October 7. Mark 10:2-16 – Jesus tested on divorce
Commentary from The Gospel of Mark, by Mary Healy. “With his pronouncement on marriage, Jesus brings his teachings o suffering, self-denial, humility, and service into the most intimate sphere of human life…The union in marriage is a sign pointing to God’s own mystery and our call to communion with God. God is a communion of “persons”, an eternal exchange of love, and God has destined us to share in that exchange.”
In the second part of the gospel reading, Jesus tells the disciples to let the little children come to him. “To receive the kingdom of heaven is as simple, trusting, and humble an action as receiving the embrace of Jesus. Indeed, to enter the kingdom is nothing other than to enter into a relationship with Jesus.”
October 14. Mark 10:17-31 – The Rich Young Man
This familiar story of the rich young man who asks what he must do to inherit eternal life and Jesus’ comment that “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God” are reminders that Jesus demands of all of us that we must have total detachment from our possessions if we are to be his disciples.
October 21. Mark 10:35-45 – The request of James and John
In this passage, Jesus reverses the usual understanding of greatness: those who would lead must serve. Jesus doesn’t dispute the idea of greatness, but radically redefines greatness from hierarchical power to “servant power.” Jesus’ own example sanctified the lowly and humble role of discipleship.
October 28. Mark 10:46-52 – The healing of Bartimaeus
When Jesus heals Bartimaeus, three things happen: Bartimaeus can now see, Bartimaeus no longer has to beg, and Bartimaeus serves as a witness and metaphor to others—God can remove what is in the way of our vision, what is causing us to stumble, what is causing us to be stuck, what is causing us to remain oppressed. And God calls us to do what we can to remove barriers from those around the world who are marginalized and oppressed.