Post by Cindy on Aug 26, 2015 13:20:04 GMT -5
I was reading Mark today and thought you all might enjoy this. This is one of my favorite teachers and I love how he writes, and I thought you all might enjoy hearing from someone else besides me lol I'm not going to paste the entire commentary on it as it's quite long and I doubt if anyone would read it all, so I'll just post some of it. It really helps to read both the one in Mark and the passage in Matthew to get the full meaning of the passages.
Mark 10:35–45 — Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.” When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Matthew 20:20–28 — “Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. “What is it you want?” he asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.” When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.””
John and James Seek Favors (Matthew 20:20–28; Mark 10:35–45)
The question put by the two brothers was very perceptive, for they had come to recognize that a believer’s eternal reward is not going to be measured in possessions, but rather in status and glory. They were right, for our Lord did not correct them in any way, thus confirming both that status in the eternal Kingdom is a major element in the believer’s reward, and that reward is somehow related to His glory.
Our Lord explained that John and James would indeed be baptized in the Holy Spirit (this happened at Pentecost) and would also drink the cup of service.
Jesus explained that the two most prestigious positions in His Kingdom will be awarded by His Father, not Him, and will be awarded to the two souls whom God has predetermined will occupy them. This predetermination is based on God’s foreknowledge (Rom 8:29)—foreknowledge of how they and the rest of saved mankind will perform in the use of their independent volition.
He explained that position in the Kingdom of God will be determined by service on this earth (Mark 10:42–45). The more a believer serves on earth, the higher will be his status in God’s eternal Kingdom. This is quite the converse to the worldly pattern (v. 42), but this is the principle in the Church. Study vv. 43–44 carefully, for it actually depicts three categories which encompass the whole Church. The generic plural ‘you’ represents the whole Church, then there are ‘servant’ and ‘slave’; our Lord assures us that the servant on earth will be ‘great’ in the eternal Kingdom, but the slave on earth will be even ‘greater.’ This is the formula for success in the eternal Kingdom of God: self-denying service on earth. The apostles believed this and delighted in the title ‘slave,’ as all the named writers of the epistles attest.
We cannot escape the fact that our Lord taught that in His Kingdom there will be a broad mass of people: those who were essentially content to be ministered to on earth without ministering to others in turn. Then, on a higher plane, there are those who involve themselves in the ministry of the Church (consider Eph 4:12—God intends all saints to be involved in the ministry [service] of the Church). And, finally, on a still higher plane, there are those who have of their own volition resigned all personal rights and have become slaves to Christ—who do His bidding without thought of their own desires, whose dedication to their Lord is pure and complete. They are His slaves on earth, and will enjoy the highest status eternally. Heaven and the New Earth to come are not a classless society; there will be three main classes, just as there were three classes in the temporal society our Lord described in v. 42: commoners, rulers, and great ones (princes).
Your position in that eternal society will not be determined by accident of birth, chance, or happenstance, but on how diligently you serve your Lord on this earth during this life by becoming involved in the affairs of His Kingdom here on earth in the here and now!
This is where the riddle of ‘many who are first will be last, and the last first’ fits (v. 31), for God’s standard for judging each individual is perfect, being based entirely on the individual’s ability and capacity to serve. So many who appear to man to be great achievers for God will be found to have been working beneath their capacity or with the wrong motives and will thus not receive elevated status in eternity, while others, whose gifts were humble but who used them to the full, will be elevated eternally. Nothing could be fairer; no more could be done to encourage you to put your best foot forward for your Lord. You have God’s unbreakable word that He will remunerate you eternally, and His explanation that the only things you do on earth which have any lasting consequence are those things which you do in His service. What are you going to be in glory—a commoner, a ruler, or a prince? The answer lies entirely in your hands!
Eternal Reward and Eternal Life (Matthew 19:24–30; Mark 10:24b–31; Luke 18:24b–30)
“Again I tell you, 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.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” (Matthew 19:24–30)
“The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is 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.” The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” Peter said to him, “We have left everything to follow you!” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”” (Mark 10:24–31)
“Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, 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.” Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus replied, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.”” (Luke 18:24–30)
This section teaches that the love of riches is a serious hindrance to saving faith, and that it compromises a believer’s eternal status. This section also teaches that God’s eternal recompense makes it impossible to sacrifice for Him......
Jesus, in the discourse which follows, makes it plain that the confidence, or trust, which is placed in riches is the source of trouble (Mark 10:24). Riches have a way of softening man’s dependence on God in this earthly life, as diminishing dependence on God for material needs is usually linked with a diminishing dependence spiritually, which is the height of folly. This makes it exceedingly difficult for a wealthy person to place saving faith in God.
Luke’s word for ‘needle’ differs from that in Matthew and Mark, and denies the suggestion that this indicated the “needle’s eye” gate, a gate in the wall of Jerusalem that was barely large enough to admit an unladen camel, and then only if it knelt and was shoved through the small opening. That our Lord’s description involved the absolutely impossible, not the barely possible, is borne out by the disciples’ astonished response. Jesus clearly indicated a sewing needle and the disciples recognized the impossibility of the position He called for, but Jesus assured them that God can accomplish the impossible (Luke 18:27). In this assurance lies the clue for a rich man; he, like all other men, must rely implicitly and solely on God for the miracle of spiritual birth.
We must be careful to recognize that Matt 19:29 and its parallels are figurative and not literal; for example, Luke 18:29–30 talks of a plurality of wives, and Jesus had just given very clear teaching on monogamy. Therefore, we must understand that Jesus referred to the larger Christian family on this earth which will provide all the material necessities and familial relationships which the ‘called one’ may feel he has abandoned. Mark records the moderating qualification given by Jesus, ‘with persecutions’; so it is clear that all temporal blessings are at best mixed blessings. This discourse closed with a repetition of the reminder that God’s basis of judging contribution is not the same as the world’s (the widow’s mite is a case in point).
Note the switch from ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ in Matt 19:23 to ‘Kingdom of God’ in v. 24. As the disciples responded to this last statement with a question about salvation, it seems that the latter emphasizes more particularly the eternal life aspect and not the millennial aspect. So ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ refers to the millennium during which Christ will reign, and as this is a time of honor for the Jews, it naturally figures prominently in the Gospel written for Jews (Matthew). However, the term ‘Kingdom of God’ refers to the eternal reign of God which follows, and this is the term used in the Gospels written for Gentiles (Mark and Luke), for this reign will honor Jew and Gentile alike.
Jesus concluded this teaching with the assurance that no sacrifice by a believer for Him would go unrewarded in eternity. We will be overcompensated in eternity for any temporal loss. Think on this—you lose something for a lifetime, say seventy years, yet you receive one hundred times more forever, for all eternity, not for a mere seventy years. This must be the best deal any camel trader ever heard of! What did the rich young ruler, who, by the world’s standards, had everything going for him, lose? He had been invited to join Jesus’ apostles, and had he done so he would have sat on a throne judging (ruling) one of the tribes of Israel eternally (Matt 19:28). He would have been the supernumerary to fill Judas’ place after that unworthy disciple’s defection; indeed, he may well have fulfilled the function Paul was called to fill. His riches kept him from eternal honor and reward. How sad!
Mills, M. (1999). The Life of Christ: A Study Guide to the Gospel Record (Mt 20:20–Mk 10:45).
Mark 10:35–45 — Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.” When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Matthew 20:20–28 — “Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. “What is it you want?” he asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.” When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.””
John and James Seek Favors (Matthew 20:20–28; Mark 10:35–45)
The question put by the two brothers was very perceptive, for they had come to recognize that a believer’s eternal reward is not going to be measured in possessions, but rather in status and glory. They were right, for our Lord did not correct them in any way, thus confirming both that status in the eternal Kingdom is a major element in the believer’s reward, and that reward is somehow related to His glory.
Our Lord explained that John and James would indeed be baptized in the Holy Spirit (this happened at Pentecost) and would also drink the cup of service.
Jesus explained that the two most prestigious positions in His Kingdom will be awarded by His Father, not Him, and will be awarded to the two souls whom God has predetermined will occupy them. This predetermination is based on God’s foreknowledge (Rom 8:29)—foreknowledge of how they and the rest of saved mankind will perform in the use of their independent volition.
He explained that position in the Kingdom of God will be determined by service on this earth (Mark 10:42–45). The more a believer serves on earth, the higher will be his status in God’s eternal Kingdom. This is quite the converse to the worldly pattern (v. 42), but this is the principle in the Church. Study vv. 43–44 carefully, for it actually depicts three categories which encompass the whole Church. The generic plural ‘you’ represents the whole Church, then there are ‘servant’ and ‘slave’; our Lord assures us that the servant on earth will be ‘great’ in the eternal Kingdom, but the slave on earth will be even ‘greater.’ This is the formula for success in the eternal Kingdom of God: self-denying service on earth. The apostles believed this and delighted in the title ‘slave,’ as all the named writers of the epistles attest.
We cannot escape the fact that our Lord taught that in His Kingdom there will be a broad mass of people: those who were essentially content to be ministered to on earth without ministering to others in turn. Then, on a higher plane, there are those who involve themselves in the ministry of the Church (consider Eph 4:12—God intends all saints to be involved in the ministry [service] of the Church). And, finally, on a still higher plane, there are those who have of their own volition resigned all personal rights and have become slaves to Christ—who do His bidding without thought of their own desires, whose dedication to their Lord is pure and complete. They are His slaves on earth, and will enjoy the highest status eternally. Heaven and the New Earth to come are not a classless society; there will be three main classes, just as there were three classes in the temporal society our Lord described in v. 42: commoners, rulers, and great ones (princes).
Your position in that eternal society will not be determined by accident of birth, chance, or happenstance, but on how diligently you serve your Lord on this earth during this life by becoming involved in the affairs of His Kingdom here on earth in the here and now!
This is where the riddle of ‘many who are first will be last, and the last first’ fits (v. 31), for God’s standard for judging each individual is perfect, being based entirely on the individual’s ability and capacity to serve. So many who appear to man to be great achievers for God will be found to have been working beneath their capacity or with the wrong motives and will thus not receive elevated status in eternity, while others, whose gifts were humble but who used them to the full, will be elevated eternally. Nothing could be fairer; no more could be done to encourage you to put your best foot forward for your Lord. You have God’s unbreakable word that He will remunerate you eternally, and His explanation that the only things you do on earth which have any lasting consequence are those things which you do in His service. What are you going to be in glory—a commoner, a ruler, or a prince? The answer lies entirely in your hands!
Eternal Reward and Eternal Life (Matthew 19:24–30; Mark 10:24b–31; Luke 18:24b–30)
“Again I tell you, 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.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” (Matthew 19:24–30)
“The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is 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.” The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” Peter said to him, “We have left everything to follow you!” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”” (Mark 10:24–31)
“Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, 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.” Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus replied, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.”” (Luke 18:24–30)
This section teaches that the love of riches is a serious hindrance to saving faith, and that it compromises a believer’s eternal status. This section also teaches that God’s eternal recompense makes it impossible to sacrifice for Him......
Jesus, in the discourse which follows, makes it plain that the confidence, or trust, which is placed in riches is the source of trouble (Mark 10:24). Riches have a way of softening man’s dependence on God in this earthly life, as diminishing dependence on God for material needs is usually linked with a diminishing dependence spiritually, which is the height of folly. This makes it exceedingly difficult for a wealthy person to place saving faith in God.
Luke’s word for ‘needle’ differs from that in Matthew and Mark, and denies the suggestion that this indicated the “needle’s eye” gate, a gate in the wall of Jerusalem that was barely large enough to admit an unladen camel, and then only if it knelt and was shoved through the small opening. That our Lord’s description involved the absolutely impossible, not the barely possible, is borne out by the disciples’ astonished response. Jesus clearly indicated a sewing needle and the disciples recognized the impossibility of the position He called for, but Jesus assured them that God can accomplish the impossible (Luke 18:27). In this assurance lies the clue for a rich man; he, like all other men, must rely implicitly and solely on God for the miracle of spiritual birth.
We must be careful to recognize that Matt 19:29 and its parallels are figurative and not literal; for example, Luke 18:29–30 talks of a plurality of wives, and Jesus had just given very clear teaching on monogamy. Therefore, we must understand that Jesus referred to the larger Christian family on this earth which will provide all the material necessities and familial relationships which the ‘called one’ may feel he has abandoned. Mark records the moderating qualification given by Jesus, ‘with persecutions’; so it is clear that all temporal blessings are at best mixed blessings. This discourse closed with a repetition of the reminder that God’s basis of judging contribution is not the same as the world’s (the widow’s mite is a case in point).
Note the switch from ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ in Matt 19:23 to ‘Kingdom of God’ in v. 24. As the disciples responded to this last statement with a question about salvation, it seems that the latter emphasizes more particularly the eternal life aspect and not the millennial aspect. So ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ refers to the millennium during which Christ will reign, and as this is a time of honor for the Jews, it naturally figures prominently in the Gospel written for Jews (Matthew). However, the term ‘Kingdom of God’ refers to the eternal reign of God which follows, and this is the term used in the Gospels written for Gentiles (Mark and Luke), for this reign will honor Jew and Gentile alike.
Jesus concluded this teaching with the assurance that no sacrifice by a believer for Him would go unrewarded in eternity. We will be overcompensated in eternity for any temporal loss. Think on this—you lose something for a lifetime, say seventy years, yet you receive one hundred times more forever, for all eternity, not for a mere seventy years. This must be the best deal any camel trader ever heard of! What did the rich young ruler, who, by the world’s standards, had everything going for him, lose? He had been invited to join Jesus’ apostles, and had he done so he would have sat on a throne judging (ruling) one of the tribes of Israel eternally (Matt 19:28). He would have been the supernumerary to fill Judas’ place after that unworthy disciple’s defection; indeed, he may well have fulfilled the function Paul was called to fill. His riches kept him from eternal honor and reward. How sad!
Mills, M. (1999). The Life of Christ: A Study Guide to the Gospel Record (Mt 20:20–Mk 10:45).
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