Chapter Ten

10:1-12 On divorce: According to Jewish legislation, only the man had the right to ask for it; for the school of Rabbi Shammai, only in case of infidelity; but for the school of Rabbi Hillel for anything that could displease the husband, such as burning food, for example. Jesus responds with a question, "What law did Moses give you?" and then refers back to the moment of creation, in which God created man and woman on equal terms. Jesus goes beyond the perspective of the Pharisees, for he advocates the permanent validity of marriage by insisting on fidelity to the covenant of love: "Let no one separate what God has joined" (9). Marriage is a project of love that implies equality in rights, dignity, and obligations and therefore excludes any relationship of domination and oppression. As long as there is love, there is marriage, and there will be a heart to dream and to forgive.

10:13-16 He blesses some children: The disciples continue to believe that they have the exclusive access to the kingdom. They have not understood that the missionary's task is to bring people closer to Jesus rather than to prevent them from doing so. As children, we should welcome the kingdom of God with joy and simplicity, contrary to the harmful attitude of the Pharisees.

10:17-31 The rich young man: This young man sought to "accumulate": riches, prestige, merits, etc. Jesus proposes a change: "to share": his life with Jesus (discipleship) and his wealth with the poor (detachment and solidarity). Faced with Jesus' proposal, the young man withdraws. He is attached to his wealth (23). Peter, recognizing the natural tendency of the human being to accumulate, asks with concern, who can be saved? Jesus answers with two keys: salvation is a gift from God, and sharing life with Jesus and the poor (Good News) has its reward. A disciple of Jesus cannot avoid one’s option for the poor, for the most needy.

10:32-34 Third announcement of the passion and resurrection:  Jesus consciously accepts his destiny, not because he is a fortune teller, but because he knows its reality. Let us note the contrast between Jesus, who goes ahead, determined, and convinced to "go up" to Jerusalem, and the disciples who follow him in fear. As we follow Jesus, it implies that moving forward along paths that involve sometimes celebrations and sometimes passion, but which always lead to resurrection experiences. Three days are the maximum time limit for divine intervention in favour of the suffering righteous (Hos 6:2).

10:35-45 Against ambition: James and John seek the first places. They still do not understand that the way of glory is the way of the cross. The cup symbolizes suffering (14:36) and baptism, a symbol of immersion in the Lord’s passion and death (Rom 6:3). Jesus takes advantage of the occasion to instruct the disciples on the theme of power and service. Whoever wants to follow him must be like him, who did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many (45).

10:46-52 He heals a blind man: The healing of Bartimaeus is the last miracle of Jesus in Mark's Gospel. The people who were in darkness are about to see the light of the resurrection. At the cry of someone who is blind, a beggar, an outcast, who asks for mercy and does so even though they want to silence him, Jesus stops and calls him. Faith is about to work another miracle. As the blind man leaves his cloak behind, he is leaving behind an "old" life in order to assume a new one that follows Jesus’s teachings. He who was on the margins of the way now follows Jesus, who is the "way."