Challenge in Judea. Mark 10:1-3.
And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again as was his custom, he taught them. And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”He answered them, “What did Moses command you?”
Dear Holy Nation,
Three and a half years have passed since Jesus went to be baptized by John (1:9). Although Mark does not indicate it, John does in his gospel. We can tell from John’s record of the trips Jesus made to Jerusalem for the Passover and other feasts.
Travel (v. 1a). Mark only records Jesus’ final trip to Judea. The fact that crowds gathered to him indicates that Jesus was famous in Judea by this time.
Teaching (v. 1b). It was the custom of Jesus to teach the people. It is important to note that miracles, as important as they were, were not Jesus’ primary focus. Paul put it very well, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). The word of God is primary to Jesus’ ministry.
Test (v. 2). The Pharisees came, not to learn, but to test, hoping to catch Jesus saying the wrong thing. The reason they ask about divorce is probably that the rabbis of the time were not fully agreed on the matter, so it was easy for a teacher to have a divergent opinion. Their hope was that Jesus would say something that contradicted the teaching of Moses, who was highly revered by all Jews.
Text (v. 3). Jesus refers them to the same Moses they are trying to use to trap him. The reference to Moses should be seen in a broader sense than the person of Moses. Jesus is asking them what the scripture says. Moses was often equated with the Old Testament and more specifically, the first five books that are attributed to him. At this critical moment, Jesus is asking the Pharisees, “What does the scripture say?” This should be the question we ask ourselves when we encounter a crisis, “What does the Bible say?”
Your Loving Pastor Chris.