Mark 9:42-50, Mark 10:1-12

Mark 9:42-50, Mark 10:1-12                   January 5, 2019 

Temptations to Sin, Jesus comment, in Capernaum now   

Teaching about Divorce

Mark 9:42 "If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.

{children, babes in the faith-important}

Matthew 18:6,7 points out  

·      and drowned in the depth of the sea. 

·      Woe to the world because of things that cause people to stumble

{world governments warning}

·      Very graphic and tough language. 

·      We need to mediate what we do as individuals and government.

·      Some Christians think nothing of drawing young, weak Christians into their own little squabbles and divisions.

·      They themselves emerge without much damage,

·      The little ones they brought with them into the squabble often end up shipwrecked.

Mark 9:43  If your hand causes you to stumble {or sin}, cut it off { and to cast it from you}. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands {or two feet}, to go to hell, into the {everlasting} fire that shall never be quenched.    {Lake of fire}  Rev 20:13-15

Matthew adds or foot and to cast it from you. And two feet, eyes, to be cast into the everlasting fire.  *Matthew 18:8,9

·      Some have taken these words of Jesus literally

·      Jesus did not intend, some have cut off their hands, or mutilated themselves

·      Sin is more a matter of the heart than of any particular limb or organ

Jesus had made it clear that sin comes from the heart. Mark Made this clear earlier in Chapter 7.

Mark 7:20-23 And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. (21) For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, (22) thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. (23) All these evil things come from within and defile a man."

·      Jesus is emphasizing His point by saying it 3 times, very important.

·      As Jesus would say:  “he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Mark 9:44 In that place, worms never die, and the fire is never put out.

The passage referred to: subject matter, offend a babe in Christ.  It is this serious and taken from the following verses.

Isaiah 66:22-24 "For as the new heavens and the new earth that I am about to make will endure before me," says the LORD, "so will your descendants and your name endure. (23) And from New Moon to New Moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all humanity will come to worship before me," says the LORD. 

(24) "Then they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of the people who rebelled against me. For their worm will not die, nor will their fire be extinguished, and they will remain an object of revulsion to all humanity."

·      Isaiah applied this scene to the 'dead bodies' of the lost that God's people will look upon at the end.

·      The righteous (that is us) will see the dead bodies of the lost,

·      The worm will eat away at the dead bodies until they are no more.

Malachi points out that the wicked will be trample down and will become ashes under the soles of the Saints.   *Malachi 4:3

·      Malachi message carries a warning for us to deal with sin in our lives.

·      Halfway measures won’t do.

·      Any sin should be removed from our lives as if by surgery.   

·      Remember, it all comes from the heart.

Mark 9:45  And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched--          

·      The word hell is an ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew “Valley of Hinnom,” (children were sacrificed to the god Moloch, for worship)

·      A valley outside Jerusalem’s walls had Moloch worship and human sacrifice,

·      The dump where dead bodies, criminals, and rubbish were burned.

·      Worms continually crawled there eating up the rotting flesh. 

·      Jesus used this to illustrate the fate of the lost bodies. 

·      Worms mean maggots, devoured by them

·      Worms that infest a dead body are not killed, the rotting flesh will be consumed until none remains.

·      Maggots, which are simply larval flies, go through a process and turn into adult flies.

·      These, in turn, deposit additional eggs, and the process is repeated until nothing is left for maggots to feed on.

·      Any fire which is not quenched—not put out—will last only as long as there is fuel to keep it burning and then go out.

·      The whole point is that, when a person does not repent of sin, this is what will happen to their bodies.

Mark 9:46  where 'THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.'

Mark 9:47  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire

Mark 9:48 where 'THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.'

When Jesus mention something 3 times, it is very important message to take to heart.  Verses 44, 46, 48

Mark 9:49 "For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.   {we are a living sacrifice}

Peter tells us our faith will be tested by fire: *1 Peter 1:7 

Mark 9:50  Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."

Luke refers to Fire when the Holy Spirit was given:  *Acts 2:3-4 

As His presence in our lives “seasons” us, it purifies, preserves, and adds flavor to our lives, and so it makes our “living sacrifice” acceptable to God.

Jews were not allowed to put leaven or honey on their sacrifices, but they were required to use salt on their sacrifices.  *Leviticus 2:13 

Salt speaks of purity, pleasant, preservation, and made safe.

Paul tells us to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is our reasonable service:  *Romans 12:1-2 

The disciples were God’s salt, but were in danger of losing their flavor and becoming worthless.  It is all due to sin.

Matthew tells us we are the salt, but if we lose the flavor, then will be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men:  *Matthew 5:13

This is what Jesus did for us, died, raised, gave us grace,

The Five Paradoxes, Teaching About Divorce

A paradox is a statement that contradicts itself and yet embraces a valid truth or principle.

2 Corinthians 12:10  That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

This chapter is structured around five paradoxical declarations:

1)     Two Shall Be One - Mark 10:8 

2)     Adults (anyone) Shall Be as Children - Mark 10:15

3)     The First Shall Be Last - Mark 10:31 

4)     Servants (great) Shall Be Rulers - Mark 10:43 

5)     The Poor Become Rich - Mark 10:21  

Mark 10:1  Jesus then left that place {Galilee} and went into the region of Judea and across {other side} the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them {again} {and he healed them}.                     

Matthew added Jesus left Galilee and He also he healed them  *Matthew 19:1-2

·      Jesus on His final journey to Jerusalem, They followed, he taught them, he healed them,

·      Across the Jordan - Present day Trans-Jordan (Eastern side of the Jordan River). 

·      With one statement Mark summarizes about six months of Christ’s ministry.   The events of this chapter are in reality the closing events of this Trans-Jordan, teaching period.

Mark 10:2  Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?"  { for any and every reason}

*Matthew added for any and every reason: *Matthew 19:3

·      A region, east of the Jordan, ruled by Herod

·      The Pharisees found Jesus and then tried to trap Him

·      The Pharisees by raising the question about divorce.

·      John the Baptist had lost his head when he preached against Herod’s adulterous marriage.

·      A divorce might be lawfully made for a cause, or reason, namely, adultery, but not for any, or every reason.

·                    There was more than simply politics involved:

·      Divorce was an extremely controversial topic among the Jews

·      As it remains among Christians today

·      No matter what answer Jesus would give, it would be certain to displease somebody and even might yield an opportunity to arrest Him.

Mark 10:3 "What did Moses command you?" he replied.

Deuteronomy 24:1 If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house,

Matthew 19:4-6  "Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,'  (5)  and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'?  (6)  So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate."

Moses did not command divorce, Moses permitted it.

Mark 10:4  They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away."

Matthew added Why then, did Moses command: *Matthew 19:7

·      The Pharisees avoided Jesus question by stating what Moses permitted. 

·      God plan was to joined a man and woman in marriage as long as they lived.

·      A certificate of divorce was a document signed before witnesses.

·      Its intent was to limit divorces.

·      In Jesus' day, the Jews interpretation of this custom varied widely.

·      The disciples of Hillel allowed divorce for almost any reason,

·      The followers of Shammai permitted divorce only for sexual impurity.

As usual, Jesus ignored the current debates and focused attention on the Word of God (Deut 24:1-4). Two key facts are paramount:

·      The man in Israel could divorced the wife,

·      The wife did not have the right to divorced their husbands

·      Roman women did have the right of divorce.

·      The official “bill of divorcement” was given to the wife

·      This was to declare her status

·      This was to assure any prospective husband that she was indeed free to remarry.

·      The only other requirement was that the woman not return to her first husband if her second husband divorce her.

·      Among the Jews, the question was not, “May a divorced woman marry again?” because remarriage was permitted and even expected.

·      The big question was, “What are the legal grounds for a man to divorce his wife?” 

Mark 10:5  "It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law," Jesus replied.

*Matthew added, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives and was not this way from the beginning. *Matthew 19:8

·      Jesus explained that the divorce law was given because of the sin of the human heart:

·      the law protected the wife by restraining the husband from  divorcing her and casting her off rather than treating her like a human being.

·      Without a bill of divorcement, a woman would be likely to become a social outcast and treated like a harlot.

·      No man would want to marry her,

·      She would be left defenseless and destitute.

·      God's design of male and female shows that He held each to be equal in value and worth,

·      That they fulfilled a different function and role in God’s design.

·      By giving this commandment to Israel, God was not putting His approval on divorce or even encouraging it. 

·      God was seeking to restrain it and make it more difficult for men to dismiss their wives.

·      He put sufficient regulations around divorce so that the wives would not become victims of their husbands’ whims.

Mark 10:6 "But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.'

·      Jesus takes them back far before Moses to the record of the original creation (Gen 1:27; 2:21-25).

·      God established marriage and has the right to determine the rules.

Genesis 1:27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

·      Notice, Adam could not have more wives than one:

·      Could Adam put away or divorce Eve, and marry another;

·      No provision was made for any such usages and practices with wife.

Mark 10:7  'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,

According to Scripture, marriage is between a man and a woman (not two men or two women!).

Mark 10:8  and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one flesh.

A paradox is a statement that contradicts itself and yet embraces a valid truth or principle.

Moses says a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Genesis 2:24

Mark 10:9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate."

·      A man and woman, being lawfully married together, become one flesh, or "one body",

·      Therefore the wife is to be loved by the husband as his own body,

·      From whom there should be no separation, until death, but in case of adultery.

The relationship is sacred, intimate, and intended to be permanent. 

The union is a physical union: only a physical cause can break it: either death (Rom 7:1-3) or fornication (Matt 5:32; 19:9).

What did the Apostle Paul say about this?

Paul said the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.  *Romans 7:1-3

Mark didn’t include the “exception clause” found in Matthew, but neither did he say that death breaks the union. With the abandonment of execution for adultery, divorce was substituted for death; it was understood as adequate grounds.

Mark 10:10 When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this.

A fuller, private teaching was needed for the disciples concerning the affair of divorces, Christian law of marriage.  Do not know whose house?

Mark 10:11 He answered, "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.  {except for sexual immorality}

*Matthew added  except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery." *Matthew 19:9

Interesting, if the man divorce his wife, he cannot remarry legality. 

Mark 10:12  And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery."  { Notice, It is a marriage to one woman, not many women}

Matthew 19:10-12  The disciples said to him, "If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry."  (11)  Jesus replied, "Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given.  (12)  For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it."

In Jewish society, it was not possible for a woman to divorce her husband, but was explaining this to his Roman audience so they could understand.

Divorce was allowed by the Greek and Roman law, but not by the Jewish.

The disciples were now convinced that marriage is a dangerous thing to get involved in.  

·      To remarry after divorce, other than one granted on the grounds of fornication, would make the person guilty of committing adultery, and this is a serious thing.

·      Notice that Jesus included the women in His warning, greatly elevating their status in society and giving them equality of responsibility with men. 

·      The rabbis would not have gone this far.

·      A divorce may be legal according to secular laws and yet not be right in the eyes of God.

·      God established the institution of marriage and He makes the rules.

·      He expects married people to remain committed to each other.

Paul goes into deeper explanation about grounds for remarriage after divorce:

1 Corinthians 7:10-15 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband.  (11)  But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.  (12)  To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.  (13)  And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him.  

(14)  For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.  

(15)  But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.