"Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother."
Mark 10:19
Part 1
One day a rich young man approached Jesus Christ with an important question (Mark 10:17-22). “Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” Jesus, knowing the young man’s heart, that he did not understand who He was, and that salvation is about a relationship, not about what can be earned or done like a Boy Scout’s merit badge. It is all about “grace and believing,” not “duty or doing.” Jesus asked him about “the commandments.” He listed the commandments from the “second table”1 of the Law, the commands that deal with man’s relationship to man. The young man answered quickly, “Master, all these have I observed from my youth” (v. 20). He said that he’s “done” everything correctly, his words imply that he didn’t need the Savior, the man thought, in fact, that he could be his own “savior” and “do” whatever he needed to get to God. Jesus loved the man, and so He told him where his heart’s focus was, on his riches that he trusted in, and they were blocking his way to salvation (v. 21).
As the young man left, Jesus turns to His disciples and teaches them why it is so difficult for those with riches to be saved. Not impossible, but very difficult.
In our verse for today, let’s take a brief look at the commandments that Jesus listed. Since we are considering “the family,” we will park on “honor thy father and mother” for a bit.
“Thou knowest the commandments,”
This young man, growing up in a Jewish home knew the Ten Commandments by being taught from early age “the Law.” But as Jesus pointed out in His teaching, there is a difference in “knowing” the commandments and “keeping” them the way God intended. Jesus explained in His “Sermon on the Mount” that they have been taught man’s idea of each commandment, but God has a different ideal for each of these commands.
“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matthew 5:26-27).
They “knew” the commandments, but they didn’t “know” them… It could be that there are some reading this who have an idea of what the commandments are, but they have never made them personal and applied them to their own lives.
Come back tomorrow and let’s look at these commands.
1. What is known as the “first table” of the Ten Commandments are the first four commands that deal with man’s relationship with God.