The Millstones of Materialism Mark 10:17-27

Text: “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!”

Mark 10:25 

Good morning, legitimately rich Christian!  God the Holy Spirit, by God’s free and Sovereign grace, has quickened (made alive) your sinful dead spirit; called your soul with His effectual and irresistible Salvation call; regenerated your spirit by His Spirit; granted you full and genuine repentance from sin, and a resolve to follow hard after Christ Jesus. 

Christ has suffered in your place, and mine, upon that cruel Calvary Cross to pay the terrible price demanded for our sins by a thrice Holy Lord God of wrath against all sin. 

Christ has died the infinitely horrible death that you and I fully deserved to die, in our place, as our Divine Substitute.  Yet, death nor Hell could not hold Him, for sin could not be found in Him!  Up from the grave He arose! 

On the third day, according to the inspired Word of Almighty God, Jesus arose from the dead to justify you and me and all “His people” from our sins, and in the Holy sight of our Heavenly Father. 

Because of Christ Jesus, “His people” are made truly FREE!  Hallelujah!  If you can say, amen to what I have here written, then you, like me, are RICH INDEED.  Glory to the Lamb Who is worthy!  Hallelujah!  Jesus Lives!

“I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be RICH; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see.  As many as I (Christ Jesus) love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” (Revelation 3:18-19)

Today’s selected passage of Holy Scripture from Mark’s Gospel, recounts a story that, to my 21^st Century eyes, is truly amazing!  Here we find a man who came “running” to Christ Jesus; “kneeling to Him…”; and openly, and publicly “…asking Him…” “Good Master, what shall I DO that I may inherit Eternal life?” (Mark 10:17-18)

How often to we see this scene taking place today, in this increasingly apostate 21^st Century, here in Great Britain & Northern Ireland, UK, or all over this sin-blinded world of unbelief? What a tonic it would be, to see fervent interest in the Word of God!

However, the depth of this man’s lack of Scriptural knowledge is exposed in the words of his own mouth: “What must I DO that I may inherit Eternal life?”  Many today have been fooled into thinking THEY can do ANYTHING to inherit Eternal life - for Eternal Salvation is not a matter of sinful mankind’s DOING – but fully depends on what Christ has already DONE on Calvary’s Cross!

“Not everyone that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he/she that doeth the will of My Father which is in Heaven.  Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy Name? And in Thy Name have cast out devils?  And in Thy Name done many wonderful works?  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.”  (Matthew 7:21-23)

“What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the Blood of Jesus…”  (Robert Lowry. published this hymn in 1876.) 

The man’s second error was the sin of presumption, being deceived in his own heart that he had consistently and impeccably kept the Commandments of God!  No one ever can!  The Ten Commandments were given by the Lord God to show Moses and ourselves that the Law of God is humanly impossible to perfectly keep!  That is why we must look to Christ and fully depend on His Atonement Sacrifice at the Cross – for He alone could offer up to God a pure and totally sinless Sacrifice for our sins.

“And he (the man) answered and said unto Him, Master, all these have I observed (kept) from my youth.” (V.20)

Christ, being Almighty Lord God, looked into this man’s heart and saw there the ‘millstone’ that would keep him out of Heaven – “…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.”  (V.21)

His material wealth, property, worldly patronage, position, and pride compelled him to walk away from the Lord of Eternal life, Who had made a universal call to the man, that he just could not obey.  His material wealth/possessions had become an Eternal millstone around his neck – a temporal millstone of riches that would doom him to a Christ-rejecter’s Hell. So sad to see one running to Jesus, yet unprepared to relinquish his hold on material things.

“Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor TRUST in uncertain riches, but in the Living God, Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy."  (1 Timothy 6:17)

J.C. Ryle Comments:

“The spiritual blindness here exhibited is unhappily most common. Myriads of professing Christians at the present day have not an idea of their own sinfulness and guilt in the sight of God. They flatter themselves that they have never done anything very wicked. — …They forget the holy nature of that God with whom they have to do… Like the church of Laodicea, they are “rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.” (Revelation 3:17) Self-satisfied they live, and self-satisfied too often they die.” (J.C. Ryle’s Expository Thoughts on the Gospels 1816-1900)

Thought: Born Again Christians have received the true legitimate riches from God – let us use our Spiritual riches to enhance Christ Eternal Kingdom today.  “Here I am, Lord, send me.” (Isaiah 6:8)

Childlike Trust in Christ Mark 10:13-16

Text: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart: and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.”

Proverbs 3:5-7. 

Good morning, believing/trusting Christian!  It is taught by some that, many times when we see the word ‘believe’ in the King James Version Bible, we should better translate that word as ‘trust’.  The 100% accuracy of this teaching is, for me, not presently attainable, but I can certainly understand the concept such a translation brings to my deeper understanding of inspired Scripture verses. 

To truly believe in the Living Lord God – is certainly to whole-heartedly trust Him; to trust in His written Word; to know for a certainty that He is the only one we can completely and totally TRUST for Salvation and forgiveness of all our sins.

Scripture Examples: John 3:16:  One of the most known and repeated Scripture verses worldwide is John chapter 3, and verse 16.  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth (trusteth) in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  The continuous verb ‘believeth’, means we believe and continue to believe; and ‘trusteth’ is to trust and to continually trust.  It is use of a continuous verb.

One can immediately see the concept I mention, working together to give us a better understanding of the use of words in Scripture: to truly ‘believe’, necessitates a full ‘trust’ in what, or in this case Whom, one believes.  Sinners will never place complete trust in One Whom we really do not believe.  Sinners can never put our full belief, on One Whom we do not completely trust.

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him (the Lord God): for he that cometh (comes, and continues to come) to God must believe that He is (exists), and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”  (Hebrews 11:6)

Childlike Trust:  Childlike (not childish!) trust is the theme of this Bible Lesson.  We can all see this childlike trust in exercise continually in our own homes, or in the homes of close relatives, as little children obey their parents, and take every word their parents say as absolute truth. 

Profound TRUST is placed in the parent/parents who show love and take care of children’s every need.  So much so that, obedience is given willingly, and needs no enforcement by parental discipline.  Little children and the childlike trust they naturally exercise in their homes, is a perfect picture, therefore, of the total heart-trust required for true Christian belief.

Today’s selected Bible verses in our Marching in Mark’s Gospel exposition reinforces this concept of childlike trust.  The little children’s parents have heard about the Lord Jesus and are come unto Him in childlike wonder and trust – bringing their “…young children to Him, that He should touch them…” (V.13) The young children, trusting completely in their parent’s discernment, and knowing the love the parents have for them, come willingly to Christ to be touched by Him.  Trust is the underlying theme of the entire scene.

The disciples, on the other hand, seeing how busy the Lord Jesus currently is, teaching, preaching, and healing the multitudes – “…rebuked those that brought them.” (V.13) Goes to show us that even the closest followers of the risen Christ Jesus have fallibilities.

“But when Jesus saw it, He was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer (allow) the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the Kingdom of God.” (V.14)

Old Testament Scripture was already revealed on what God’s will is on this subject: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”  (Ephesians 6:4)

The author believes that, the souls of elect little children, and the mentally incapacitated; dying before they reach the full ‘age of understanding’, go straight to Heaven: “…for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven.”  (V.14)

Full Trust = Faith: “Verily I (Christ Jesus) say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child he shall not enter therein.” (V.15) Now we more clearly understand the importance of having a childlike faith, a childlike trust; a childlike belief in the truth of God’s Word - and receiving the Gospel truths with the heart of a little child.

“Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth (trusteth, trusts, and continues to trust in Christ).” (Mark 9:23)

J.C. Ryle Comments:

“Let us learn, for one thing, from this passage, how much attention the souls of children should receive from the Church of Christ. The Great Head of the Church found time to take special notice of children. Al­though His time on earth was precious, and grown-up men and women were perishing on every side for lack of knowledge, He did not think little boys and girls of small importance. He had room in His mighty heart even for them. He declared by His outward gesture and deed, His good will toward them. And not least, He has left on record words concerning them, which His Church should never forget, “Of such is the kingdom of God.” (J.C. Ryle’s Expository Thoughts on the Gospels 1816-1900)

Thought: Let the little children be brought into the Presence of Christ at an early age; let our homes be filled with Bible knowledge and Christian practice of it. Time is short.

Divorce? Mark 10:1-12

Text: “...Is it lawful for a man to put away (i.e., divorce) his wife?”

Mark 10:2.

Good morning, perplexed Christian!  Your heart’s motives are to be faithful to the Word of God, to obey the principles for life laid down therein.  Yet, sometimes you seem to find what appears to be contradictory instructions in your Bible, and this brings confusion to your mind, and grief to your faithful, yet fallible spirit.  Does this describe you?

The issue of divorce is one such source of confusion in the Church.  Let us look at this issue briefly today.  The Bible, God’s Word, holds no contradictions, only truth and enlightenment. 

“All Scripture is given by inspiration (God-breathed) of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect (mature), thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Divorce Allowed: (Matthew 19:8-9) In these two verses from Matthew’s Gospel account Christ - quoting Moses in Deuteronomy 24:1-4 - permits divorce where sexual infidelity is proven to have been committed by either party in a marriage (i.e., “...except it be for fornication...”)  In fact, God at one stage in time, actually commanded the Israelites to divorce and send away the young pagan women they had married, and their children!  (Ezra 10:1-44)

The apostle Paul, under God’s inspiration, instructs the believing spouse of an unbeliever to let the unbeliever depart if he/she so insists, and hereafter the believer is no longer under bondage to the departing marriage partner.  (1 Corinthians 7:15)

Divorce Disallowed: (Malachi 2:16) On the other side of the balance, the Lord God hates divorce as it is written in this verse of equally Spirit-inspired Scripture, because the one who “...puts away...”, or divorces, his/her partner, overwhelms the rejected partner with grief and emotional cruelty. 

Jesus teaches us that marriage should, in principle, last a lifetime.  (Matthew 19:3-6)

Paul also admonishes married Christians NOT to divorce their spouse, and encourages “...unequally yoked...” marriage partners (one saved, the other unsaved) to remain together.  So, what, exactly, is the plan of God reference divorce? (1 Corinthians 7:10-15)

Resolution: (Genesis 2:18-24) God designed marriage to be a one-flesh, lifelong, loving and mutually submissive, union of two people.  God, therefore, views divorce as a violation of His ideal, but mercifully permits divorce in the case where adultery, or marital unfaithfulness, has been proven.  He permits a divorce for the couple, as opposed to the capital punishment of the guilty parties via stoning to death, according to Jewish Law.  (Leviticus 20:10) (Deuteronomy 22:22) (Ephesians 5:21-33)

As we have seen earlier in the study, God also permits divorce in the case of an unbeliever’s insistence on leaving the Christian partner - and the Christian partner, thus deserted, is not deemed to be “...under bondage...” to the unbelieving partner who has deserted the marriage union. 

God our Creator’s perfect marriage IDEAL is once again sinned against by the fallibility, weakness, and total depravity of His fallen creatures.

The word “departs”, in 1 Corinthians 7:15, is ‘chorizo’ in the original Greek.  This Greek word is almost always a technical term for divorce.  Divorce, therefore, is a LAST RESORT solution when adultery/unfaithfulness/abandonment is present in a marriage, and when marital reconciliation proves impossible to achieve.

J.C. Ryle Comments:

“The greater portion of this passage is meant to show’ us the dignity and importance of the relation of marriage. It is plain that the prevailing opinions of the Jews upon this subject, when our Lord was upon earth, were lax and low in the extreme. The binding character of the marri­age tie was not recognized. Divorce for slight and trivial causes was allowable and common. The duties of hus­bands towards wives, and of wives towards husbands, as a natural consequence, were little understood. To correct this state of things, our Lord sets up a high and holy standard of principles. He refers to the original institu­tion of marriage at the creation, as the union of one man and one woman. He quotes and endorses the solemn words used at the marriage of Adam and Eve, as words of perpetual significance, “a man shall leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh.” He adds a solemn comment to these words, — “What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” And finally, in reply to the inquiry of His disciples, he declares that divorce followed by re-marriage, except for the cause of unfaithfulness, is a breach of the seventh commandment. Ryle’s Footnote: “I decidedly believe that the re­marriage forbidden by Christ, is re-marriage after a divorce for trivial and frivolous causes, and that His words do not apply to re-marriage after divorce on account of unfaithfulness.” (J.C. Ryle’s Expository Thoughts on the Gospels 1816-1900)

Both Jewish and Roman laws provided the right of divorce and remarriage on grounds of sexual sin.  Luke’s Gospel account does not record Christ’s exceptional circumstances for divorce that Matthew’s does - because all first Century readers would naturally assume adultery to be a valid cause for divorce.  (Luke 16:18)

Christ - quoting Moses in Deuteronomy 24:1-4 - permits divorce where sexual infidelity is proven to have been committed by either party in a marriage (i.e., “...except it be for fornication...”)  Christ Jesus closely defines His position, in Matthew 19:8-9.

Thought: In conclusion therefore, what at first reading appears to be a blatant contradiction in Scriptures is not a contradiction at all.  So, let us work hard at our marriages, be always tender and willing to forgive. Let us seek to renew our marital circumstances with love, knowing that the Lord God of infinite love will forever bless our efforts to live up to His perfect ideals.

What is Hell? Mark 9:43-50

Text: “And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against Me, for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched, and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.”

Isaiah 60:24.

Good morning, God-fearing Christian!  Your fear of God is not the dread of the Spiritually dead, but the reverence, awe, and respectful love of one who, through Christ’s Cross at Calvary, has escaped the fearful wrath to come, and by His precious Blood has been made ready to go to Heaven.

But what is YOUR perception of Hell?  What does the word ‘Hell’ conjure up for you and for me?  Let us meditate for a while on this vital question.

Hacked Off Hands: (V.43) Would suddenly having our hands hacked off give us a glimpse of what being in Hell means?  Think about it, friend.  Engage your mind!

That itch halfway up ones back that cannot be scratched because we have no longer got hands to scratch it.  The inability to hold a child or a loved one ever again.  Utter and complete frustration at not being able to lift an object, or indeed to undo a button of one’s clothing for oneself.  Loss of ability to ever again reach out and tenderly touch another person.  Surely this would be an experience of sheer ‘Hell’ for you and for me?

Yet, our Bible reading this evening employs the metaphor of hacked off hands, and reveals that it would be better to be thus afflicted than to commit the deeds that consign Christ-rejecting sinners to Eternal Hell.  (Luke 16:22-28)

Filleted Feet: (V.45) How would we like it if someone were to suddenly fillet our foolish feet?  Would that seem like ‘Hell’ to our minds?

Feet are rather unsightly parts of our lower extremities - I don’t think I have ever seen what could be described as a beautiful pair of feet, have you?  Yet, just you try to walk, run, play games, stand up, or go anywhere without them!  The are, to the able-bodied, so much taken for granted, yet so utterly necessary for full physical participation in life.

Many of our disabled brethren/sisters know the ‘Hell’ of being unable to use their feet.  Yet, the Scriptures admonish us not to use our feet to walk into sin, or to wander far from the One who saved us from an infinitely more horrible Hell’s torments.  (Galatians 5:13-26)

Expelled Eyes: (V.47) Oh the loss of our ability to see!  Anyone who has lost an eye, or becomes partially or totally blind, could surely describe their experience of suddenly being cast into a ‘Hell’ of partial vision or, worse still, complete and utter darkness. 

Think of that poor afflicted Samson of the Old Testament, grinding, unloved and alone within the prison house, the consequences of his sin.  The terror of never seeing a loved one’s face ever again.  To cease to see the beauty of a sunrise each morning.  To have the gift of colours, and God’s Creation of natural beauty suddenly, and without remedy, taken from us.  Surely that would be a type of ‘Hell’ for us?

Undoubtedly so, but our Bible reading today sets forth even that tragic loss as preferential to lusting our way into the real Hell, through misuse of our God-given sight.  The Scriptures give us many such dire warnings against this type of sin.  The eyes are aptly called, ‘the windows of the soul’.  (1 John 2:15-17)

J.C. Ryle Comments:

“We see, in the last place, in these verses, the reality, awfulness, and eternity of future punishment. Three times the Lord Jesus speaks of “hell.” Three times He mentions the “worm that never dies.” Three times He says that “the fire is not quenched.”

“These are awful expressions. They call for reflection rather than exposition. They should be pondered, con­sidered, and remembered by all professing Christians. It matters little whether we regard them as figurative and emblematic. If they are so, one thing at least is very clear. The worm and the fire are emblems of real things. There is a real hell, and that hell is eternal.

There is no mercy in keeping back from men the sub­ject of hell.

“Fearful and tremendous as it is, it ought to be pressed on all, as one of the great truths of Chris­tianity. Our loving Saviour speaks frequently of it. The apostle John, in the book of Revelation, often de­scribes it. The servants of God in these days must not be ashamed of confessing their belief in it. Were there no boundless mercy in Christ for all that believe in Him, we might well shrink from the awful topic. Were there no precious blood of Christ able to cleanse away all sin, we might well keep silence about the wrath to come. But there is mercy for all who ask in Christ’s name. There is a fountain open for all sin. Let us then boldly and un­hesitatingly maintain that there is a hell, and beseech men to flee from it, before it be too late. “Knowing the terrors of the Lord,” the worm, and the fire, let us “per­suade men.” (1 Corinthians 5:11) It is not possible to say too much about Christ. But it is quite possible to say too little about hell.” (J.C. Ryle’s Expository Thoughts on the Gospels 1816-1900)

Therefore, God-fearing Christian, with the horrors of Hell renewed somewhat in our Christian minds, let us go forth afresh praising the Lord God Who, by His grace and His grace alone, has delivered us from such a truly horrible destination and has, by His Son, the Living Lord Jesus, pointed our souls toward Heaven.

Thank you, Lord God, for delivering us from the torments of an Eternal Hell.

Thought:  A healthy thought of Hell should help keep us from Hellish thoughts.