Mark 10:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

NIV: "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone.

NASB: But Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.

CSB: "Why do you call me good?" Jesus asked him. "No one is good except God alone.

NLT: Why do you call me good?' Jesus asked. 'Only God is truly good.

KJV: And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good there is none good but one, that is, God.

NKJV: So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.

This verse has been used in debates about Jesus' divinity. Some suggest that Jesus is denying He is God. Others think that Jesus is trying to reveal to the man that He is God. But Jesus isn't directly commenting on the sentiment expressed in the statement. Rather, He's prompting the man to consider who deserves to be called "good."

Jesus asks the man why he thinks Jesus is good. What characterizes someone as "good"? And if someone were completely good, what would that say about them? If only God is perfectly good, and a man is perfectly good, then the man would be God. It's possible that Jesus is trying to quickly lead the man to this conclusion, but unlikely. Jesus has taken great pains to hide His identity from all but the Twelve (Mark 8:29–30; 9:9) and the demons who feel impelled to declare it (Mark 3:11–12). More likely, the brevity of the comment and the quick change suggest that Jesus is giving the man something to think on later: "why do you call Me good? Are you calling Me God? If you are, are you prepared to listen to me?"

It was common in that day for a layman to ask a religious leader, such as a rabbi, scribe, or Pharisee, what he must do to be good. They all followed the extra-biblical teachings the scribes had created over the years. Jesus, on the other hand, tells the man to go back to the Mosaic law as God gave it (Mark 10:19), and not worry about the traditions of man (Mark 7:1–13). The man implies that Jesus, as a good teacher, must know how to receive eternal life. Jesus points out that only God is good, and He gave the Mosaic law to teach the Jews how to be holy.

Even more likely, Jesus is showing the man that if only God is good, the rich young man cannot be good. If he can't be good, how can he earn eternal life? Matthew's wording supports this interpretation: "He said to him, 'Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good'" (Matthew 19:17). No matter how "good" we are, we will never be sinless (Romans 3:23).

Mark 10:17–31 begins as Jesus is trying to teach the disciples that God's kingdom values the powerless (Mark 9:36–37), the faithful (Mark 9:38–41), women (Mark 10:1–12), and children (Mark 10:13–16). The disciples, perhaps, are distracted by the many people who want to arrest or kill Jesus (John 7:32–52; 8:58–59; 10:22–39; 11:45–54; Luke 13:31). A wealthy young man asks Jesus about eternal life—and gets an unexpected answer in return. His response to Jesus' answer shows that his interest in God is limited by one thing: his money. Through all of history, wealth has been assumed to suggest the favor of God. But Jesus reveals that those whom God blesses often value the gifts more than the Giver. This story is also in Matthew 19:16–30 and Luke 18:18–30.

In this passage, Jesus again confronts the Pharisees by clarifying God's views on marriage and divorce. He reminds the disciples not to dismiss the spiritual perspective of children. This chapter also records Jesus' encounter with the rich young ruler, who becomes an object lesson in why wealth makes it hard for people to rely on God. After this, Jesus deftly sets aside an arrogant request from James and John, and again predicts His impending death. Just prior to the triumphal entry of chapter 11, Jesus is sought out by Bartimaeus, whom He heals of blindness.

In between chapters 9 and 10, Jesus resumes His public teaching as He travels to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles (Luke 9:57—18:14; John 7—10). We meet Him here across the Jordan in Perea and follow as He makes His way west again to Jericho. This chapter surrounds a third prophecy of Jesus' death (Mark 10:32–34) with lessons on His value for those others often dismiss: women (Mark 10:1–12), the powerless (Mark 10:13–16), those who value God more than the world (Mark 10:17–31), servant-hearted leaders (Mark 10:35–45), and those with bold faith (Mark 10:46–52). Next is the triumphal entry and the beginning of Passion Week.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.