Jesus used the incident just past to teach His disciples about riches. Matthew's account is the fullest.
10:23 The case of this unbeliever had important significance for Jesus' believing disciples. Rather than being a preview of divine eternal blessing, wealth could be a barrier to obtaining it. Jesus did not envy the rich, as most of His contemporaries did. He pitied them.249Wealth does not exclude a person from the kingdom, but it gives him a handicap.
10:24 This verse is unique to Mark. The disciples' amazement arose from the popular belief that riches were a result of God's blessing for righteousness. They thought riches were an advantage, not a disadvantage in one's relationship with God. Here only in the Gospels Jesus addressed the disciples as "children"(Gr. tekna). Their amazement revealed their spiritual immaturity.
The longer textual reading at the end of verse 24 gives the sense of Jesus' statement, but it was probably not a part of the Gospel originally. The shorter statement is perfectly true as it stands and accounts partially for the disciples' second amazement (v. 26). Jesus' statement in verse 25 also helps us understand their surprise.
10:25-26 One writer paraphrased Jesus' proverb as follows.
"It is easier to thread a needle with a great big camel than to get into the kingdom of God when you are bursting with riches."250
The camel was the largest beast of burden in Palestine. The needle Jesus referred to was a common sewing needle (Gr. hraphis). The disciples reacted with amazement because they thought that wealth indicated righteousness (cf. Job, Abraham, Solomon).
10:27 Jesus' point was that salvation is totally God's work (cf. Eph. 2:8-9). God can make anyone realize his or her complete dependence on Him.
10:28 Peter, speaking for the other disciples, was still thinking in physical rather than spiritual terms. He turned the conversation back to the subject of giving up all to follow Jesus (v. 22). The rich young ruler had refused to forsake all and follow Jesus, but the disciples had done just that. "We"is emphatic in the Greek text. Mark did not record the rest of Peter's statement: "What then will there be for us?"(Matt. 19:27). Mark did not need to. The implication is clear enough from Peter's statement without his question.
10:29-30 Jesus graciously did not rebuke Peter's selfishness but rewarded his self-sacrifice with a promise. Disciples who follow Jesus wholeheartedly can anticipate three things. First, God will give them more in kind spiritually of what they have sacrificed physically. Second, they will receive persecution as Jesus' disciples. Only Mark mentioned this, undoubtedly for his original persecuted readers' benefit. Commitment to discipleship means persecution as well as rewards. Third, faithful disciples will enjoy their eternal life to an extent that unfaithful disciples will not (cf. John 10:10; 17:3).251
"God takes nothing away from a man without restoring it to him in a new and glorious form."252
The present age refers to the inter-advent era and the age to come the messianic kingdom.
10:31 The first in rank and position in this age, such as the rich young ruler, will be last in the next. Conversely the last in this age, such as the Twelve, would be first in the next. These words summarized Jesus' teaching on discipleship on that occasion and in this section of Mark's Gospel (vv. 1-31). This was a saying that Jesus used at other times as well during His ministry (cf. Matt. 20:16: Luke 13:30). Here these words also warned Peter against looking for immediate physical rewards for his self-sacrifices (cf. Matt. 20:1-16).
All three of the lessons in discipleship that Mark recorded in this section of his Gospel dealt with self-sacrifice (10:1-31). The lessons that Jesus taught following His first passion prediction dealt mainly with future glory (8:31-9:29). Those He taught following His second passion prediction concerned present suffering primarily (9:30-10:31).
