What Jesus Did

"Why do you call me good?" Jesus asked. "Only God is truly good."

—Mark 10:18 NLT

Key Thought


Yes, only God is good. But then that is the point, isn't it? Jesus is "God is with us" (Matthew 1:23), and we must put our faith in him and listen to him and obey just as we must with God. If the man who asked the question in the previous verse (Mark 10:17) can't see that Jesus has God's authority as well as God's goodness, he will never relinquish complete control of his...

 

As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

—Mark 10:17 NLT

Key Thought


This man's question is a great one, but did it come from a genuine heart? You will have to read the following verses for yourself and decide if this man's heart was genuine. Better yet, why not look at your own heart and ask the Lord Jesus this same question? I believe if you listen...

 

Then [Jesus] took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.

—Mark 10:16 NLT

Key Thought



Jesus frequently touched people. So must we. In a world so devoid of human contact, especially genuinely supportive and affectionate, but clearly non-sexual contact. Many people ache to just be appropriately touched without being abused, manipulated, or exploited. Reach out and touch someone today.*

*Of course, it is essential to be sure that the...

 

When Jesus saw [the disciples stopping parents from bringing children to him], he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it."

—Mark 10:14-15 NLT

Key Thought


We must have childlike faith to be a part of God's Kingdom. The Kingdom requires a "dangerous...

 

One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.
When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children."


—Mark 10:13-14 NLT

Key Thought


We must not do anything to keep "the children" — whether that means new followers of...

 

Later, when [Jesus] was alone with his disciples in the house, they brought up the subject [of divorce] again. He told them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries someone else, she commits adultery."

—Mark 10:10-12 NLT

Key Thought


In a world which takes divorce lightly despite the carnage left in the lives of the ex-spouse and any children from the marriage, God reminds his people...

 

One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.

—Mark 10:13 NLT

Key Thought


We can never seem to find enough time to do the things we need to do. So who gets left out in the "busy-ness" of life? Children tend to be forgotten, neglected, ignored, put off, or left out when schedules get crunched — and this oversight is true even in our child-dominated cultures. Even when...

 

[Jesus continued his teaching about marriage:] "'This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.' Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together."

—Mark 10:7-9 NLT

Key Thought


God has the power to make two people one. Marriage is not primarily about a wedding, but about a man and a woman entering into a covenant relationship with each other and with God. God is...

 

[Jesus continued his teaching about marriage:] "'This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.' Since they are no longer two but one, ..."

—Mark 10:7-8 NLT

Key Thought


Marriage is about two people becoming one entity. Jesus makes this powerfully clear by emphasizing "oneness" four times in just three verses:
verse 7 - "joined,"
verse 8 - "two are united into one,"
verse 8 - "no longer two...

 

[Jesus continued his teaching about marriage:] "But 'God made them male and female' from the beginning of creation. 'This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, ...'"

—Mark 10:6-7 NLT

Key Thought


One of the key elements of marriage as God designed it is the transfer of the primary family relationship from one's parents to one's marriage partner. In the vast majority of cultures, it is assumed that the woman will leave her parents to...