Notes on Mark 10:32-52

These notes accompany my podcast titled A Time to Seek Healing.

Translation and Notes

³²Now they were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them, and the disciples were amazed. But those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve aside again, he began to tell them again about things that were about to happen to him.

Jesus is resolutely moving forward to his destiny, but as we shall see, the disciples are still unable to comprehend just what that destiny is. So for the third time, Jesus tells them what is about to happen.

The border between Galilee and Jerusalem is the most important borderline in any life. It tests the reality of our profession. When we cross it in our lives and actions, we go from comfort into pain, from ease into jeopardy, as Jesus did. But if we do not cross it, we leave the road which leads to fullness of life, and to power. — IB Exposition on Mark 10:32

³³“Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the son of man will be betrayed to the high priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and hand him over to the gentiles, ³⁴And they will strike him, spit on him, whip him, and kill him, but after three days he will rise up from the dead.”

Jesus provides more details here than he has before. Why don’t the disciples see? For the same reason that we often do not—they had their own agenda.

“Many a man has become a hero in the heat of the moment. But there is also the courage of the man who sees the grim thing approaching far ahead, of the man who has plenty time to turn back, of the man who could, if he chose to do so, evade the issue, and who yet inflexibly goes on. There is no doubt which is the higher courage.” — Barclay, DSB on Mark 10:32-34

³⁵And James and John, the sons of Zebedee approached him and said, “Teacher, We want to ask you something and have you do it for us.”

Here is the disciple’s agenda—personal power in the new kingdom. This doesn’t mean that they were totally selfish and seeking only their own good. I’m certain that they were working on the best motivations. They thought that if they could just get into the right positions, they would be able to serve the victorious Messiah.

This is the final form of unacceptable prayer. It was sincere; it was earnest; it was wrong. James and John were asking Jesus to fit into their plans. They had no concern at the moment over fitting into his plans. Prayer is always unacceptable when it says to God, “You do whatever I want.” — IB Exposition on Mark 10:35

³⁶So he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” ³⁷They said to him, “Appoint us [to positions] so that one of us will sit at your right hand and one at your left in your glory.” ³⁸Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you’re asking for! Can you drink the cup that I am drinking or be baptized with the baptism that with which I’m being baptized?”

Mar 10:38 – Ye know not what ye ask – Ye know not that ye ask for sufferings, which must needs pave the way to glory. The cup – Of inward; the baptism – Of outward sufferings. Our Lord was filled with sufferings within, and covered with them without. — John Wesley

³⁹They said to him, “We can.” Jesus said to them, “The cup that I am drinking you will drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism which which I am being baptized. ⁴⁰But to sit at my right or my left is not mine to give, but is for those for who it was prepared.”

“Jesus’ rule still takes place in the context of the Father’s sovereignty.” — Bock, p. 309

It’s easy to read this as predestination, but I don’t see it in this passage. Jesus is simply leaving the positions in the kingdom to his Father’s sovereignty, and not making appointments early. The disciples still needed to prove themselves in service.

⁴¹Now when the ten had heard this they became indignant at James and John. ⁴²And Jesus called them and told them, “You know that those who consider themselves rulers of the gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. ⁴³But it is not to be this way among you, but whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant. ⁴⁴And whoever wants to be first among you must be the servant of all.

Again, we see the concept of servant leadership. One can get quite tangled in this whole issue, and assume that there is no place for leadership. Each person must abase themselves and never step to the front. But Jesus is simply putting things in the right perspective. Serve first, then lead, and your leadership is itself about service. Leading and serving at the same time is difficult, because it gives one the greatest opportunity for selfishness and for “lording it over people.” Those who have no power cannot be tempted by it. Jesus is looking for people who can lead and serve simultaneously, people who can be trusted with power because they will use it appropriately

⁴⁵For the Son of man didn’t come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many people.”

See Isaiah 43:3-4, 23-24. Many scholars believe this saying was built on those passages. Some also cite Isaiah 53:10. See Bock, p. 309n15. Compare also 2 Corinthians 5:15.

⁴⁶Now they came to Jericho, and as he was coming out of Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, the son of Timaeus, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar sat by the road.

A seemingly chance encounter becomes the opportunity both for a healing and for teaching.

⁴⁷And when he had heard that Jesus the Nazarene was coming, he cried out and said, “Son of David, Jesus, have mercy on me.”

The opportunity must be taken. We are left with the implication that had this man not cried out, he would have been missed.

⁴⁸And some folks began to rebuke him so that he would shut up. ⁴⁹But Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Calm down! He’s calling you!” ⁵⁰But throwing his outer garment off he stood up and went to Jesus.

Opposition doesn’t stop him. He keeps on crying out. Jesus hears, cares, and calls out to him. Can you be stopped by individual need?

There is sometimes a disdain for “meanwhile” ministries even on the part of those working for the reorganization of society. Acts of mercy and charity tend to become only “palliatives.” They contribute nothing to a new social structure. The individual need is lost sight of in the glow of the far, shining horizon. — IB Exposition on Mark 10:49

⁵¹And Jesus answered him and said, “What do you want me to do?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi! I want to see!” ⁵²And Jesus said to him, “Go! Your faith has healed you.” And immediately he began to see and followed him in the way.

Do you see the contrast here to the disciples? Jesus is teaching a lesson here through the miracle. The most important thing the disciples needed from Jesus at that point was not a change of direction, greater intelligence or the promise of eventual power. They needed to see where they were going. They needed to be prepared. They eventually received that healing, but only after experiencing the depths of despair.