What is the meaning of Mark 10:3? What • Jesus begins with an open-ended word that invites the Pharisees to look back to the objective written record. • By asking “What…?” He directs them to the content of Scripture rather than to their traditions (compare Luke 10:26, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”). • The question calls for a precise answer, underscoring that divine revelation is clear and knowable (Psalm 19:7). Did • The verb “did” looks back to a definite historical act—God’s giving of the Law through Moses. • It reminds the hearers that God’s commands are not evolving social opinions but fixed past realities (Malachi 3:6; Jude 3). • Jesus roots the discussion in what has already been authoritatively delivered (Exodus 24:3–4). Moses • Naming Moses highlights the God-ordained mediator of the Law (Exodus 19:9). • The Pharisees revered Moses; Jesus appeals to the very authority they claim to uphold (John 5:45–47). • This tactic exposes whether their allegiance is to Moses’ writings or to man-made loopholes (Matthew 23:2–3). Command • The focus is a “command,” not a suggestion—God speaks with binding authority (Deuteronomy 6:1–2). • Jesus shifts the debate from “What may we do?” to “What has God commanded?” (1 Samuel 15:22). • The phrasing also anticipates His later statement, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this command for you” (Mark 10:5), showing that divine commands may expose sin rather than endorse it. You? • The pronoun makes the inquiry personal and accountable (James 1:22–25). • It presses the Pharisees to own their interpretation: they cannot hide behind collective tradition. • Scripture is always meant to confront the individual heart (Hebrews 4:12). He replied • Jesus answers their question with a question, modeling how Scripture itself is the decisive authority in any controversy (Matthew 4:4,7,10). • By replying in this way, He demonstrates that true teaching guides people back to God’s Word rather than merely asserting human opinion (Isaiah 8:20). • The exchange sets up His subsequent exposition of Genesis 1–2, affirming the original design for marriage (Mark 10:6–9). summary Mark 10:3 shows Jesus leading His challengers straight to Scripture. Each word of His question—What, Did, Moses, Command, You—underscores that God’s past, clear, authoritative commands confront every individual heart today. Christ’s reply models how believers should settle moral issues: by returning to the written Word, embracing its literal authority, and allowing it to expose both sin and the need for obedience. |
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