Mark Reading Plan – W10D1
Week 10 | Day 1 | Mark 10:1-10
Check out all the previous readings here.
Pray
Ask God to open your heart to His word today.
Bible Reading (read these verses three times slowly)
Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them.
Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
“What did Moses command you?” he replied.
They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”
“It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this.
Reflection & Questions
The Pharisees are back with another question to test Jesus. It’s fascinating that for all their testing and complaining, they can’t just leave Jesus alone and move on!
In this section they ask about divorce. What’s significant about Jesus’ answer is that He presents God’s design and also the reality of what sin can do to that design. Whether it is in marriage relationships or other relationships, the cause of the breakdown is hard hearts, maybe on one side or the other, or both. Our world is broken because of our sin, and no amount of politics, education, or DIY can fix our sin. We need Jesus to clean our hearts!
- Who is someone you’re having a tough time with? It might be a spouse, child, co-worker, etc.
- Honestly consider ways you might need a heart change in the relationship (but don’t own what is not yours to own).
Pray
Bring the relationship you consider above to God. Ask God to reveal any ways your heart needs to change in that relationship. Confess anything you need to confess. You might use Psalm 51:10 as a prayer: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
Worship Song
Relationships can be very painful, but in God we can find healing. You might use this song today to reflect on his love and worship Him.
Bible Reading
Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them.
Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
“What did Moses command you?” he replied.
They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”
“It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this.
Reflection and Questions
The Pharisees are back with another question to test Jesus. It’s crazy The Pharisees are back with another question to test Jesus. It’s crazy that with all of their testing and complaining, they can’t just leave Jesus alone and move on!
This time, they ask Jesus about divorce. Divorce is when 2 married people decide to not be married anymore. Jesus answers them about divorce, but He is talking about so much more than just one sin here! Jesus tells the Pharisees that the reason that God says not to do certain things isn’t because He wants to just tell us what to do, it’s because God cares about us and knows what’s best for us! God tells us to not do certain things because He knows what will help us, and what will hurt us, even when we don’t know it ourselves. That’s why we trust God and listen to His rules for our life, to guide us into what God has planned for us!
- What is a rule that God has that you have a hard time following? Why do you think He made that rule?
Prayer
Pray and thank God for putting rules in our life to keep us on the right path!
Bible Reading
Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them.
Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
“What did Moses command you?” he replied.
They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”
“It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this.
Devo Focus
Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” Vs.2
Devo
Jesus must have gotten so tired of the Pharisees coming at him with their questions. It’s not like they had a genuine interest in his responses – they just wanted to trip him up. It’s fascinating that for all their testing and complaining, they can’t just leave Jesus alone and move on! In this section they ask about divorce. What’s significant about Jesus’ answer is that He presents God’s design and also the reality of what sin can do to that design. Whether it is in marriage relationships or other relationships, the cause of the breakdown is hard hearts, maybe on one side or the other, or both. Our world is broken because of our sin, and no amount of politics, education, or DIY can fix our sin. We need Jesus to clean our hearts!
- Who is someone you’re having a tough time with? It might be a spouse, child, co-worker, etc. – Honestly consider ways you might need a heart change in the relationship (but don’t own what is not yours to own).
Prayer
Bring the relationship you consider above to God. Ask God to reveal any ways your heart needs to change in that relationship. Confess anything you need to confess. You might use Psalm 51:10 as a prayer: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
