A BIBLICAL APPROACH TO POSSESSIONS

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.