Mark 10:29 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel,

NIV: "Truly I tell you," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel

NASB: Jesus said, 'Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake,

CSB: "Truly I tell you," Jesus said, "there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel,

NLT: Yes,' Jesus replied, 'and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News,

KJV: And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,

NKJV: So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s,

Jesus has already established that His followers' true family consists of other Christ-followers (Mark 3:31–35). This means God may call us to leave our earthly families for His work. Jesus also says His followers may find themselves at odds with their birth-families, and they should love Him more than their parents (Matthew 10:35–37). Despite what some take these words to mean, Jesus categorically does not say…

…that we should divorce an unbelieving spouse (1 Corinthians 7:12–16).
…that following God's will is an excuse to abandon older parents with no support (Mark 7:1–13; John 19:26–27).
…that we can be cruel to those who are angry with us for following Jesus (Matthew 5:42–48).
…that we can abandon our children if they choose not to follow Christ (1 Corinthians 7:14).

Interestingly, Mark does not quote Jesus telling them they must be willing to leave their wives as Luke does (Luke 18:29). Paul later mentions that Peter takes his wife with him (1 Corinthians 9:5), and tradition states that she was crucified next to him.

Jesus will call us to abandon something, however. At the very least, we're called to abandon our old way of life, and the selfish thinking which comes with it. We might be asked, in addition, to give up something malevolent like a sinful habit, neutral like wealth, or beneficial like a good job or church. Different believers may be called on to make different changes, or sacrifice different things. Whatever it is, the temptation arises due to those things coming between our desires and God's will for our lives. The measure of our trust in God will determine how tightly we hold on to what God asks us to let go.

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.