They
were exceedingly astonished, saying to him, “Then who can be saved?”
Mark 10:26
Mark 10 [24.] The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus answered again, “Children, how hard is it for those who trust in riches to enter into God’s Kingdom! It is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter into God’s Kingdom.”
Mark 10 [26.] They were exceedingly astonished, saying to him, “Then who can be saved?”
Mark 10 [27.] Jesus, looking at them, said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God.”
Meaning:
Jesus had just said that it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter God’s Kingdom (Mark 10:24-25). The disciples’ amazement turns into astonishment, and they blurt out the question at the heart of this whole passage: “Then who can be saved?” Their question is a turning point. It moves the conversation from the rich man who went away sorrowful to the deepest issue of all, how anyone at all can enter the Kingdom of God.
- “Exceedingly astonished”
Mark uses a strong word. The disciples were not just surprised; they were overwhelmed. Many in their day thought that the rich, with time to study the law, money to give alms and means to offer sacrifices, had the best chance of pleasing God. The rich man had kept the commandments from his youth (Mark 10:20). If even he was shut out, then the whole ladder of human goodness seemed to collapse. Their shock was the right reaction. Jesus was showing them that no one can climb into the Kingdom by wealth, religion or effort.
- “Then who can be saved?”
To be “saved” here means the same as to “enter into God’s Kingdom” and to “inherit eternal life” (Mark 10:17). The disciples used the three phrases as one. Their question was not merely about rich people; it was about everyone, themselves included. Throughout Scripture people have asked the same question in different words. On the day of Pentecost, those who heard Peter were “cut to the heart” and asked, “Brothers, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). The honest answer begins with the confession that “all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
- A question that opens the door to grace
The disciples’ despair was exactly where Jesus wanted to bring them. As long as people think that salvation is within their reach, they keep trying to earn it, like the rich man who asked, “What shall I do?” When they see that it is impossible, they are ready to hear the good news. Jesus’ answer comes at once: “With men it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27). Long before, Jeremiah had prayed, “there is nothing too hard for you” (Jeremiah 32:17). The same God who made heaven and earth can make a camel pass through a needle’s eye, and can bring a rich man, or any sinner, into his Kingdom.
- The answer of the apostles
After Jesus’ death and resurrection, the apostles proclaimed the answer plainly. Peter said of Jesus, “There is salvation in none other, for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, by which we must be saved!” (Acts 4:12). Paul wrote that God saved us “not by works of righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy” (Titus 3:5).
The Significance of Mark 10:26
- Ask the honest question
Many people never ask how they can be saved, because they assume they are good enough. The disciples’ astonishment is a healthy shock. It is good to face the question squarely and admit that we cannot save ourselves.
- Despair of self leads to hope in God
When human ability runs out, God’s grace begins. The end of self-reliance is the beginning of faith. “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).
Cross-References:
Mark 10:27: "Jesus, looking at them, said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God.”" Jesus’ answer to the disciples’ question.
Acts 4:12: "There is salvation in none other, for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, by which we must be saved!" Salvation is found only in Jesus.
Romans 3:23-24: "for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" Everyone needs grace, and God gives it freely.
Jeremiah 32:17: "Ah Lord Yahweh! Behold, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm; there is nothing too hard for you" Nothing is too hard for God.
Conclusion: When Jesus said that a camel could pass through a needle’s eye more easily than a rich man could enter God’s Kingdom, the disciples were overwhelmed and asked, “Then who can be saved?” Their question exposed the impossibility of saving ourselves by wealth, religion or good works. It opened the way for Jesus’ answer that what is impossible with men is possible with God, and for the gospel that salvation is God’s free gift in Christ.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible