GROUP GUIDE
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH - ENTERPRISE
WNBS@FBCE - Wednesday Night Bible Study
A BIBLICAL APPROACH TO POSSESSIONS
MARK 10:13-31
MAY 4, 2016
MAIN POINT
Those
who aren’t ruled by their possessions have a disciplined approach to spending
and giving.
INTRODUCTION
Begin by writing
down on a piece of paper the first three things you usually tell about yourself
when you meet a new person.
What do
the things on your list reveal about yourself and about your priorities?
What are
some of the top priorities of people living in our community today?
Why do
you think our culture connects our career with our identity (i.e., “I am a
doctor, I am a teacher …”)?
The story
of the rich young ruler is about identity. The young man defined himself by his
possessions. He had worked to achieve his status, and he also wanted to work to
achieve salvation. But Jesus wanted the young man to define himself only by his
faith in God—as a follower of Jesus.
UNDERSTANDING
The biblical
text to discover what the Scripture says or means about a particular topic is
located at the bottom of this study.
READ MARK 10:13-16.
In a time
when childhood illness and death was quite common, parents brought infants and
children for Jesus to heal. The disciples made themselves the gate keepers to
Jesus. Too many adults needed His attention. There were already more than
enough children. So the disciples sent the parents away to give Jesus time to
do more important things. The children didn’t measure up in the eyes of the
disciples. Jesus is challenging who they think will enter the kingdom of God.
What
childlike qualities are necessary to enter the kingdom of heaven?
How would
you describe a childish faith, and how is that different than a childlike
faith?
We must
be like a little child to enter the kingdom. Childlikeness isn’t just one
choice among others to be part of God’s kingdom. God builds His kingdom on
childlike characteristics: trust, love, innocence, lack of power, lack of
credentials. Faith is knowing we are helpless, which leads to humility before
God, trust in Him, and obedience to Him. As Jesus continued on His journey, a man
came to Him with a different request, but one also related to getting into His
kingdom.
READ
MARK 10:17-22.
What is
your impression of the man who came to Jesus?
What
makes the man’s question in verse 17 strange?
The rich
young ruler was telling Jesus that he viewed himself as having been good,
moral, and religious all his life. However, in spite of his best efforts to
please God, the man knew that something was missing; he did not have eternal
life. He felt so strongly that he humiliated himself in his desperate attempt
to find out the answer.
Look
again at verse 21. Why did Jesus make such a difficult demand?
Do you
find Jesus’ response uncomfortable? Why? How does Jesus’ response compare with
your general ideas about salvation?
On the surface,
Jesus seemed to be saying the man could earn eternal life by keeping the
Commandments. Although we know that salvation is received only by grace through
faith, not by works (see Eph. 2:8-9), our works are a lot easier for us to
measure, and we all have a tendency to try to impress God. Jesus wasn’t saying
that selling his possessions would earn him favor with God. He knew this young
ruler’s heart. Jesus knew that what stood between this man and God was the
priority of his possessions and his personal identity. He deeply wanted the man
to commit himself to God totally.
In verse
21, Mark wrote that Jesus loved the man before He commanded the man to take
that drastic step toward following Him. Why is this significant?
Do you
believe Jesus loves you even before you follow Him? Do you ever feel He is
judging your performance—that He’ll love you more if you do better?
How does
your perspective of good works change when you learn that you already have
God’s acceptance?
When we
put the love of God after the command, we become bitter and frustrated of what
we have to give up. But Jesus loves us first, and it makes all the difference.
The command to sell everything and follow Jesus is not to gain Jesus’ love, but
to respond to it. The command is what love requires. It’s like Jesus was
saying, “You will not experience the full joy of trusting in God until you come
to me empty handed, ‘poor in spirit,’“ like the little children in Mark
10:13-16.
APPLICATION
Helping
you identify how the truths from the Scripture passage apply directly to your
life.
Think
back to our opening question: What are the first three things you usually tell
people about yourself? Where does Jesus rank in your life? How do you know?
What do
we risk missing out on if we have misplaced priorities?
What does
love require you to “Go, sell”? How can our church family support you as you
strive to be obedient? Pray for any specific things people mention during your
closing prayer time?
PRAYER
Close
in prayer, thanking God that He first loved you before you could do anything
for Him. Pray that you will have a greater awareness of His love and grace in your
life this week, and that in response you will be challenged to give Him top priority
in your life.
SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY
MARK
10:13-31
10:13-14. The children in this
incident could have been anywhere from infants to 12-year-olds. The disciples,
who were tired and tense with the prospect of going to Jerusalem, were probably
trying to protect Jesus’ time. Note Jesus’ anger in this verse. The Greek verb
aganakteo implies deep, strong feeling. Jesus’ service, and therefore the
service of the disciples, was for such as these children (9:36). This is one
more instance where the disciples failed to realize that there are no outcasts
or unimportant people in the Kingdom.
10:15-16. Not only were the
outcasts as important as others; Jesus also stated that everyone who desires
the kingdom must be like these little children. Much has been written about how
children act and what Jesus could have been referring to here. We could talk
about a child’s total dependence and trust—two qualities needed for the
Kingdom. But Jesus’ point was, how do children receive gifts? They receive
joyfully and thankfully. They receive without believing they did anything to
deserve the gift. This is a picture of how we come to the Father. We know we do
not deserve the great gifts He has in store for us, but He loves us and desires
to give us good things. The kingdom belongs to such as these. Therefore, not
only should disciples receive little children (9:36-37); they are to have
childlike qualities themselves.
10:17. This young ruler ran to
Jesus and fell at His feet. In the Middle East, it was undignified for men to
run. This man with his youthful passion was throwing himself at Jesus’ feet.
This section follows the previous section naturally, since the man asked what
he could do to earn eternal life. Jesus’ teaching on the children emphasized
that there is nothing one can do to earn it. It is given freely and must be
received freely.
10:18. The man called Jesus
“good.” This word was not used lightly. Had the man made the leap that Jesus
was indeed God, who was good? As we see in verse 22, his passion outweighed his
commitment.
10:19. Jesus in this verse did not list the
commandments dealing with a person’s relationship to God. These were internal
commandments, not as easily discernible from observing behavior. Perhaps Jesus
also knew that this man could not keep the first commandment—to have no other
Gods before Yahweh, the supreme God. Jesus mentioned do not defraud instead of
the tenth commandment, “do not covet.” Defrauding someone, however, was listed
in the law (cf. Lev. 19:13) and at its heart was jealousy. The young man had
never defrauded anyone, but neither had he gone the extra mile and been
generous with his money.
10:20. If this list were all the
law contained, then it would not be impossible to conform to its demands—difficult,
yes, but not impossible. On the commandments that Jesus listed, this man had it
made—externally. Apparently, even he knew there had to be more to it because he
did not leave immediately, rejoicing at Jesus’ answer. He knew in his heart
that he lacked something.
10:21. Jesus was declaring that
nothing must come between a person and devotion to God. Some people may have to
give up money. Others may have to abandon a cherished dream. Still others may
have to surrender family. But one thing is certain: Jesus’ love comes before
the command. Whatever He commands us to do is because of His love for us.
Jesus’ command to the man to follow Me came at the time when He was headed for
Jerusalem and certain death at the hands of the religious leaders. This echoes Jesus’
command to every disciple to take up the cross and follow Him (Mark 8:34).
10:22. This verse is the only
instance of someone coming to Jesus with a need and leaving without the need
being filled. No matter how much we are loved by God, He will not override our
choices.
10:23. The phrase for the rich is
translated at times as “those who have riches.” It means more than having
money. It encompasses possessions as well. In our day, it might mean everything
that goes with money—cars, furs, jewels, real estate. But even if we do not
consider ourselves rich, we still have riches and possessions that often come
between us and the Lord.
10:24-26. The disciples’ amazement is
mentioned twice in this section. In order to understand their amazement, we
need to realize the conception they would have had of the wealthy. Money in
that day was considered a blessing of God. If a person was righteous, God would
bless through wealth and material possessions. This is seen in Genesis with the
recounting of the life of Abraham, a man greatly blessed by God. The
cause-and-effect relationship between righteousness and wealth is most clearly
seen in Job. Job’s friends assumed he had lost righteousness with God because
he had lost his riches (family was included in the recounting of wealth).
Jesus compared entering the kingdom of God to
a camel going through the eye of a needle. This verse has been discussed at
length. Many attempts have been made to soften its teaching. Jesus often used
hyperbole (deliberate overstatement) to make His point. This is a good example
of such overstatement. Who then can be saved? Jesus had declared to His
disciples that the most righteous people of that day could not be saved by
their own efforts. If this were true, then how would they—poor fishermen—gain
entrance? The disciples asked if the best could not be saved, who could?
10:27. Jesus emphasized that
gaining treasure in heaven, eternal life, can be accomplished only by God. We
come with empty hands. This is something that Jesus has emphasized throughout
Mark’s Gospel. The needy are healed. The outcasts of society gain entrance to
Jesus. When we admit our need, when we admit that we are indeed outcasts, then
God performs what was impossible for us—He grants us eternal life and heals us
of our sin sicknesses.
10:28. It is natural for us to
wonder if our sacrifices have been noticed. Peter, the spokesman of the group
and most likely the narrative voice behind this Gospel, reminded Jesus of just
how much he and the others had given up to follow Him.
10:29-30. If Peter wanted to know
that the disciples’ sacrifices had been noticed, Jesus gave Him that
reassurance in this verse. There is no material possession that has been left behind
that will not be repaid in this life or in the life to come. Many followers of
Christ have lost families, but they have found new family members within the
body of Christ.
10:31. Jesus had talked much
during His journey to Jerusalem about the reversals in the Kingdom. The
outcasts are to be sought after and not hindered; the greatest must serve.
