Mark 10:28

Mark 10:28 says, Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. After Jesus taught about the difficulty of a rich man getting to heaven, Peter said that the disciples had left everything to follow Him.  I believe Peter may have been bragging a little or at least seeking to glorify the disciples and himself a little.  We may leave everything to follow Jesus, but that doesn't make us any better than anyone else.  We are still sinners saved by grace, and we should never think that we deserve praise because of our following Christ.  Verse twenty-nine adds, And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, Jesus said that no one who had forsaken everything, from houses, family, or land for the gospels sake will ever truly lose anything.  Though we are to love our brothers and sisters and our parents, our love for them can never come before our love of and obedience to God.  Verse thirty continues, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.  When Jesus said anyone who had left these things would receive back a hundred-fold, this refers to what we gain as a part of God's family, and not a physical gain in this world.  There is one thing that is literal, though, and that is if we follow Christ, we will gain persecution.  If we do not feel the persecution of the world because of our faith, we may have become too much like the world.  The important thing that we gain, though, is everlasting life with God.  Verse thirty-one concludes, But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.  Jesus tells us that anyone who would put being first in the is world ahead of serving Him will be the last in His kingdom.  Even if they have accepted Him as their Savior, I don’t believe they have made Him Lord of their life with this attitude.  Verse thirty-two says, And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him,  Jesus taught a much or more going along the way as He did in synagogues, or places of worship.  We today as followers of Christ cannot limit our teaching about God to the congregation gathered together in houses of worship.  We must teach the world about God as we go along the way in our everyday life.  The people who were following Jesus on His way to Jerusalem were both amazed and afraid.   We have no reason to be afraid if we are Christians, but we need to always stand amazed in God’s presence.  Jesus gathered the twelve disciples to Him and began to tell them the things that were going to happen to Him.  We already know what happened, but the disciples then were looking for a very different outcome.  They wanted an earthly kingdom in which they would be in positions of power along with Jesus.  We are not called on to rule the world but instead are called on to take up our cross daily, just as Jesus was about to tell His disciples that the cross awaited Him.  Verse thirty-three adds, Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles:  He would be delivered by the chief priests, the religious leaders of that day, to the Gentiles to be put to death on the cross.  The chief priests prided themselves on their devotion to their religion, but they had no real relationship with God. Religion will never save us, but only faith in Jesus Christ will.  Verse thirty-four continues, And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.  Jesus then told the disciples that He would be mocked, scourged, and spit on before He was put to death on the cross, but He also told them that was not the end.  On the third day, He would rise again in victory.  Jesus defeated sin and death on the cross, and He freely offers us the same victory if we put our faith in Him as our Savior and Lord, Verse thirty-five says, And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire. Sometimes, the disciples really didn't listen to Jesus.  He had just told them what awaited Him in Jerusalem, which would be the end of His earthly ministry by a cruel death on the cross, and James and John immediately wanted to ask Him a question.  The fact that they went to Jesus for the answer was a good thing, but had they really listened and understood what He had just said, they probably wouldn't have asked the question.  They first asked if Jesus would give them whatever they wanted, and I believe this can too often be our attitude.in prayer.  We want Jesus to endorse our plan.  Verse thirty-six adds, And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you?  Jesus asked them what they wanted Him to do.  When we pray for what we want, God will listen, but that doesn't mean that He will give us everything we want.   Verse thirty-seven continues, They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.  James and John asked that they be allowed to sit on His right and left hand when He came into His glory.  They were still looking for an earthly kingdom and for them to be to be above all others except Jesus Himself.  I don't believe that as Christians we should ever believe that we are above other Christians. Verse thirty-eight states, But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? Jesus asked if they could drink of the cup He drank of or be baptized in the baptism that He was baptized with, referring to His coming arrest, trial and crucifixion.  Still not understanding what Jesus meant, they said they could.  We today if we are to be followers of Christ must be crucified to our worldly selfish desires and take up our cross daily and follow Him.  Verse thirty-nine adds, And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:  Jesus said they would indeed drink of the cup that He drank of and be baptized with the baptism that He was baptized with, which meant that they would suffer and die because of their faith in Him after His death, burial and resurrection.  We should expect no less today, but too often we see Jesus Christ as the One Who gives us all that we desire.  Verse forty continues, But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.  Jesus then told James and John that it wasn't His place to decide who would sit on His right and left hand in His coming kingdom.  I personally don't believe that anyone who feels that they deserve that right really understands what it means to be a Christian.  We are instead to always pray for God's will to be done in our life and never to consider our self to be superior to any other Christian. 

Mark 10:17

 Mark 10:17 says, And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? As Jesus was walking, there was a man who came running to Him with a question. He was in a hurry to get to Jesus for the answer to the question of what he must do to inherit everlasting life.  Jesus is the only One Who can give us everlasting life, and it would be good if everyone was in a hurry to get to Him for the answer.  Verse eighteen adds, And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.  The man called Jesus Good Master, and Jesus asked him why he called Him that, since there was none good, but God.  I believe this question was to see if the man really recognized Who Jesus was.  He is indeed God, and we must acknowledge that before we can receive everlasting life.  Verse nineteen continues, Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. Jesus then asked the man if he knew the commandments, and cited the ones that have to do with our relationship to other people.  Of course, we have to start with the commandments that have to do with God, but even if we claim to believe and follow them, it is harder to prove.  Our relationship with other people is more easily observed, and I believe this is why Jesus asked about them.  Verse twenty states, And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. The man said he had observed these commandments since he was young, but even that would have been hard to prove.  Jesus looked at the man with love, just as He does with everyone today, whether they ever accept Him as their Savior and Lord or not.  We often see the Ten Commandments displayed, but do they really rule our actions?   Verse twenty-one adds, Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.  Jesus told the man that he lacked one thing, and that he was to go and sell whatever he had and give it to the poor.  We may think that this was not too much to ask of this man, but what if Jesus were to ask the same thing of us today even as we display the Ten Commandments.  This was an easily verifiable action.  The man would either do it or not.  Our faith should always be verified by our actions.  Would we be willing to give up that fine home that we say God gave us because we asked Him to and give the proceeds to poor?  I believe that we too often look down on the poor and think they deserve to be where they are while at the same time believing that we deserve all the riches that God has blessed us with to use for our own purposes.  Verse twenty-two continues, And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.  Then, we are told that the man went away disappointed, because he had a lot of riches.  Would we go away the same way today, because we value the things of this world more than the things of God?  Verse twenty-three says, And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!  After the rich young man went away, unwilling to sell everything and give it to the poor because he valued his possessions more than a relationship with Jesus, Jesus then expounded on rich people getting into heaven.  Verse twenty-four adds, And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!  Verse twenty-five continues, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.  We should notice that after it was stated that the disciples were astounded, Jesus clarified His remarks even more by stating that those who trusted in riches would find it hard to enter into the kingdom of God.  The problem was not having riches but was putting ones faith in them over faith in God.  Jesus then said that it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it was for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.  Though this was a metaphor, I understand that there was a very narrow gate into Jerusalem, where a camel could not pass without first being unloaded from what it was carrying.  The analogy would then mean that a rich man needed to be willingly to unload his riches from a position of being more important than God in order to enter heaven.  Anytime we allow the things of this world to be more important than God, we will find it hard to be a part of God's kingdom.  We might say that we are not rich, so we don't have that problem, but again the problem was not the riches, but that they were more important than God, so if we allow anything in our life to be more important than God, we have the same problem.  Verse twenty-six states, And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?  The disciples then asked themselves who could be saved.  They should have asked Jesus instead.  This is the key question that all individuals have to ask themself today.  Verse twenty-seven adds, And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.  Jesus told them that what was impossible with men was not impossible with God, but that with God all things are possible.  So, once again it became a question of putting ones faith in God Who had made salvation possible through the death, burial and resurrection of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.