Mark-Lesson 14...Continued from page 3

DAY FOUR:  Salvation

Please carefully read Mark 10:23-27 and answer the following questions.

1.  After the young man left, discouraged by the emptiness of mere religiosity, what shocking thing (at least to the disciples) did Jesus have to say about salvation (v. 23-25)?

NOTE: This is the only time in the Synoptic gospels that Jesus referred to the disciples as children, referring to their immaturity, although John used the term on occasion.[xiii]

The Eye of the Needle
This phrase Jesus used reflected a Jewish figure of speech, hyperbole, for doing something impossible, here a large animal going through the eye of a needle. The saying refers to a literal needle. Thinking Jesus referred to a gate in Jerusalem called the “eye of a needle” is incorrect, because that gate was built around the Ninth Century A.D.  Considering the prevailing Jewish attitude toward riches, the disciples’ amazement is not surprising. Verse 23 describes not only the difficulty of the rich in entering the kingdom, but the best attested Greek text affirms the difficulty of everyone in so do.  The contrast between the largest Palestinian animal and one of the smallest openings is clearly intended to indicate the impossibility of a rich person?or anyone else (v. 24)?entering the kingdom by doing something for one’s self.[xiv]

2.  The problem is not in having riches or possessions.  The issue involved that keeps people from entering God’s kingdom is not wanting to let go of what controls their life.  The incorrect view of the day and perhaps of today was that having riches was viewed by the Jews as a reward, symbolic of divine blessing.  What was the disciples’ shocked response to this therefore (v. 26)?

3.  How did Jesus respond to this (v. 27)?

4.  Jesus’ answer couldn’t be clearer:  Salvation is impossible for man to achieve; it is only by the grace and miraculous intervention of God that salvation is made possible, as we read yesterday.  Yet what an encouragement this brings to us as well.  What is impossible for us to achieve was accomplished by Jesus for us, making the way to salvation available to all who believe.  As we close out our study today, read the following passages and record how they speak of God accomplishing that which is impossible in human terms.

Genesis 18:14a

Job 42:2

Jeremiah 32:17

Hebrews 7:25 

Scripture Memory:  Try to fill in the missing words in the blanks below, by memory if at all possible, and then review the passage several times today.

But Jesus ___________________ at them and said, "With _____________ it is___________________________, but not ______________ God; for ______________ God ____________ things are _______________________"   (Mark 10:27, nkjv).