Mark 10:26 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, "Then who can be saved?"

NIV: The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?"

NASB: And they were even more astonished, and said to Him, 'Then who can be saved?'

CSB: They were even more astonished, saying to one another, "Then who can be saved?"

NLT: The disciples were astounded. 'Then who in the world can be saved?' they asked.

KJV: And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?

NKJV: And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?”

Under the Mosaic law, God promised Israel blessing if they obeyed Him (Deuteronomy 28:1–6). By Jesus' day, that national-level promise had been twisted into a cultural judgment about wealth and spirituality. Popular views held that anyone who suffered must do so because they were disobedient, and anyone blessed must be so because they followed God's law. Although the disciples expect positions of power in Jesus' kingdom, they apparently have no illusions about their personal holiness. If being rich isn't a sign someone deserves to inherit eternal life, then a group of itinerant disciples have no chance.

The question of who can be saved is as important today as it was to the disciples. Jesus' answer to the rich young man, and His remark to the disciples, are such a famous part of His teachings that we often forget how shocking they were at the time He spoke. The disciples initially see this as a horrific, disastrous truth. If a man kept the law and was—supposedly—rewarded for holiness with material blessings, but could not earn eternal life, then no one can! The disciples, worried about who will be the greatest in the kingdom of God (Mark 10:35–44), can't fathom that they don't deserve to be there at all.

Echoing the first part of this crucial truth, James, Jesus' half-brother and the pastor of the church in Jerusalem, will say, "For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it" (James 2:10). And Paul will explain that everyone has sinned (Romans 3:23).

The second half of this teaching, however, is that no one can be saved on their own. We are not only incapable of earning salvation, we can't even choose it on our own. Thankfully, God chooses who will be saved (Romans 8:29–30; Ephesians 1:5, 11). And there is no mystery as to whom is chosen: if you follow Jesus and rely on Him for your salvation, you are chosen. Jesus will point this out in the next verse: salvation is, in fact, possible, but only with, through, and by God.

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.