Mark 10:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he said to him, "Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth."

NIV: "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."

NASB: And he said to Him, 'Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth.'

CSB: He said to him, "Teacher, I have kept all these from my youth."

NLT: Teacher,' the man replied, 'I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.'

KJV: And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.

NKJV: And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.”

"Youth" is from the Greek root word neotes. It just means "youth" and doesn't refer to a specific age. Judaism teaches that if a young child sins, the punishment will be taken on his or her parents. In Jewish tradition, a boy became responsible for his moral decisions at the age of twelve. So, the young man is probably saying that he has kept all these commandments since that point. He has only kept the commandments, however, in a literal way. Jesus pointed out in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:21–48) and just recently (Mark 10:1–12) that there is a difference between obeying the law and fulfilling it. Those who willingly fulfill the spirit of the law do so because they love and trust the law-giver more than any worldly benefit they would receive otherwise. This is something the man cannot do (Mark 10:22).

The apostle Paul makes a similar claim to virtue. He says that if righteousness is measured by how well one kept the law, he is blameless (Philippians 3:6). But he also explains that it is not his own righteousness, defined by the law, that earns him resurrection from the dead, but the righteousness that comes from God and is expressed as faith in Christ (Philippians 3:9–11).

The rich young man's assertion reveals a great irony. From his youth—the age of accountability—he has done everything he can think of to earn eternal life. This is quite a remarkable feat. But Jesus has explained that we must go back to when we could not be accountable for our sins. Shortly before, Jesus had said, "Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it" (Mark 10:15). Salvation has always come in response to our understanding that we have no standing with God and we must rely on Him (Hebrews 11). Obedience to the law has always come in response to our love and respect for God (Exodus 20:6; Deuteronomy 11:1; Nehemiah 1:5; John 14:15). The law doesn't give us an opportunity to earn salvation, it proves that we can't.

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.