Church Write-Up: The Rich Man of Mark 10:17-27

The Wednesday Bible study group focused on the story of the rich man in Mark 10:17-27. Here are some items:

A. The story comes in between two predictions by Jesus that he will suffer, die, and rise from the dead (Mark 9:12; 10:33-34). The pastor thinks this is significant. The disciples wonder how anyone could be saved, and Jesus responds that, with man, it is impossible, but all things are possible with God. How does God make salvation possible? Through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

B. The story comes after the disciples rebuking people for bringing their children to Jesus so Jesus can lay hands on them in blessing (Mark 10:13-16). Jesus responds that one must become like a child to enter the Kingdom of God. In those days, the pastor said, children were not considered important. Moreover, people would not place their hands on someone else’s children, as Jesus did; the children’s mothers did that. Someone asked if children were allowed at the Temple, and the pastor replied that the Temple was for adults; women may have brought their infants, but not their toddlers. I will let that stand without comment, at this time, since here I am primarily recording what I heard in class rather than embarking on a major research project; I wonder to what extent it was true. In any case, the pastor thinks the placement of this story before the story of the rich man is significant because the story of the rich man is about the need to become humble: the rich man was self-righteous and proud on account of his riches and his status within the community.

C. The rich man says, “Good master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” Perhaps he wondered if there was anything more that he needed to do, or he was seeking commendation from Jesus. Jesus asks the rich man why he is calling Jesus good, since there is only one who is good, namely, God. The rich man was coming at Jesus focusing on himself and what he could do, but Jesus shifts his attention to God: God alone is good, while human beings are sinners in need of a savior. Jesus then tells the man to keep the commandments and specifies commandments from the second table, which focus on not harming one’s neighbor. Jesus may have focused on the second table because that concerned a man’s standing in the community, of which the rich man was proud. The rich man replies that he has kept those commandments from his youth, and Jesus then expands on the second table while shifting the rich man’s attention to the first table (love for God above all else). Jesus exhorts the man to sell all he has and give to the poor. The man was not merely to avoid harming others, for the law required him to help others, as well; it also requires him to place God above his wealth. The man is offended and walks away. The challenge of the law either kills a person and drives him to the Savior, or it offends him and makes him angry with God.

D. The pastor also commented on II Corinthians 9:7, which affirms that God loves a cheerful giver. Paul was raising money for the Christians in Jerusalem, so they could buy food during a coming famine (Acts 11:28). With food scarcity comes higher food prices, so Christians in Jerusalem would need money at that time. The Christians in Corinth owed some spiritual debt to the Jerusalem church, which was the mother of Christianity. At the same time, Paul wanted their contribution to be solely voluntary, not under compulsion. People were to decide for themselves how much they wanted to give, if anything. God loves a cheerful giver. “Cheerful” refers to more than an upbeat attitude but means an attitude of joy. This joy is in response to God’s grace and the promise of eternal life.