embraces such people, saying: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,” and blesses them, saying: “Come, you blessed of My Father.” The Kingdom of God here refers to the preaching of the Gospel and the promise of future blessings. So, whoever accepts the Divine preaching as a child, that is, without hesitation at all and without allowing unbelief in himself, will enter the Kingdom of God and inherit the blessings that he has already acquired through faith.

When He set out on the road, someone ran up, fell on his knees before Him and asked Him: Good Teacher! What must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus said to him: Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not offend, honor your father and mother (Ex. 20: 12-17). He answered and said to Him: Teacher! I have kept all this from my youth. Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me, taking up the cross. He, embarrassed by this word, went away sad, because he had great property.

Some falsely represent this young man as a cunning and treacherous tempter. This is not so: he was only a covetous man, and not a tempter. For listen to what the evangelist notes: “Jesus, looking at him, loved him.” And why did Christ answer him like this: “No one is good”? Because he approached Christ as a simple man and as one of many teachers. Christ seems to say this: If you consider Me good, as a simple teacher, then in comparison with God not a single person is good; If you recognize Me as good as God, then why do you call Me only teacher? With such words, Christ wants to convey the highest thought about Himself, so that he knows Him as God. In addition, to correct the young man, the Lord gives him another lesson: if he wants to talk with someone, then he must speak without flattery, and the root and source of goodness is to know one thing - God and give due honor to Him. However, I am surprised at this young man in the fact that when everyone else came to Christ for healing from illnesses, he himself asks for the inheritance of eternal life - if only he were not possessed by the even stronger passion of the love of money. Because of this passion, having heard the words of the Lord: “Go, sell and give to the poor,” he “departed with sadness.” Note at the same time that the Lord did not say: sell in parts what you have and distribute, but sell at a time and distribute, but only to the poor, and not to caresses and not to debauchees; then: “follow me,” that is, learn every other virtue, for there are many who are willing and not acquisitive, but not humble, or humble, but not sober, or have some other vice. Therefore, the Lord does not only say: “sell and give to the poor,” but: “and come, follow Me, taking up the cross,” which means to be ready to die for His sake. “And he, troubled by this word, went away sad, because he had great property.” It is not in vain that it was added that he had a lot: for owning little is both bad and dangerous, and the bonds of many acquisitions are completely insoluble. But the one who is young in spirit, frivolous, inattentive in thought, not organized in mind, let him sell his property in the same way, such as anger and lust, with all that vegetates from them, and give it away, throw it to the demons, who are the poor , deprived of all good and wealth, because they have fallen away from the goodness of God, and then let him follow Christ, for he can only follow Christ who rejects the wealth of sins, which is the property of demons. “Turn away,” it is said, “from evil”: this means throwing sinful wealth to the poor, that is, to the forces of demons; - “and do good”: what does it mean to follow Christ and take His Cross.

And, looking around, Jesus said to His disciples: how difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God! The disciples were horrified at His words. But Jesus answers them again: children! How difficult it is for those who hope for wealth to enter the Kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. They were extremely amazed and said to each other: who can be saved? Jesus, looking at them, said: This is impossible with men, but not with God, for all things are possible with God.

It is not wealth in itself that is evil, but those who cherish it are evil and worthy of condemnation, for they should not have it, that is, keep it, but use it for good. This is why it is called wealth because it is intended for useful use, and not for savings. Therefore, it is difficult for those who guard and lock it to “enter the Kingdom of God.” And the word “difficult” here means the same thing as impossible. It is indeed too difficult for a rich man to be saved. This can be seen from the example that the Lord adds when he says: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.” By the name camel we mean either the animal itself, or the thick rope (rope) used on large ships. So, it is impossible for a person to be saved while he is rich. But from God it is possible. Christ said: "Make friends for yourself with unrighteous wealth." You see how everything becomes possible when we hear the Word of God! “This is impossible for humans,” that is, it is impossible when we reason like humans. But why were the disciples so amazed at these words? After all, they themselves were never rich? I think that in this case they cared about all the people, since they were already beginning to be humane. Some people wonder how Christ said that “all things are possible with God.” Can He really sin? To this we answer that when Christ says: “all,” he means everything essential, but sin is not something essential: sin is something inessential, inactive, or, in other words, sin is not a property of strength, but of weakness, as and the apostle says: “While we were still weak, Christ died” (Rom. 5:6), and David says: “Their sorrows are multiplied” (Ps. 15:4). This means that sin, like weakness, is impossible for God. But can God, they say, make things that were as if they were not? To this we say: God is Truth, and to make what has happened as if it had not happened is a lie. How can Truth make a lie? To do this, He would first have to change His Being. To say this would be to say that God may not be God.

And Peter began to say to Him: Behold, we have left everything and followed You. Jesus answered and said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or land, for My sake and the gospel’s sake, and will not receive it now, in this time, in the midst of persecution, a hundred times more houses, and brothers and sisters, and fathers, and mothers, and children, and lands, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and those who are last will be first.

Although Peter left a little for the sake of Christ, he still calls this little “all.” Apparently, few people have bonds of partiality; and therefore the one who leaves a little is worthy of satisfaction. Peter alone asked Christ, but the Lord gives a common answer for everyone: everyone who leaves his wife or mother. He says this not so that we leave our parents helpless or separate from our wives, but teaches us to prefer pleasing God to everything carnal. Since, as a result of the preaching of the Gospel, strife flared up between people, so that children had to renounce their fathers, the Lord says: whoever forsakes carnal relationships and everything carnal in general for the sake of the Gospel, in this age he will receive all this a hundred times more, and in future - eternal life. Therefore, will he not get a hundred times more wives? Yes, - although the damned Julian scoffed at it. For, tell me, what benefit does a wife bring to her husband’s household? In general, she takes care of food and clothing for her husband and in this regard completely provides for her husband. Look how it was with the apostles. How many wives took care of bringing them clothes and food and served them, so that they themselves had no concern for anything except the word and teaching! Likewise, the apostles had many fathers and mothers, as were all those who loved them and cared for them heartily. Peter left one house, and subsequently had (as his own) all the houses of his disciples. He still has bright houses all over the earth - temples in his name. And what is even more important is that the saints inherited all this in exile, that is, being persecuted for the faith of Christ, and in cruel suffering, but their suffering was not disgrace for them. For they, who seemed last in the present age because of the tribulations and persecutions they endured, will be first in the next age because of their strong trust in God. The Pharisees who were first became last, and those who left everything and followed Christ became first.

When they were on the way, going up to Jerusalem, Jesus walked ahead of them, and they were terrified and, following Him, were in fear. Calling the twelve, He again began to tell them what would happen to Him: behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the high priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and hand Him over to the pagans, and they will mock Him, and beat Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him; and on the third day he will rise again.

Why does Jesus predict to his disciples what will happen to Him? To strengthen their spirit, so that they, having previously heard about this, bravely endure when it comes true, and are not struck by the suddenness; and at the same time they should have known that He suffered according to His will. For whoever foresaw suffering could avoid it, and if he did not run, it is clear that he willingly surrendered himself to suffering. But since only his closest disciples should have revealed His suffering, He precedes everyone on the path, wanting to separate the disciples from the people. By forestalling everyone and by His haste on the path, the Lord also shows that He hastens to suffering and does not run away from death for the sake of our salvation. Everything that He expresses in this case, although regrettable, for all this he consoles us with the fact that “on the third day he will rise again.”

Then the sons of Zebedee, James and John, came up to Him and said: Teacher! We want You to do for us whatever we ask. He said to them: what do you want me to do to you? They told Him; let us sit at Your side, one on your right hand and the other on your left, in Your glory. But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking.” Can you drink the cup that I drink and be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?

Another evangelist (Matthew 20:20) says that their mother (James and John) approached Jesus. But, probably, it was both: these two apostles, ashamed of others, sent their mother ahead, and then they themselves approached separately, as the evangelist means, saying: “they came up to Him,” that is, they approached separately, moving away from the others. What did they ask for? They understood the ascension of Christ to Jerusalem, about which He talked with the disciples, that He was coming to embrace the sensual kingdom and, upon His accession to the throne, would undergo the suffering that He had predicted. Thinking in this way, they ask to sit on the right and left sides of Christ. That is why the Lord reproaches them as those who do not understand what they are asking: “You do not know,” he says, “what you are asking.” You think that My Kingdom will be sensual, and therefore you ask for sensual seating; no, this is not so: this is beyond the concept of man, and to sit at My right hand is the greatest thing, exceeding even the ranks of angels. Moreover, you dream of glory, but I call you to death. He calls the Cross the Cup and Baptism - the Cup because the Cross, like a cup of wine, was soon to lead Him to the sleep of death - and He was ready to accept the cup of suffering as a sweet drink for Himself; and by Baptism - because through the Cross He accomplished the cleansing of our sins. But the disciples, not understanding the words of the Lord, make a promise for their part, thinking that He is talking about the sensual cup and about the baptism that the Jews had, who washed themselves before eating food.

They answered: we can. Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized you will be baptized.” but to let you sit on My right side and on My left does not depend on Me, but on whom it is prepared.

You, he says, will enter into the feat of martyrdom and die for the truth, “but it is not up to Me to be allowed to sit down.” But there are two perplexities here. First: is this seat destined for anyone? Second: can the universal Lord really not give this seat? We answer: no one will sit either on the right hand or on the left. And if you hear that Scripture speaks repeatedly about such sitting, then understand not sitting (in the proper sense), but the highest dignity. And the words: “it does not depend on Me” have the following meaning: It is not in my nature, the righteous Judge, to give you such dignity out of love for you alone; otherwise I would not be just; but such an honor is reserved only for those who strive. This is as if a just king placed some ascetic above others, and his favorites, coming, said to him: “Give us crowns”; then the king, of course, would answer: “It’s not up to me,” but whoever strives and wins will have a crown prepared for him. - So, you, sons of Zebedee, can and will be martyrs for Me; but if anyone, along with martyrdom, has any other virtue greater than you, he will have an advantage over you.

And when the ten heard it, they began to be angry with James and John. Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that those who are considered princes of the nations rule over them, and their nobles rule over them. But let it not be like this among you: but whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant; and whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave to all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His soul as a ransom for many.

The disciples, still reasoning humanly, fell into envy, which is why they are indignant at the two apostles. However, when? When they saw that the latter’s request was not accepted by the Lord, but was rejected, then they began to be indignant. While the Lord Himself showed preference to James and John, the other disciples, seeing this, endured; but when those two disciples began to ask for honors for themselves, the others could no longer stand it. They were still so imperfect at that time! But later we will see how each of them gave way to the other. Now Christ heals them, first pacifying them, and for this purpose bringing them closer to Him - which is what is meant by the word “calling.” Then he shows that to admire the honor of others and to seek primacy is a matter of paganism. For pagan rulers forcefully subjugate others to their power; but My disciples, he says, are not like that: but whoever of them wants to be great, let him serve everyone, because this is also a sign of a great soul - to endure from everyone and serve everyone. There is an example of this nearby: “For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” And this is more than service. In fact, not only to serve, but also to die for the one you serve - what could be higher and more wonderful than this? But such service and humility of the Lord was height and glory both for Himself and for everyone. For before becoming man He was known only to the Angels, and having become a man and undergoing the Crucifixion, He not only has that glory (heavenly), but also accepted another, and reigns over the entire universe.

They arrive in Jericho. And when He left Jericho with His disciples and a multitude of people, Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat blind by the road, begging for alms. Hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout and say: Jesus, Son of David! have mercy on me. Many people forced him to remain silent; but he began to shout even more: Son of David! have mercy on me. Jesus stopped and told him to call him. They call the blind man and tell him: don’t be afraid, get up, he’s calling you. He took off his outer garment, stood up and came to Jesus. Answering him, Jesus asked: What do you want from Me? The blind man said to Him: Teacher! so that I can see the light. Jesus said to him: Go, your faith has saved you. And he immediately received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

Matthew speaks of two blind men: and perhaps two were healed; but, probably, one of them attracted more attention, the one that Mark now mentions. But look how the people honor Jesus: they even forbid a blind man to shout as if some king were passing by. And Jesus asks the blind man so that they will not say that He is not giving what the blind man wanted. And the soul of the blind man was prudent, for after being healed he did not leave Jesus, but followed Him. And (allegorically) it can be understood this way: Jericho means a low-lying place (world); the blind man sitting here is an image of human nature, which was once adopted to God, above all earthly honor; it cried out to Christ passing through Jericho, that is, this world. But Christ had mercy on it and saved it through faith when it put off the old garment of sin. After receiving salvation, it followed Him (Christ), fulfilling the commandments on its way, that is, in this life. For only in this life can one follow Christ, and after it the doors (of salvation) are already closed and there will be no more time to fulfill the commandments of God.

Departing from there, he comes to the borders of Judea on the Jordan side. Again the people gathered to Him, and, according to His custom, He again taught them.

The Pharisees came and asked, tempting Him: Is it permissible for a husband to divorce his wife?

He answered them: What did Moses command you?

They said: Moses allowed the writing of a letter of divorce and divorce.

Jesus answered them: Because of your hardness of heart, he wrote you this commandment.At the beginning of creation, God created them male and female.Therefore a man will leave his father and motherand he shall cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh; so that they are no longer two, but one flesh.So, what God has joined together, let no man separate.

At home, His disciples again asked Him the same thing.He told them: whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her;and if a wife divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.

They brought children to Him so that He could touch them; The disciples did not allow those who brought them.Seeing That, Jesus was indignant and said to them: let the children come to Me and do not hinder them, for to such is the Kingdom of God.Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.And he embraced them, laid his hands on them and blessed them.

When He set out on the road, someone ran up, fell on his knees before Him and asked Him: Good Teacher! What must I do to inherit eternal life?

Jesus said to him: Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.You know the commandments: “do not commit adultery,” “do not kill,” “do not steal,” “do not bear false witness,” “do not offend,” “honor your father and mother.”

He answered and said to Him: Teacher! I have kept all this from my youth.

Jesus looked at him and loved him and said to him: You lack one thing: go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me, taking up the cross.He, embarrassed by this word, went away sad, because he had great property.And, looking around, Jesus said to His disciples: How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!

The disciples were horrified at His words. But Jesus answers them again: children! How difficult it is for those who hope for wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.

They were extremely amazed and said to each other: who can be saved?

Jesus looked at them and said: This is impossible for men, but not for God, for all things are possible with God.

And Peter began to say to Him: Behold, we have left everything and followed You.

Jesus answered: Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or land, for My sake and the gospel’s sake,and now, in this time, in the midst of persecution, I would not have received a hundred times more houses, and brothers and sisters, and fathers, and mothers, and children, and lands, and in the age to come, eternal life.But many who are first will be last, and those who are last will be first.

When they were on the way, going up to Jerusalem, Jesus walked ahead of them, and they were terrified and, following Him, were in fear. Calling the Twelve, He again began to tell them about what would happen to Him:Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and hand Him over to the Gentiles,and they will mock Him, and beat Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him; and on the third day he will rise again.

Then The sons of Zebedee, James and John, approached Him and said: Teacher! We want You to do for us whatever we ask.

He told them: what do you want Me to do to you?

They said to Him: Let us sit at Your side, one on your right hand and the other on your left, in Your glory.

But Jesus said to them: you don't know what you're asking for. Can you drink the cup that I drink and be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?

They answered: we can.

Jesus said to them: the cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized you will be baptized;but to let you sit on My right hand and on my left is not from Me. depends, but who is destined for.

And when the ten heard it, they began to be angry with James and John.

Jesus called them and said to them: you know that those who are revered as princes of the nations rule over them, and their nobles rule over them.But let it not be like this among you: but whoever wants to be greater among you must be your servant;and whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave to all.For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His soul as a ransom for many.

They arrive in Jericho. And when He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a multitude of people, Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat blind by the roadside, asking alms. Hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout and say: Jesus, Son of David! have mercy on me.Many people forced him to remain silent; but he began to shout even more: Son of David! have mercy on me.

Jesus stopped and told him to call him. They call the blind man and tell him: don’t be afraid, get up, he’s calling you.He took off his outer garment, stood up and came to Jesus.

Answering him, Jesus asked: what do you want from me?

The blind man said to Him: Teacher! so that I can see the light.

Jesus said to him: go, your faith has saved you. And he immediately received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

This chapter describes:

I. Christ's conversation with the Pharisees about divorce, v. 1-12.

II. His favorable treatment of little children brought to Him for blessing, v. 13-16.

III. The test of the rich young man, who asked what he should do to get to heaven, v. 17-22.

IV. His conversation with his disciples on this matter: about the harm of wealth (vv. 23-27) and about the advantage of becoming poor for His sake, vv. 28-31.

V. The repeated mention made by Him to His disciples of His approaching suffering and death, v. 32-34.

VI. The advice He gave to James and John, that they should think of sharing in His sufferings, and not in reigning with Him, v. 35-45.

VII. Healing of Bartimaeus, the poor blind man, v. 46-52. We have already become acquainted with the content of all these stories in Matt. 19 and 20.

Verses 1-12. Our Lord Jesus was a traveling Preacher, He did not stay long in one place, His parish, or diocese, was the whole land of Canaan, so He visited every part of it and taught the people in its most distant corners. Here we see Him within the borders of Judea, far to the east of the Jordan, as shortly before we saw Him in the farthest western reaches, near Tire and Sidon. He made His way like the sun, spreading warmth and light from which nothing could hide. So here we find Christ:

I. Surrounded by the people gathered to Him, v. 1. Wherever Christ was, people flocked to Him; they are gathering to Him again, as before, when He was in these parts. And according to His custom He taught them again. Note. Preaching was the constant work of Christ, this is what He did wherever He was, and He did it according to His custom. In Matthew it is written: He healed them, and here: He taught them. The healings were performed by Him to confirm His teaching and in order to dispose people to accept it, and the teaching was supposed to explain His healings and illustrate them. He taught them again. Note. Even those whom Christ had already taught needed Him to teach them again. The teaching of Christ is so inexhaustible that it can be constantly studied, but we are so forgetful that we need to be reminded of what we already know.

II. We see Him here arguing with the Pharisees, who were jealous of the success of His spiritual battles and did everything they could to hinder it, to distract Him, to confuse Him and to turn the people against Him.

1. The question with which they began was that of divorce (v. 2): Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife? This would have been a good question if it had been asked kindly, with a humble desire to know Christ's opinion regarding it. But they proposed this question, tempting Him, looking for a reason to accuse Him, an opportunity to ridicule Him, no matter what side He took in this matter. Ministers must be constantly on guard, lest those pretending to seek their advice should lure them into a trap.

2. Christ's answer to the Pharisees in the form of a question (v. 3): What did Moses command you? He asked them about this in order to testify to His respect for the law of Moses, to show that He did not come to break the law, and to force them to have an open mind about all the writings of Moses, to compare its various parts with each other.

3. The true description they gave of what they found in the law of Moses concerning divorce, v. 4. Christ asked: What did Moses command you? They admitted that Moses only allowed a man to write a letter of divorce to his wife and divorce her, Deut. 24:1. “If you want to divorce your wife, you must do it in writing, place the letter in her own hands, and thus release her, never to return to her.”

4. Christ's answer, in which He continues to adhere to His earlier teaching on this matter (Matt. 5:32): Whoever divorces his wife, except for the guilt of fornication, gives her cause to commit adultery... Here He shows:

(1.) That they should not avail themselves of the license of divorce which Moses gave in his law, for the cause of it was only the hardness of their hearts (v. 5): if they were not permitted to divorce their wives, they would kill them. So, everyone who leaves his wife must admit that his heart is so hard that he needs this permission.

(2.) That the description of the institution of marriage given by Moses in the historical portion of Scripture contains such a ground against divorce as is tantamount to prohibiting it. So if the question is asked: What did Moses command you? (v. 3), then the answer must be: “Although he gave the Jews a temporary permission to divorce, yet, from the point of view of eternal truth, he forbids divorce to all the children of Adam and Eve; this is what we must hold on to.”

Moses tells us:

That God created man and woman, one man and one woman, so that Adam could not leave his wife and take another, since there was no other woman; this meant that his sons did not have to do this either.

When, by God's command, Adam and Eve united in holy marriage, a law was established: a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife (v. 7), which indicated not only the closeness of the relationship, but also their inseparability. The husband becomes so attached to his wife that he cannot separate from her.

As a result of such a relationship, he and she become one, although they are two, they are one flesh, v. 8. The union between them is the most intimate that can be, and, as Dr. Hammond puts it, sacred, which cannot be dissolved.

God Himself combined them; He not only, as Creator, made them suitable to each other, so that they could be each other's comfort and help, but, in His wisdom and goodness, He determined that they, thus united, should live together in love until death do them part. . Marriage is not a human invention, but a divine institution, and therefore must be sacredly observed, especially since it is an image of the mystical inseparable union of Christ and His Church.

So, from all that has been said, Christ concludes that a man should not be separated from his wife, whom God has united so closely with him. Bonds forged by God Himself cannot be easily broken. Those who give a wife a divorce for any offense should think about what will happen to them if God does the same to them. See Isaiah 50:1; Jer 3:1.

5. Christ's private conversation with his disciples on this subject, v. 10-12. They had the advantage that they had the opportunity to personally talk with Christ not only about the mysteries of the Gospel, but also about moral duties, in order to subsequently fulfill them. Nothing from this conversation is given here, except for the law on divorce established by Christ, namely: a man commits adultery if he divorces his wife and marries another; divorce is adultery committed by a wife from whom her husband divorces, v. 11. Christ adds: And if a wife divorces her husband, that is, by mutual consent, leaves him and marries another, commits adultery (v. 12), and she will not be justified by the fact that she did this with the consent of her husband. Wisdom and grace, holiness and love reigning in the heart will make it easy to keep those commandments that can be a heavy burden for the carnal heart.

Verses 13-16. To be attentive to little children is considered a sign of a kind and tender heart, and this was the character of our Lord Jesus; This should be an encouragement not only for children in their conversion to Christ when they are still very young, but also for adults who recognize themselves as weak, due to numerous infirmities, helpless and useless, like little children.

I. Children brought to Christ, v. 13. Parents, or those who raised children, brought them to Him so that He could touch them as a sign of His blessing. It is obvious that these children did not need physical healing, nor were they capable of receiving instruction. But 1. Those who cared for them were more concerned about their souls, the best part of their being; This should be the main concern of all parents, because the soul is the main thing, and if everything is in order with the souls of the children, then everything will be fine with them.

2. They believed that the blessing of Christ would benefit their souls, and so they brought them to Him to be touched by Him, knowing that He could reach their hearts as no words or actions of their parents could reach them. We can bring our children to Christ now that He is in heaven, for He can reach their hearts from there with His blessing. We must act by faith, relying on the fullness and breadth of His grace, on His words of favor to the seed of believers, on the covenant made with Abraham, and on the promise given to us and to our children, especially the promise of the pouring out of His spirit on our descendants and His blessings upon our descendants, Isaiah 44:3.

II. Disapproval expressed towards those who brought children to Christ: The disciples did not allow those bringing children, as if they were confident that they knew Christ’s opinion on this issue, although quite recently He warned them not to despise these little ones.

III. Approval of Christ.

1. He severely condemned the disciples for restraining them: When Jesus saw this, he was indignant, v. 14. “What are you doing? Are you preventing Me from doing good, from doing good to the younger generation, the sheep of the flock?” Christ is even angry with His own disciples if they keep anyone from coming to Him in person or from bringing their children.

2. He commands them to be brought to Him and not to say or do anything contrary to this: “Let the children, as soon as they are able to do so, come to Me, bring their petitions and receive instructions from Me.” Children are invited to the throne of grace to sing their hosannas.

3. He acknowledges them as members of His Church because they belonged to the Jewish church. He came to establish the Kingdom of God among men, and took this opportunity to proclaim that children could become his subjects, that they were entitled to the privileges of subjects. Moreover, such is the Kingdom of God: they must be accepted into it in childhood, in order to have a guarantee for the future life, in order to firmly hold on to the name of Christ.

4. There must be something of children in the character and disposition of all whom Christ acknowledges and blesses. We must accept the Kingdom of God like children (v. 15), that is, we must surrender ourselves to Christ and His grace, as children surrender to their parents, educators and teachers. We must be inquisitive like children, learn like children (who are in student age), and while learning we must believe. Oportet discentem credere - the student must believe. A child's mind is like a blank sheet of paper, you can fill it with anything; so must our consciousness be for the pen of the blessed Spirit. Children are under control, and we should be in the same position. Lord, what do you want me to do? We must accept the Kingdom of God, like the child Samuel: Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears. Children depend on the wisdom and care of their parents who carry them in their arms; they go where their parents send them and take what they give them. We, too, must accept the Kingdom of God by humbly placing ourselves in the hands of Jesus Christ, calmly relying on Him, on His strength and righteousness, trusting in His teaching and provision.

5. He receives the children, and gives them what they ask (v. 16): And having embraced them, as a sign of his tender care for them, he laid his hands on them, as they desired, and blessed them. See how He fulfilled the desire of the parents: they begged that He would touch the children, but He did more.

(1) He took them in his arms (English text - Translator's note). Thus the Scripture is fulfilled (Isaiah 40:11): He will take the lambs in His arms and carry them on His bosom. There was a time when Christ Himself lay in the arms of Elder Simeon, Luke 2:28. And now He took these children in His arms, rejoicing, and not complaining about the burden (like Moses, when he was ordered to carry the people of Israel, this capricious child, in His arms, as a nanny carries a child, Numbers 11:12). If we bring our children to Christ as we should, He will take them not only into the arms of His power and providence, but also into the arms of compassion and grace (as in Ezekiel 16:8), they will be under the arms of eternity.

(2) He laid his hands on them. This means that He gave them His spirit (for they were the hands of the Lord) and set them apart for Himself.

(3) He blessed them with the spiritual blessings he came to give. Our children are happy if they have the blessings of the Mediator as their lot. We do not find that Christ baptized these children. Before the resurrection of Christ, baptism was not established as an act of entry into the Church. But He confirmed their membership in the visible Church, and conferred on them by other signs those blessings which are now imparted by baptism, by the seal of the promise given to us and our children.

Verses 17-31. I. Here is an encouraging encounter between Christ and a young man, called a youth in Matthew 19:20,22 and a ruler in Luke 18:18, that is, he was a respected man. There are some details noted here not mentioned in Matthew that make his conversion to Christ very encouraging.

1. He ran to Christ, which indicated his humility. Having come to Christ, he put aside the gravity and importance of his superior and at the same time discovered the persistence and seriousness of his intentions; he ran like a man who is in a hurry, striving for communion with Christ. An opportunity opened before him to consult with the great prophet on a matter concerning the peace of his soul, and he did not want to miss it.

2. He came to Christ when He went out on the road and was surrounded by people. He did not insist on a personal meeting with Him at night, like Nicodemus, although he was in charge, like him, but, meeting Him on the street, he took advantage of this opportunity to talk with Him and was not ashamed, Song 8:1.

3. He fell on his knees before Him, which was a sign of his greatest respect and reverence for Him as a teacher who came from God, as well as a sincere desire to be taught by Him. He knelt before the Lord Jesus, as one who desired not only to honor Him at this moment, but to obey Him always. He fell on his knees before Him, thereby expressing that he bowed his heart before Him.

4. His appeal to Christ was serious: Good Teacher! What must I do to inherit eternal life? Eternal life was an article of his creed, even though the Sadducees, the ruling party, denied it. He asks what he should do to have eternal bliss. Most people strive to have good things in this world (Ps. 4:7), but he asked about what good things must be done in this world in order to find the greatest good in the next world. He did not say, “Who will show us good?” But: “Who will help us do good?” He asked about the happiness achieved in the path of duty, about that main good, summum bonum, the search for which Solomon was engaged in: what is good for the sons of men, what should they do under heaven, Eccl. 2:3. So this was:

(1) A very serious question, it concerned eternity and his own fate in it. Note. People only begin to show some hope when they begin to urgently ask what they should do to get to heaven.

(2) The question was asked precisely to the One who could answer it, since He was the way, and the truth, and the life, the true way to life, eternal life. He came from heaven in order to

First, open this way for us, and then open it to us, first prepare the way to heaven, and then show it. Note. Those who want to know what needs to be done in order to be saved should turn to Christ and ask Him about it. Christian doctrine points not only to eternal life, but also to the path to it.

(3) The question was asked with the good intention of receiving instruction. We once again encounter the same question in Scripture, when it was asked by a lawyer who did not bend his knees, but stood right before Christ (Luke 10:25), and who asked it with the opposite intention - to find fault with Christ: The lawyer stood up and, tempting Him, said: Teacher! what should I do?.. Christ looks not so much at good words, but at the good intentions with which they are spoken.

5. Christ encourages him in this address:

(1.) Helping his faith, v. 18. The young man called Him Good Teacher; Christ would like to see in this his relation to Him as to God, because no one is good except the One, that is, God; He is one, and His name is one, Zech 14:9. Our English word God is undoubtedly cognate with good;

Jews call God for His strength Elohim - the mighty God, and we, for His goodness, call the good God.

(2.) Directing his practical conduct (v. 19): Thou knowest the commandments.... He pronounces the six commandments of the second table, which define our duties towards our fellowmen, changing their order: the seventh commandment comes before the sixth, to show that adultery no less heinous a sin than murder. The fifth commandment is placed last as especially important for memorization and fulfillment and serves as a guarantee for fulfilling the rest. Instead of the tenth commandment, do not covet, our Savior says: do not offend. Mr dnooTEprjorjq, that is, as Dr. Hammond says: “Be content with what you have, and do not seek to increase your wealth by robbing others.” Justice requires this - not to get rich and not to prosper by causing evil and harm to others.

6. Since the young man was free from gross violations of God's commandments, he had hope of heaven. To some extent he could say (v. 20): Teacher! I have kept all this from my youth. So he thought, and so did his neighbors. Note. Ignorance of the spiritual nature of God's law and the breadth of it causes people to think that they are in a better condition than they really are. Paul lived without the law, but when he saw that the law was spiritual, he realized that it itself was carnal, Rom. 7:9,14. However, he who can say that he is free from shameful sins is ahead of many on the path to eternal life. But although we know nothing about ourselves, we are not justified, 1 Cor 4:4.

7. Christ treated him favorably: Jesus, looking at him, loved him, v. 21. He was pleased to see that this young man lived a life that did not harm anyone, and wanted to know how to live even better. Christ is especially pleased to see young and rich people asking about the way to heaven and wanting to get there.

1. Christ put him to the test to discover whether he sincerely desired and strived for eternal life: he seemed to cleave his heart to heaven; if so, then so he must be. But does his heart really long for eternal life? Let's test it.

(1.) Can he find the strength to part with his wealth for the sake of serving Christ? He had a rich estate, and soon, when the Christian Church was first founded, it would be necessary that everyone who owned lands or houses, selling them, would bring the price of what was sold; How then will he dispose of his property? (Acts 4:34,35). After a short time, tribulation and persecution from the world will begin, and he will be forced to sell his property, or perhaps it will be taken from him; how will he like it? Let him now find out the worst, and if he does not agree to these conditions, then let him renounce his claims. “Sell everything you have, everything that exceeds your immediate needs.” This man probably had no family to support, so he should have been a father to the poor and made them his heirs. Each person should help the poor according to his capabilities and rejoice when he has the opportunity to limit himself in some way for this purpose. Worldly wealth is given to us not only as a means to fulfill our duties in this world according to the position we occupy in it, but also as a talent to use and apply it in this world to the glory of our great Lord, who has determined that we will always have the poor among us as His tax collectors.

(2.) Can he find the courage in his heart to go through the hardest, most costly service to which he will be called as a disciple of Christ, and trustfully expect from Him a heavenly reward? He asks Christ what he must do, besides what he is already doing, in order to inherit eternal life, and Christ suggested to him what to do in order to test whether he really has such a firm faith in eternal life and whether he values ​​it as highly as he does. Seems. Does he really believe that the heavenly treasure is sufficient to replace all that he may forsake, lose, or spend for Christ's sake? Is he ready to have a relationship with Christ based on trust? Can he trust Him with everything that is dear to him and bear the cross in this life in anticipation of a future crown?

2. Hearing this, he went away (v. 22): And he, being troubled at this word, went away sorrowful... He was grieved that he could not become a follower of Christ on easier terms than the renunciation of everything; that cannot hold on to eternal life without letting go of temporal wealth. But being unable to satisfy the requirements of the apprenticeship, he was still honest enough not to apply for it; he walked away sadly. This reveals the truth recorded in Matthew (Matthew 6:24): you cannot serve God and mammon. By serving mammon, he, in fact, despised Christ, like all others who preferred this world to Him. As at a market, he offered a price for what he wanted to purchase, and sadly left, refusing to purchase, because he could not pay the proper price. Two words about the agreement. A proposal is not a marriage. This young man was ruined by the fact that he had a large estate; so the prosperity of fools will destroy them, and those who spend their days in luxury are tempted to say to God: “Get away from us,” and to their hearts: “Get away from God.”

III. Here is a description of Christ's conversation with his disciples. We are tempted by the desire that Christ would soften the statement that scared this young man away from following Him, and by His explanation would make this demand less harsh. But He knew all hearts; He did not want to persuade the young man to become His follower, because he was a rich man and a leader; if he wants to go, let him go. Christ does not intend to hold anyone against their will, so we do not see Him calling him back, but He took this opportunity as an opportunity to teach his disciples two lessons:

1. It is difficult for those who have much in this world to be saved, because very few who have anything to leave can be persuaded to leave it for Christ's sake or give it to charity.

(1.) Christ affirms this truth: And Jesus looking about him saith unto his disciples (for he would have them remember all that he saith, that their minds might be enlightened concerning earthly riches, which they were apt to overestimate, and that their errors this question has been corrected): how difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God! (v. 23). They have many temptations to contend with, and many difficulties (not in the path of the poor) to overcome. He Himself explains this to them, because they are His children, as He calls them in v. 24, He must teach them and bestow on them better blessings than those to which the young man clung so closely that he departed from Christ. Although He said that it is difficult for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God, He explains that the danger arises not so much from the possession of wealth, but from the fact that a person hopes in it, draws confidence from it, expects protection and provision from it, considers it his inheritance, says to his gold what should only be said to God: You are my hope, Job 31:24. Those who, as in this case, value the riches of this world can never appreciate Christ and His grace. Those who have great wealth, but do not rely on it, who understand its vanity, its inability to make the soul happy, overcome this difficulty and can easily part with wealth for the sake of Christ; having very little, but clinging with their hearts to this little and seeing their happiness in it, they will be kept from Christ. He reinforces this statement with the following words (v. 25): It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man, that is, one who trusts in his wealth or is inclined to hope in it, to enter the kingdom of God. The disproportion of this comparison seems so great (although the greater it is, the more consistent with its purpose) that some have tried to at least somewhat bring the camel and the eye of a needle closer together.

Some believe that in Jerusalem there could be such a gate or door, called the eye of a needle due to its narrowness, that a camel could not pass through it until it was unloaded and until it knelt down (like the camel in Gen. 24:11). Likewise, a rich man cannot go to heaven unless he wants to part with the burden of worldly wealth and humble himself to fulfill the duties required by the religion of humility, that is, unless he enters the narrow gate.

Others believe that the word translated camel sometimes means a cable, which, although it cannot be pulled through the eye of a needle, is more suitable to it. A rich man is compared to a beggar as a rope is compared to a thin thread: it is stronger, but not as flexible as thread, so it will not fit into the eye of a needle unless it is unraveled. So the rich man must free himself and untie himself from his wealth, and then there will be hope that thread by thread can pass through the eye of the needle, otherwise he will be fit only to cast his anchor on earth.

(2.) This truth came as a great surprise to the disciples: The disciples were terrified at his words, v. 24. And they were exceedingly amazed, and said to one another, “Who can be saved?” They knew what was the opinion among the Jewish teachers, who asserted that the Spirit of God preferred to dwell in rich people. Moreover, they knew how much promise in the Old Testament was connected with temporal goods; knew that all people, if they are not rich, strive to be rich and that rich people have more opportunities to do good; so they were amazed to hear that it was so difficult for the rich to get into heaven.

(3.) Christ reconciled them to this thought, by referring to the great power of God, which is able to help even the rich to overcome the difficulties that lie in the way of their salvation (v. 27): He, looking at them, demanding attention, says: “With men this is impossible; a rich man cannot by his own strength or determination overcome these difficulties, but God’s grace can do it, for all things are possible with God.” If the righteous can barely escape, then all the more can this be said about the rich, and therefore, if someone manages to reach heaven, he must give all the glory to God, who works in us both to will and to act.

2. Great salvation for those who have little in this world and leave it for Christ's sake. Christ speaks of this in response to Peter's remark that he and the other disciples left everything to follow Him: Behold, he says, we have left everything and followed You, v. 28. “You have done well,” said Christ, “at the end of the journey you will understand that you have done well for yourself, for you will receive a generous reward, and not only you who left only a little, but also everyone who has as much as you like (even as much , as was the case with that young man who could not convince himself to leave his wealth for the sake of Christ), they will receive not an equal, but a much greater reward.”

(1) The loss is expected to be very great; Christ lists:

Worldly wealth. Houses are mentioned in the first place, and lands in the last place: if a person is deprived of his home, which served him as a refuge, and the land, his nurse, then he becomes a beggar, an outcast; This is exactly the choice the suffering saints made: they said goodbye to their homes and lands, very comfortable and beloved, to the inheritance of their fathers for the sake of the heavenly home and the inheritance of the saints in the world, where there are many abodes.

Dear relatives: father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters. They, like any other temporary blessing, are the consolation of our lives, without them the world would turn into a desert. And yet, when we have to choose between them and Christ, we must remember that our connection with Christ is closer than with any man, and therefore, for the sake of maintaining this connection with Him, we must part with all the world and say father and mother, as the Levites said: I do not know you. The fidelity of a good man is put to the greatest test when his love for Christ is found in competition with the love which is lawful, nay, which is his duty. For such a person it is easy to forget his passion for the sake of Christ, for he has in his heart something that rebels against it, but it is difficult to forget his father, brother or wife for the sake of Christ, that is, those whom he should love. And yet he must do this, but not renounce Christ. Thus the loss is supposed to be great, but it is for the sake of Christ, that He may be glorified, and for the sake of His Gospel, to promote its spread and success. It is not the suffering itself, but the cause of it that makes a person a martyr. And therefore (2) The reward will be great.

Now, in this time, they will receive a hundred times more houses, and brothers, and sisters; they will not receive money, but equivalent to what was lost. Already in this life they will have great consolation, making up for all their losses. Their intimacy with Christ, fellowship with the saints, right to eternal life will be their brothers, sisters and everything else. God's providence gave Job twice as much as he had before, but suffering Christians receive a hundred times more in the consolations of the Spirit that soften their earthly sufferings. But Notice, Mark adds - amidst persecution. Even when they gain something in Christ, let them be ready to suffer for Him, and not to avoid persecution on the way to heaven. Moreover, persecution will accompany them among all gains during this time, for it has been given to you not only to believe in Christ, but also to suffer for His name. However, that's not all.

They will receive eternal life in the age to come. If they receive a hundredfold in this life, then one would think that they have nothing more to look forward to. But, as if this were something insignificant, they will also receive eternal life in addition, and this will exceed all their losses by more than ten thousand times. But since they talked too much about leaving everything for Christ, more than they should have, He predicts to them that preference will be given to the disciples who come after them, although they were called first. Thus, the Apostle Paul, who considered himself a monster, nevertheless worked more than all the other apostles, 1 Cor 15:10. Then the first were last, and the last were first.

Verses 32-45. I. Christ's prediction of His sufferings. He spoke a lot about His sufferings, although to the ears of His disciples it sounded unpleasant and harsh.

1. See how valiant he was: when they went up to Jerusalem, Jesus went before them, as the captain of our salvation, that it might be accomplished through sufferings, v. 32. Thus He showed His readiness to continue His work even when He was approaching its most difficult stage. Now, when His time drew near, He said: Lord, here am I. He was so far from the thought of retreating that more than ever he pressed forward. Jesus walked ahead of them, and they were terrified. Ascending to Jerusalem, they began to realize how inevitable the danger they were heading towards was, how the Sanhedrin hated them and their Teacher; the thought of this horrified them. Therefore, to encourage them, Christ walked ahead of them. “Let’s go,” He says, “although, of course, you will take risks together with your Teacher.” Note. When we find ourselves on the threshold of suffering, how joyful it is to see our Lord ahead of us. But perhaps they were horrified to see Him walking ahead of them; they admired His cheerfulness and zeal with which He moved forward, although He knew that He was going to suffer and die. Note. The courage and firmness of Christ in His desire to accomplish the work of our salvation amazed and will continue to amaze all His disciples.

2. Look how fearful and cowardly His disciples were: following Him, they were in fear, they were afraid for themselves, aware of the danger that threatened them. In fairness, they should be ashamed of their fears; the courage of their Lord should have inspired them.

3. See what method He chose to calm their fears. He did not try to present the situation in a better light than it really was, and did not console them with hopes that they could escape the storm, but again began to tell them about what he had often spoken about before - about what would happen. with him. He knew the worst and that is why he moved forward so boldly; He wanted them to know the worst. Enough for you, do not be afraid, for:

(1) Nothing can be corrected; the matter is decided and cannot be undone.

(2.) Now only the Son of Man must suffer, but the time of their suffering was also approaching, but He would provide their protection.

(3) He will rise on the third day; The outcome of His sufferings will be glorious for Himself, and favorable for all who belong to Him, v. 33, 34. Christ's sufferings, their character and their details, are described here in more detail than in other predictions: first He will be betrayed by Judas to the high priests and scribes; the latter will condemn Him to death and hand him over to the pagans, to the Roman soldiers, who will abuse Him, beat Him, spit on Him and kill Him. Christ had perfect foreknowledge not only of His death, but also of all its aggravating circumstances; despite all this, He walked forward to meet her.

II. The reprimand He gave to the two disciples for their ambitious request. This story is very similar to that described in Matthew 20:20. Only there it is said that it was expressed by their mother, and here - by the students themselves; the mother brought them in, presented their request, and then they repeated it, expressing their agreement with it. Note:

1. While some do not use the great encouragement to prayer given to us by Christ, others abuse it. He said: “Ask, and it will be given to you.” It is highly commendable when we ask in faith for something great that Christ has promised us. However, the unforgivable arrogance shown by the disciples in their approach to Christ with such an unlimited demand deserves reproach: We desire that You do to us whatever we ask. It would be much better for us to leave Him to do what He thinks best for us, and He will do incomparably more than we imagine, Eph. 3:20.

2. We must be careful when we make general promises. Christ did not undertake to do for them whatever they wished, He simply wanted to find out from them what they desired: What do you want me to do to you? He wanted them to repeat their request and to feel ashamed of it.

3. Many have been snared by their misunderstanding of the nature of Christ's kingdom as a kingdom of this world, similar to the kingdoms of earthly monarchs. James and John decided: “If Christ rises on the third day, He will be a king, and if He is a king, then His apostles will be princes, and one of them will willingly wish to be Primus par regni - the first prince of the kingdom, and the other - the second in it. , like Joseph under Pharaoh or Daniel under King Darius.”

4. Worldly glory is brilliant, and for a long time it blinded the eyes of Christ's disciples. However, we should be more concerned with being kind than with appearing great or superior to others.

5. Our weakness and myopia are manifested in prayers no less than in everything else. We cannot construct our speech correctly when we talk with God because of our ignorance, both regarding Him and regarding ourselves. Pointing out something to God is madness, but agreeing with Him is a manifestation of wisdom.

6. The will of Christ is that we prepare for suffering and allow Him to reward us for it. He does not need to be reminded, just as King Artaxerxes needed to be reminded of the services of his people. He cannot forget a work of faith and a labor of love. We must take care to acquire wisdom and grace to learn to suffer with Him, and then we may hope that He will take the best care of how we shall reign with Him, when, and where, and what will be the extent of our glory.

III. Reproach to the other students for their outrage at this request. They began to be angry with James and John, v. 41. They were angry with them not because it was unworthy of the disciples of Christ, but because each of them himself dreamed of primacy. When the Cynic stepped on Alexander's long rug with the words Calco fastum Alexandri - I step on Alexander's pride, he was immediately stopped by the words Sed majori fastu - But with even greater pride of his own. So the disciples, having dissatisfied with the ambition of James and John, discovered their own ambition, and Christ took this as an occasion to warn them, and all their followers in the gospel service, against this vice, v. 42-44. He called them over in a friendly manner to give them an example of leniency after having accused them of ambition, and to teach them never to keep their disciples at a distance. He tells them that:

1. Power is abused in the world (v. 42): Those who are esteemed princes of the nations, bearing the name and title of rulers, rule over them. This is where all their aspirations are directed, this is what their goal is - not so much to protect their people and ensure their well-being, but to exercise their dominion over them; they want obedience, strive for despotism, so that only their will is carried out in everything. Sic volo, sic jubeo, stat pro ratione voluntas - so I want, so I command, my will is my law. They are concerned with maintaining their own greatness through their subordinates, rather than with doing anything for them.

2. In the Church, something like this should not be allowed: “But let it not be like this among you; those in your care should be to you as sheep are to the shepherd who tends, feeds and serves them, and not as a horse to the rider who works it, beats it and makes money from it. The one who wants to be great and in charge, who strives for special power and dignity, let him be a slave to everyone, let him be unnoticed and despised in the eyes of all wise and good people - he who exalts himself will be humiliated.” Or rather: “Whoever wants to be truly great, first, must place himself on the altar of serving others, humble himself to the most inconspicuous service and struggle in the most difficult work. The most useful ministers will not only receive the greatest honor in the future, but are even now the most esteemed.” Wanting to reproach them for their ambition, He sets Himself as an example to them (v. 45): “The Son of Man must first submit to the most difficult trials and the greatest dangers, and then he will enter into His glory. So can you hope to achieve glory in any other way or have more peace and honor than He has?

(1) He took upon Himself the form of a servant and came not to be served and helped, but to serve Himself and show mercy.

(2.) He became obedient to the point of death, He submitted to death, for He gave His soul as a ransom for many. Didn't He die for the good of good people? And shouldn't we also strive to live for their benefit?

Verses 46-52. This passage corresponds to Matthew 20:29-34. The difference is that there we read about two blind men, but here, as in Luke (Luke 18:35), we read about only one; but if there were two, then there was one. This one is named here because he was the blind beggar about whom everyone was talking; he bore the name Bartimaeus, that is, the son of Timaeus, which, as some think, means the son of a blind man. He was the blind son of a blind father, which made his situation especially difficult, and his healing especially miraculous, and also most suitable to serve as a typical example of the spiritual healing by the grace of Christ of those who are not only blind from birth, but also born of blind people.

I. This blind man sat begging, as beggars do among us.

Note. Those who, by the providence of God, are deprived of the ability to earn a living by their labor, and who have no other means of supporting themselves, are the most suitable objects of mercy, and should be especially cared for.

II. He cried out to the Lord Jesus for mercy: “Jesus, Son of David! have mercy on me." Poverty cries out for mercy; the blind man turns in his misery to the compassion of the Son of David, of whom it was foretold that when he came to save us, then the eyes of the blind would be opened, Isa. 35:5. When we come to Christ for healing and help, we must look to Him as the promised Messiah, the Provider of mercy and grace.

III. Christ encourages his hope for the expected mercy, for He stopped and ordered him to be called. We should never consider stopping to do a good deed to be an obstacle on our way. The people surrounding the blind man, who initially stopped him, now became for him the good messengers of Christ’s merciful call: “Do not be afraid, get up, He is calling you, and if He calls you, then He will heal you.” Note. Christ's generous invitation to come to Him is the greatest encouragement to our hope that our appeal to Him will be crowned with success, that we will receive what we came for. Let the guilty, the desolate, the tempted, the hungry and the naked, have no fear, for He calls them to grant them forgiveness, to satisfy their souls, to support them, to feed them and clothe them, to do for them all that they need.

IV. The unfortunate blind man approached Christ in the best possible way: he threw off his outer garment and went to Jesus, v. 50; he threw away everything that could stop him, or in any way become an obstacle for him, or slow down his movements. Those who wish to come to Christ must throw off the robe of their own sufficiency, free themselves from all presumption, throw off every burden and sin, which, like a long robe, stumbles us, Heb. 12:1.

V. He prayed for a specific mercy - so that he could see the light, so that he would be able to earn a living and stop burdening others. It is highly desirable to be able to earn one’s bread, and if God gave people hands and reason, and with their laziness and recklessness they make themselves virtually blind and crippled, then this is a shame for them.

VI. He received this mercy, his eyes were opened, v. 52. Mark adds two circumstances in his narrative to show:

1. How Christ made this healing a double mercy for the blind man, sharing with him the glory of the healing he had accomplished: “Thy faith has saved thee; faith in Christ as the Son of David, faith in His compassion and power; It was not the insistence of your request, but your faith that prompted Christ to act, or rather, Christ prompted your faith to act.” What is acquired by our faith becomes our greatest consolation.

2. How the blind man made this healing a double grace for himself. When he received his sight, he followed Jesus along the road. By this he showed that he had received complete healing and no longer needed a guide, but could move independently. He also expressed his feeling of gratitude to Christ for His kindness to him when, having received his sight, he used his sight in this way. It is not enough to come to Christ for spiritual healing, but having received it, we must continue to follow Him to honor Him and receive instruction from Him. Those who have spiritual sight behold the beauty of Christ, and it attracts them to run after Him.

1–12. Removal of Christ from Galilee towards Jerusalem. The question of the indissolubility of marriage. – 13–16. Blessing of children. – 17–27. Conversation with a sick young man and with his disciples about wealth and the Kingdom of Heaven. – 28–31. About the reward for following Christ. – 32–34. The ascension of Christ to Jerusalem to death, which should be followed by the Resurrection. – 35–40. Request of the sons of Zebedee. – 41–45. Instruction to students about humility. – 46–52. Healing of a blind man leaving Jericho.

Mark 10:1. Departing from there, he comes to the borders of Judea on the Jordan side. Again the people gathered to Him, and, according to His custom, He again taught them.

(See Matt. 19:1).

Evangelist Mark notes that Christ, after a rather long interval (cf. Mark 9:30), again began to teach entire masses of people who followed Him (ὄχλοι).

Mark 10:2. The Pharisees came and asked, tempting Him: Is it permissible for a husband to divorce his wife?

Mark 10:3. He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?”

Mark 10:4. They said: Moses allowed the writing of a letter of divorce and divorce.

Mark 10:5. Jesus answered and said to them, Because of the hardness of your hearts he wrote you this commandment.

Mark 10:6. At the beginning of creation, God created them male and female.

Mark 10:7. Therefore a man will leave his father and mother

Mark 10:8. and he shall cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh; so that they are no longer two, but one flesh.

Mark 10:9. So, what God has joined together, let no man separate.

Mark 10:10. At home, His disciples again asked Him the same thing.

Mark 10:11. He said to them: whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her;

Mark 10:12. and if a wife divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.

The conversation about the indissolubility of marriage in the Evangelist Mark in general is a repetition of what is contained in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 19: 3-12). Only some of the sayings of Christ in the Evangelist Mark are placed in different places than in Matthew.

“Is it permissible for a husband to divorce his wife?” (verse 2) Evangelist Mark conveys the question of the Pharisees without the addition found in the Gospel of Matthew: “for every reason” (Matthew 19:3). One might think that he does this in order to raise the question not on Jewish, but on Christian soil. He had in mind his pagan Christian readers, who were undoubtedly interested in the question of the permissibility of divorce in Christianity.

“He said to them...” (verse 3). Evangelist Matthew conveys the matter in such a way that Christ first drew the attention of the Pharisees to the paradise law of marriage, and then to the law of Moses, while Mark conveys Christ’s instructions in the reverse order. Obviously, both evangelists wanted to convey only the essence of Christ’s conversation with the Pharisees, without adhering to a strictly chronological order.

“In the house, His disciples asked Him the same thing again” (verse 10). In the house they now turned to the Lord with the same question as the Pharisees (this is the meaning of the word “again..." the disciples had not asked Christ about divorce before...), the disciples of Christ.

“If a woman divorces”... Since the Apostle Mark wrote his Gospel for pagan Christians, and among Roman pagans there were cases where women also divorced their husbands, he withheld from Christ’s speech a mention of this case, which he does not mention Evangelist Matthew. In general, the Evangelist Mark had in mind general Christian interests, and therefore his instructions of Christ almost always have a more general application.

Mark 10:13 They brought children to Him so that He could touch them; The disciples did not allow those who brought them.

Mark 10:14. Seeing this, Jesus was indignant and said to them: Let the little children come to Me and do not hinder them, for to such is the Kingdom of God.

Mark 10:15. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.

Mark 10:16. And he embraced them, laid his hands on them and blessed them.

(See Matthew 19:13-15).

Evangelist Mark says that children were “brought” to Christ. This indicates that by “children” he means infants at a very early age. From the “touch” of Christ, the children, according to the belief of those who brought them, were supposed to receive health (cf. Mark 1:41, 3:10).

Christ was “indignant” at the disciples because they did not understand that children should not be excluded from the membership of the Kingdom of God.

“Whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God as a child,” i.e. who will not now accept the sermon about the coming Kingdom with childish credulity, who will not believe with all his heart in Christ.

“He will not enter it,” i.e. to the future glorious Kingdom of God, which will open at the end of time.

“And, having embraced them...” More correctly: He took them in His arms, laid His hands on others and blessed them.

From ancient times this place was rightly recognized as the main point in the evidence given in favor of the custom of baptizing infants.

Mark 10:17 When He set out on the road, someone ran up, fell on his knees before Him and asked Him: Good Teacher! What must I do to inherit eternal life?

Mark 10:18. Jesus said to him: Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.

Mark 10:19. You know the commandments: do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not offend, honor your father and mother.

Mark 10:20. He answered and said to Him: Teacher! I have kept all this from my youth.

Mark 10:21. Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him: you lack one thing: go, sell everything that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me, taking up the cross.

Mark 10:22. He, embarrassed by this word, went away sad, because he had great property.

Mark 10:23. And, looking around, Jesus said to His disciples: how difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!

Mark 10:24. The disciples were horrified at His words. But Jesus answers them again: children! How difficult it is for those who hope for wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!

Mark 10:25. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.

Mark 10:26. They were extremely amazed and said to each other: who can be saved?

Mark 10:27. Jesus, looking at them, says: This is impossible with men, but not with God, for all things are possible with God.

(See Matthew 19:16-26).

Evangelist Mark in this section complements Matthew's story. He reports that “someone” (in Matthew – “a young man”) ran up to Christ and fell on his knees before Him, thereby testifying to his sincere desire to learn from Christ the whole truth on the issue that occupied him and about his trust in Christ.

“Do not offend” (verse 19). This expression, in all likelihood, summarizes the content of the 10th commandment, which deals with various offenses caused by people to their neighbors.

“Looking at him, he loved him” (verse 21). Christ was pleased with the thirst with which the young man strove to achieve the truth, his desire to look into the depths of the law, not limited to its external, literal fulfillment.

“You are missing one thing.” What? By this “one” we cannot understand what Christ lists further: selling property, giving to the poor and following Christ, because these are not one, but three things. According to the context of the speech, it is best to see here the designation of repentance or turning, like a child, to Christ.

"Taking up the cross." Wed. Mk. 8:34, however, this expression is not found in the best codes.

“How difficult it is for those who hope for riches...” (verse 24). The best codes do not contain the words “hoping for wealth” (Tischendorf, 8th ed.). The Lord says that access to the Kingdom of Heaven is generally difficult.

Mark 10:28 And Peter began to say to Him: Behold, we have left everything and followed You.

Mark 10:29. Jesus answered and said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or land, for My sake and the gospel’s sake,

Mark 10:30. and now, in this time, in the midst of persecution, I would not have received a hundred times more houses, and brothers and sisters, and fathers, and mothers, and children, and lands, and in the age to come, eternal life.

Mark 10:31. But many who are first will be last, and those who are last will be first.

(See Matthew 19:27-30).

Evangelist Mark more precisely defines the reward awaiting the faithful followers of Christ. He says that this reward is twofold - temporary and eternal (Matthew speaks only of the “eternal” reward, in the future life). Here the believer will receive a hundred times more than all that he gave up for the sake of Christ, and there, beyond the grave, eternal life or eternal bliss. Of course, under new “houses”, “fathers”, “brothers”, etc. one needs to understand the spiritual benefits and connections that one who follows Christ and, for this purpose, breaks ties with his relatives according to the flesh, finds in a new life. However, Christ adds that Christians at the same time must endure persecution (“amid persecution”); they will not be delivered from the persecution of enemies in this age (ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τούτῳ). In the mention of receiving rewards on earth, there is no mention of compensation for separation from the “wife.” Blessed Theophylact reports that the wicked Julian deliberately inserted such a mention here, as if accusing Christians of the fact that they can, according to the teaching of their Savior, have as many wives as they want, having parted with the wives they had as pagans. The Lord thus deliberately did not mention or repeat this expression “wife” in the promise of the reward. You can read Acts about the fulfillment of Christ’s prophecy regarding earthly rewards for a follower of Christ. 2 et seq.; Acts 4:32, 37; Rome. 16:13; 1 Tim. 5 and in other places of the apostolic epistles, where, for example, it is recommended to honor the elders as fathers, old women as mothers, etc.

Mark 10:32 While they were on the way, going up to Jerusalem, Jesus walked ahead of them, and they were terrified and, following Him, were in fear. Calling the twelve, He again began to tell them about what would happen to Him:

Mark 10:33 Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles,

Mark 10:34 And they will mock Him, and beat Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him; and on the third day he will rise again.

(See Matthew 20:17-19).

Evangelist Mark notes that when Christ and the apostles ascended to Jerusalem, where Christ was to taste martyrdom, Christ walked “ahead” of the apostles, as if encouraging them, and they were “horrified,” i.e. They were extremely amazed at His courage.

“And following him they were in fear.” According to the best reading: and those who followed (οἱ ἀκολουθοῦντες), i.e. people who sympathized with Christ (not the apostles) and went with Him to Jerusalem. They were very afraid when they heard Christ speak about the death awaiting Him in Jerusalem.

“They will spit on Him” - as a sign of contempt for Christ (Matthew 26:67).

Mark 10:35 Then the sons of Zebedee, James and John, came up to Him and said: Teacher! We want You to do for us whatever we ask.

Mark 10:36. He said to them: what do you want me to do to you?

Mark 10:37. They said to Him: Let us sit at Your side, one on your right hand and the other on your left, in Your glory.

Mark 10:38. But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking.” Can you drink the cup that I drink and be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?

Mark 10:39. They answered: we can. Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized you will be baptized.”

Mark 10:40. but to let you sit on My right side and on My left does not depend on Me, but on whom it is prepared.

Mark 10:41. And when the ten heard it, they began to be angry with James and John.

Mark 10:42. Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that those who are considered princes of the nations rule over them, and their nobles rule over them.

Mark 10:43. But let it not be like this among you: but whoever wants to be greater among you must be your servant;

Mark 10:44. and whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave to all.

Mark 10:45. For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His soul as a ransom for many.

(See Matthew 20:20-28).

Evangelist Mark says that the sons of Zebedee themselves turned to Christ with a request. By this he explains that the request of their mother, which the Evangelist Matthew speaks about, was caused by the suggestion of James and John, who themselves were embarrassed to directly turn to Christ.

“In Your glory” (verse 37; see Matt. 19:28)

Mark 10:46 They come to Jericho. And when He left Jericho with His disciples and a multitude of people, Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat blind by the road, begging for alms.

Mark 10:47. Hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout and say: Jesus, Son of David! have mercy on me.

Mark 10:48. Many people forced him to remain silent; but he began to shout even more: Son of David! have mercy on me.

Mark 10:49. Jesus stopped and told him to call him. They call the blind man and tell him: don’t be afraid, get up, he’s calling you.

Mark 10:50. He took off his outer garment, stood up and came to Jesus.

Mark 10:51. Answering him, Jesus asked: What do you want from Me? The blind man said to Him: Teacher! so that I can see the light.

Mark 10:52. Jesus said to him: Go, your faith has saved you. And he immediately received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

(See Matthew 20:29-34.)

Evangelist Mark mentions only one blind man, and Matthew mentions two. Perhaps Mark only mentioned the one of the two that was better known in the Christian Church. That is why he probably calls him by his name - Bartimaeus. It can be assumed that this name was made up of two words: the Aramaic “var”, which means “son”, and the Greek “Timaeus” - an abbreviation of the name Timothy. The Evangelist Mark himself translates this name as meaning “son of Timaeus.”

“He took off his robe” (verse 50). Outer clothing, a rather wide cloak, prevented the blind man from running to Christ.

“Teacher” (“Rabbi”). The blind man uses an expression that in ancient Hebrew literature had a particularly high meaning and was almost always applied only to God.

“Your faith has saved you” (verse 52; cf. Mark 5:34; Matt. 15:28).

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