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UST MARK Chapter 10

10 Jesus left that place with his apprentices, and they went through the region of Judea and on across to the east side of the Jordan River. When crowds of people again gathered around him, he taught them again, as he regularly did. 2 While Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees approached him and asked him, “Does our law permit a man to divorce his wife?” They asked that in order to be able to criticize him no matter whether he answered “yes” or “no.” 3 Jesus answered them, “What did Moses command your ancestors about a man divorcing his wife?” 4 One of them replied, “Moses permitted that a man may write out divorce papers so that he may send her away.” 5 Jesus said to them, “It was because of your rebellious attitude that Moses gave you that rule for you. 6 Remember that when God first created people, he made one man, and he made one woman to become that man’s wife. 7 That explains why God said, ‘When a man and woman marry, they should no longer live with their fathers and mothers after they marry. 8 Instead, the two of them will live together, and they will become so closely united that they are like one person.’ Therefore, although the people who marry were two separate persons before, God regards them as one person after marriage, so he wants them to remain married to each other. 9 Because that is true, a man must not divorce his wife. God has joined them together, and he wishes them to stay together!”

10 When Jesus and his apprentices were alone in a house, they asked him again about this. 11 Jesus said to them, “God considers that any man who divorces his wife and marries another woman is committing adultery. 12 God also considers a woman who divorces her husband and marries another man to be committing adultery.”

13 Now people were bringing children to Jesus so that he would lay his hands on them and bless them. But his apprentices scolded those people. 14 When Jesus saw that, he became angry. He said to his apprentices, “Allow the children to come to me! Do not forbid them! It is people who are humble and trust God as they do who can experience God ruling in their lives. 15 Note this: Those who do not welcome God’s rule over them in the same manner as children do—they will surely not enter the kingdom over which God reigns.” 16 Then Jesus held the children in his arms. He also put his hands on them and called on God to do good to them.

17 As Jesus was starting to travel again with his apprentices, a man ran up to him. He knelt before Jesus and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do so that I can live with God eternally?” 18 Jesus said to him, “You do not realize what you are saying by calling me good! Only God is good! 19 But to answer your question, you know the commandments of Moses: ‘Do not murder anyone, do not commit adultery, do not steal from anyone, do not lie about anything, do not cheat anyone, and be respectful towards your father and mother.’ ” 20 The man said to him, “Teacher, I have obeyed all those commandments ever since I was young.” 21 Jesus looked at him with warm affection. He said to him, “There is one thing that you have not yet done. You must go home, sell all that you possess, and then give the money to poor people. As a result, you will be spiritually rich in heaven. After you have done what I have told you, come with me and be my disciple!” 22 The man was upset by Jesus’ instructions. He left in great sorrow, for he could not part with his wealth. 23 Jesus looked around at the people. Then he exclaimed to his apprentices, “It is very difficult for people who are wealthy to place themselves under God’s rule over them.” 24 The apprentices were surprised by what Jesus said. They thought that God favored the rich people, so if God did not save them, he would not save anyone. Jesus said again, “You dear believers who are under my care, it is very difficult for anyone to decide to let God rule his life. 25 It is impossible for a very large animal like a camel to go through the tiny hole in a sewing needle. It is almost as difficult for rich people to decide to let God rule their lives.” 26 The apprentices were very amazed. So they said to Jesus, “If that is so, then how can anyone be saved!” 27 Jesus looked at them, and then he said, “Yes, it is impossible for people to save themselves! But God certainly can save them, because God can do anything!” 28 Peter said, “Look, we have left behind everything, and we have become your apprentices.” 29 Jesus replied, “I want you to know this: Those who have left their houses, their brothers, their sisters, their father, their mother, their children, or their plots of ground to be my disciples and to proclaim the good news, 30 they will receive in this life a hundred times as much as they left behind. That will include houses and family members: brothers and sisters and mothers and children, and plots of ground. Also, people will persecute them here on earth because they believe in me, but in the future age they will live with God eternally. 31 Many people who are considered by others to be very important will be considered unimportant by God, and many people who are considered by others to be unimportant will be considered very important by God!”

32 Some days later as they continued to travel, Jesus and his apprentices were walking on the road that leads up to the city of Jerusalem. Jesus was walking ahead of them. The apprentices were astonished and the other people who were with them were afraid. Along the way Jesus took the Twelve Representatives to a place by themselves again. Then he began to tell them about what was going to happen to him. 33 He said, “Listen carefully! We are going up to Jerusalem. There the chief priests and the teachers of the Jewish laws will arrest me, the Son of Man. They will declare that I must die. Then they will take me to the Roman authorities. 34 Their men will ridicule me and spit on me. They will scourge me, and then they will kill me. But on the third day after that, I will become alive again!”

35 Along the way, James and John, who were the two sons of Zebedee, approached Jesus and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us what we will ask you to do!” 36 Jesus said to them, “What is it that you want me to do for you?” 37 They said to him, “When you rule gloriously, let one of us sit at your right side and one sit at your left side.” 38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not understand what you are asking for.” Then he asked them, “Can you endure suffering like I am about to suffer? Can you endure people killing you as they will kill me?” 39 They said to him, “Yes, we are able to do that!” Then Jesus said to them, “It is true that you will endure suffering like I will suffer, and you will endure people killing you as they will kill me. 40 But I am not the one who chooses who will sit next to me. God will give those places to the ones whom he chooses in advance.”

41 The other ten apprentices later heard about what James and John had requested. As a result, they were angry with them. 42 Then, after Jesus called them all together, he said to them, “You know that those who rule the non-Jews enjoy showing that they are powerful. You also know that their officials enjoy commanding others. 43 But do not be like them! On the contrary, if any of you want to achieve greatness, he must consider himself as the servant of others. 44 And, if any one of you wants God to consider him to be the most important, he must take the role of a slave for the rest of you. 45 Even I, the Son of Man, did not come to receive service but to give service and to die for people as payment for their sin, buying them freedom from the punishment God set for sinners.”

46 On the way to the city of Jerusalem, Jesus and his apprentices came to the city of Jericho. Then, while they were leaving Jericho along with a great crowd, a man who could not see and who often asked others for money was sitting beside the road. His name was Bartimaeus, and his father’s name was Timaeus. 47 When he heard people say that Jesus from Nazareth was passing by, he shouted, “Jesus! You who are descended from King David, help me!” 48 Many people scolded him and told him that he should be quiet. Instead, he shouted even more loudly, “You who are descended from King David, be merciful to me!” 49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him to come over here!” They called the blind man, saying, “Jesus is calling you! So cheer up and stand up and come!” 50 He threw aside his cloak as he jumped up, and he came to Jesus. 51 Jesus asked him, “How would you like me to help you?” The blind man said to him, “Teacher, I want to be able to see again!” 52 Jesus said to him, “Because you have trusted in me, I have healed you! So you may go!” He could see immediately. And he went with Jesus along the road.

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