Year 2, Day 157: Mark 10

Divorce

As we begin Mark 10, we have a big question looming before us: Divorce.  About the only thing less common in our society is marriage – and that is because in order to get a divorce one must be married.  But with a society that boasts a divorce rate of greater than 50%* - we can say that in our culture divorce is at least as likely as a lasting marriage.  Since those numbers are reasonably the same in the church as outside of the church, we cannot say that this is a worldly issue.  This is a deeply spiritual issue.

Before we tackle this passage, we need to understand the context.  The Pharisees come to Jesus in order to “test” Jesus.  In fact, the word in Greek means “to obtain information to be used against someone by causing them to make a mistake.”  It could be that the Pharisees heard Jesus’ teaching as related to us in Matthew 5 earlier in His ministry and they were hoping to get Him to contradict Himself at this later time.  It could be that they were hoping Jesus would say something opposed to the Law.  It could be that they were hoping to get Jesus to say something that they could use to pit Him against Herod.  Whatever the motivation, let’s approach this passage under the context that the Pharisees came to challenge Jesus.

Jesus does not back down.  Jesus pushes back.  Jesus stands up for God’s design at creation.  Jesus teaches that marriages are made by God.  Marriages are unmade by human beings because our hearts are hard.  Why are our hearts hard?  Because we think we can only love that which loves us, too.  Remember what I said back when we studied Ephesians?  Husbands are to love their wives unconditionally.  The reason Moses wrote a law about divorce – and God allowed the Law – is because husbands have hard hearts.

Unconditional love is hard to achieve.  Therefore, in order to answer the question posed to Him by the Pharisees, Jesus first points us to the fact that the reason God’s ideal is not attained is inherently because human beings cannot live up to it.  Regardless of whatever other reasons people can give for “divorce,” the reality is that every single person is in need of repenting for not loving unconditionally.

For the record, this isn’t just a stab at divorced folks.  If you can allow me to be honest, there have been times that I haven’t loved my wife unconditionally, too.  The fact that we were able to work through those times and remain married does not absolve me of the guilt I bear.  Married or not, I am likewise guilty of not being able to love unconditionally.

Let The Children Come

Following Jesus’ teaching on divorce, we are transported to another story about love.  This time it is Jesus’ disciples who fail to show a love of unconditional love.  The disciples try and prevent the little children from coming and occupying Jesus’ time.  Actually, the passage reads more like the disciples are barring the parents from coming and getting Jesus’ blessing upon their children.  Jesus teaches another lesson on unconditional love.  If you love unconditionally, you love everyone who genuinely wants to come to Jesus regardless of their qualifications: even age.

Rich Young Ruler

As we move along to the rich young ruler, let’s take a good look at the emotion of the man.  He came up to Jesus running.  This was important to Him.  For the record, eternal life should be important to all of us.  However, the man goes away sorrowful.  Unfortunately, the man realizes that His status here on earth is more important to him than his eternal status. 

What is it that causes this change of perspective?  The rationale is simple.  Jesus asks the rich young man to give up his worldly self-mongerism and start caring about other people.  Jesus asks him to forfeit his life and his luxury and accept the life under God’s directive.  He goes away sad.

How very sad indeed!  But is this any different from the world?  How many people come to God with interest when they hear about eternal life being a free gift?  How many people are initially curious when they hear that God can forgive them for free?  Yet, how many people turn away when they realize that their reception of the gift implies a change of life and a change of perspective?

I love the words that Jesus gives when He talks to His disciples about who can be saved.  With God it is possible.  Without God, we cling to the world.  With God, we can give up this world.  The question is: who is really our authority?  Who do we obey?  Is it God or the world?  To whom do we cling?

Then there is the promise that Jesus gives.  There is nobody that leaves house, home, and family for the sake of the Gospel who will not receive even more in this world and in the next.  I genuinely believe this to be true.  I am deeply connected to many people on a deep spiritual level – not because they are blood relatives or even because I live near them.  I have several close spiritual friends with whom I haven’t ever met or with whom I haven’t even seen for over a decade!  What draws us closer than family is the Holy Spirit.  I wouldn’t trade those spiritual relationships for anything in the world because there is nothing greater than the Holy Spirit binding people together.

Jesus Confesses His Future Again

After all of this, Jesus then talks about His coming death and resurrection for a third time.  Do you know what is really ironic?  Again the story immediately after Jesus talking about His death is a story about the disciples seeking their own glory. 

I have to stop and honestly ask a question.  How can Jesus continue to tolerate our self-mongerism?  Three times now Jesus has told them about His self-sacrifice and three times His very own disciples have come back with an attitude of seeking their own glory!  When will we learn?  When will we allow ourselves to be crucified with Christ?  When will we learn that the only glory worth pursuing is the glory that comes from doing the work of God?

Bartimaeus

Finally, we turn to the blind Bartimaeus.  When the disciples are blind, we can always count on someone along the path to reveal what it is like to truly see Jesus.  Here is a man who will not be quiet about wanting to know Jesus.  Here is a man who will not be silenced by the world telling him to shut up.  Here is a man who when Jesus has an interaction with him his first desire is to lift up Jesus into a place of honor by calling Him his rabbi.  Here is a man whose faith Jesus can praise.

We learn some tough lessons here as Jesus draws close to Jerusalem.  Humanity has a hard heart.  Humanity is innately self-interested.  Humanity has a hard time loving unconditionally.  Humanity has a difficult time choosing eternal life over this life.  What is the answer?  Listen to Bartimaeus.  Call after Jesus and let Jesus be your rabbi.  Then watch as faith makes you well.  Watch what happens to you as God draws you into a life that is about His ways.

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*To be completely fair, these are the statistics that I am using:

At the end of any given year, the percentage of people in America who were married and who have experienced a divorce in that first marriage is between 41% to 50%.  The same rate for people after a second marriage is between 60% to 67%.  The same rate for people after a 3rd marriage is between 73% to 74%.

Divorce rates have been on a decline in the last decade, but this is primarily due to the cultural acceptance of couples living together without being married.