*Mark 10:1-16
Jesus clarifies his teachings on divorce and remarriage, then welcomes children and emphasizes childlike faith for entering the Kingdom of God.
- Journey to Judea:
- Jesus leaves Galilee and heads to the region of Judea, across the Jordan.
- Crowds gather around him, and he continues to teach them.
- Teaching on Divorce:
- Pharisees test Jesus by asking if it’s lawful for a man to divorce his wife.
- Jesus asks what Moses commanded and they refer to Moses’s allowance for writing a certificate of divorce.
- Jesus explains that this command was due to the hardness of people’s hearts, not God’s original intent.
- He references Genesis, stating that God’s design is for a man and woman to become one flesh, and no one should separate what God has joined.
- Privately, Jesus clarifies to the disciples that anyone who divorces and remarries commits adultery against their spouse, and the same applies to a woman.
- Blessing of the Children:
- People bring children to Jesus for him to bless them, but the disciples rebuke them.
- Jesus is indignant at their reaction and instructs them to let the children come to him, emphasizing that the kingdom of God belongs to those like them.
- He teaches that anyone who doesn’t receive the kingdom like a child won’t enter it.
- Jesus takes the children in his arms, lays his hands on them, and blesses them.
Mark 10:1-16 teaches us about the importance of commitment in relationships and having a childlike faith. Jesus reminds us that marriage is meant to be a lifelong promise, encouraging us to value love, faithfulness, and respect in our relationships. He also welcomes little children, showing that God’s kingdom is for those who trust Him with a simple, open heart. This means we should approach God with humility and dependence, just like children trust their parents. In our daily lives, we can strive to be faithful in our commitments and rely on God with a sincere and trusting heart.
Mark 10:1-16 (WEB)
10:1 He arose from there and came into the borders of Judea and beyond the Jordan. Multitudes came together to him again. As he usually did, he was again teaching them.2 Pharisees came to him testing him, and asked him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”3 He answered, “What did Moses command you?”4 They said, “Moses allowed a certificate of divorce to be written, and to divorce her.”5 But Jesus said to them, “For your hardness of heart, he wrote you this commandment. 6 But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female. 7 For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will join to his wife, 8 and the two will become one flesh, so that they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”10 In the house, his disciples asked him again about the same matter. 11 He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. 12 If a woman herself divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”13 They were bringing to him little children, that he should touch them, but the disciples rebuked those who were bringing them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was moved with indignation and said to them, “Allow the little children to come to me! Don’t forbid them, for God’s Kingdom belongs to such as these. 15 Most certainly I tell you, whoever will not receive God’s Kingdom like a little child, he will in no way enter into it.” 16 He took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.