The Gospel According to Mark:
A Look at the Son of God
Lesson 10 James & John Seek Glory
the Gospel According to Mark 10:1–52
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)*
New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)*
Catechism of the Catholic Church
ex libris (in our library)
glossary for the Gospel According to Mark
cross references in the Gospel According to Mark
next lesson: Jesus Cleanses the Temple
This material coordinates with Lesson 10, “James & John Seek Glory,” on pages 47–51 in The Gospel According to Mark: A Look at the Son of God.
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying,
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.”
—the Gospel According to Mark 1:14–15
welcome to our in-depth study of the Gospel According to Mark
We invite interested groups and individuals to check out the sample introduction and first lesson from this 17-
lesson Turning to 
God’s Word Catholic Bible study based on Scripture that is the source of most of the Sunday Gospel readings for Liturgical Year B. These online study pages link to an online glossary and cross references in the biblical text. Other study aids include maps, additional commentary, and prayers based on the primary Scripture in each lesson. The Gospel According to Mark: A Look at the Son of God and the other two synoptic studies are being submitted for imprimaturs. This study will be available from our website shop about three months before the start of liturgical Year B in 2026. If you have a Bible-related question or comment, click on one of the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” buttons on any online study page.
open with prayer
It’s always wise to begin any Bible study with prayer, whether reading the Scriptures alone or meeting with others in a discussion study group. You can pray using your own words or use one of the opening prayers on our website. We especially like the following:
Lord Jesus, you promised to send your Holy Spirit to teach us all things.
As we read and study your word today,
allow it to touch our hearts and change our lives. Amen.
let’s review—the Gospel According to Mark 9:1–50
Lesson 9 The Transfiguration is the primary theme of the ninth chapter. The author opens by describing what Peter, James, and John witness when they go with Jesus up an undisclosed mountain. They see Jesus transfigured before them—with Moses and Elijah. There is nothing in Scripture to suggest how they know the identity of the two figures with Jesus. And although the event is recorded in all three synoptic Gospels, none of those Evangelists were present. John, who was present, omits any mention of the Transfiguration in the Fourth Gospel. Perhaps the most interesting detail of the Transfiguration is God’s voice, which comes out of a cloud telling the disciples to listen to his beloved Son. The next thing Mark reports is Jesus telling Peter, James, and John not to speak to anyone about what they just witnessed until after his Resurrection. After that, Jesus explains that Elijah already has come in advance of the Messiah. He then heals a man with a mute spirit and explains that type of spirit can only be driven out through prayer and fasting. As Jesus travels through Galilee, he again foretells the suffering he will soon endure, but his disciples clearly do not understand. Jesus then teaches that anyone who desires to be first must be a servant to all. He also teaches that no one who does a mighty work in his name should be considered opposed to him. The Evangelist ends the chapter with advice on how to avoid sin.
what Matthew says: Jesus goes back to what God originally set up
Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps notices that Jesus shows a definite preference for what God arranged instead of for what humanity has established.
“Like with his sabbath observations, Jesus goes back to the original form and institution of things established by God and not accommodations made by humans. Jesus seems to think men and women have made a mess of what was intended by God. What evidence can you point to that proves or disproves this point?”
what Matthew says: a look at why Jesus was indignant
Matthew points out that in the Gospel According to Mark 10:13–14, when the disciples are chastising people for bring children to Jesus, Jesus rebukes them.
“These disciples are trying to do what Jesus wants, and this is how they execute that vision. One starts to wonder why Jesus picked such incompetent idiots to be his followers—except of course that’s all he had to work with among the whole human race. This point has come up so much recently it’s probably not worth dwelling on, but these guys don’t understand their master all all.”
glory—you could look it up in our archives
Most Christians have only a vague notion about glory. The Greek word δόξα (doxa) suggests it has to do with visual appearance, but that doesn’t seem to be what James and John are seeking in the Gospel According to Mark 10:35–40. To learn more, read Lost in Translation, a weekly online column in which Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps helps readers connect with ideas expressed in the original languages of the Scriptures. New Lost in Translation entries are posted on Mondays, and past entries are archived on our website. Contact us if you’d like to receive Lost in Translation by email every week.
Christian Connection: how do you feel about material wealth?
The Gospel According to Mark 10:17–22 challenges one of the most prevalent ideas about who will enter the kingdom of God. The Evangelist Mark records that a well-off young man who was loved by Jesus nevertheless is saddened when he learns that to enter the kingdom of heaven he must sell what he has and give to the poor.
? The disciples are amazed when Jesus tells them that entering heaven is extremely difficult for a person who has material wealth. What does the disciples’ reaction indicate about how they view such riches?
? Consider what attitude you hold toward material wealth. Are you envious of others who appear to have more than you?
? What evidence can you point to that indicates you value spiritual riches more than earthly treasure?
? What might you do to reinforce the idea that you hold your relationship with God to be more important than any material success?
what do you think: how do you feel about divorce & adultery?
In the tenth chapter in the Gospel According to Mark, the Evangelist devotes quite a bit of time spelling out the importance of fidelity in marriage. This is a thorny issue in the present day as well, and it appeared to cause difficulty for the Israelites in Moses’ time and for practicing Jews in Jesus’ time.
? How does Jesus explain the allowance Moses made for the Israelites to divorce?
? Consider what allowance the present-day Church makes for divorce and adultery. If necessary, refer to paragraphs 1601 through 1666 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
? Read paragraphs 1606 and 1607 in the Catechism to learn what the Church teaches about how evil and sin threaten to undermine sacred marriage.
? What help does the Church teach is available for men and women trying to maintain fidelity in their marriages? (If necessary, refer to paragraph 1608 in the Catechism.)
? Under what circumstances might Catholics consider divorce?
? Consider what attitude Catholics should hold regarding others who have divorced.
1606 Every man experiences evil around him and within himself. This experience makes
itself felt in the relationships between man and woman. Their union has always been threatened by discord, a spirit of domination, infidelity, jealousy, and conflicts that can escalate into hatred and separation. This disorder can manifest itself more or less acutely, and can be more or less overcome according to the circumstances of cultures, eras, and individuals, but it does seem to have a universal character.
1607 According to faith the disorder we notice so painfully does not stem from the nature of man and woman, nor from the nature of their relations, but from sin. As a break with God, the first sin had for its first consequence the rupture of the original communion between man and woman. Their relations were distorted by mutual recriminations; their mutual attraction, the Creator’s own gift, changed into a relationship of domination and lust; and the beautiful vocation of man and woman to be fruitful, multiply, and subdue the earth was burdened by the pain of childbirth and the toil of work.
1608 Nevertheless, the order of creation persists, though seriously disturbed. To heal the wounds of sin, man and woman need the help of the grace that God in his infinite mercy never refuses them. Without his help man and woman cannot achieve the union of their lives for which God created them “in the beginning.”
what’s the point of James’ & John’s request?
It’s clear that Jesus has an agenda when he responds to James’ and John’s request. In the Gospel According to Mark 10:35–44 Jesus foretells that the two brothers will indeed drink the from the same chalice and be baptized with the same baptism as Jesus, but they still have no claim on sitting at Jesus’ right and his left.
? What do you think Jesus means when he brings up the chalice and his baptism?
? What might be causing the other 10 disciples to become indignant when they learn of the brothers’ request?
? Consider why Jesus makes an effort to explain why he expects his disciples to act as slaves to everyone.
? Why might the Evangelist Mark have placed this explanation immediately after Jesus foretelling the suffering that he is to endure in Jerusalem?
? What is one way in which you’ve concentrated on serving others in the past week?
what Matthew says: about wealth & the kingdom of God
Matthew suggests that in the Gospel According to Mark 10:17–22, the point Jesus seems to be making is that the Ten Commandments aren’t sufficient for salvation.
“This seems wildly significant. This man isn’t failing a “thou shalt not” but a “thou shalt.” I think this is very important. Relationships aren’t only negative, defined by what we’re not doing. They have to be positive, defined but what we are doing for and in them. Not cheating on your spouse doesn’t give you a happy marriage—even if you can’t have a happy marriage while cheating.
“The commandments are a foundation only. They are a necessary but not a sufficient condition for a relationship with God. Jesus points this man toward something more, and the man rejects that path. The man could follow all of the commandments without having his heart fixed on God.
“I think that’s why Jesus pushes back on the “good teacher” bit, too. Jesus doesn’t appreciate a value judgement on his substance or character from someone whose heart is not with God.”
what Matthew says: the disciples continue to misunderstand Jesus
In the Gospel According to Mark 10:26–28, Matthew notes that the disciples questions give away their lack of understanding about who Jesus is and what he’s come to do.
“When the disciples ask Jesus: “Then who can be saved?” this seems like an odd question in context. All Jesus has said is being rich is opposed to salvation, and his disciples suddenly think that salvation is impossible. It seems they still want to be wealthy, and I guess that’s the point. You can do many things for the sake of God, but holding onto riches will poison everything else.
“In the Gospel According to Mark 10:28, I can’t help wondering if Peter really need this validation at this point. It doesn’t seem that this was the point Jesus was making. But I suppose that Peter’s statement is better than the other disciples, who are one step shy of scoffing and saying outright that they want to be rich.”
what Matthew says: Jesus attempts to bring his followers on board
Matthew observes that in the Gospel According to Mark 10:33–34, Jesus tries to explain his primary mission.
“In this passage, the Evangelist Mark shifts once again to Jesus making his goad extremely clear to his disciples—like it’s also the goal of what they’re doing, which it is. Jesus isn’t talking about all the teaching they’ll do, giving laws, or even work resembling that of a prophet. Instead, Jesus emphasizes his Passion, death, and Resurrection because those things are at the hearth of what he’s doing. Jesus wants his followers to grasp that, though they don’t for now. They are still bringing their personal baggage into their relationship with Jesus—a thing we all can very easily do as well. How often do we try to dictate the terms of our relationship with God? How much does that stand in the way of the growth of that relationship.
“James and John’s opening remark in the Gospel According to Mark 10:35 indicates that these two disciples fail to get what Jesus is all about—their approach is all about what Jesus can do for them.
“In the Gospel According to Mark 10:38–39, Jesus’ response is to ask James and John if they are able to drink the chalice that he will drink. Notice that Jesus doesn’t ask them if they’re willing. Jesus asks if they’re able, and they answer without knowing if that’s true—since they have no idea what Jesus is talking about.
“In the Gospel According to Mark 10:45, Jesus makes yet another attempt to get his disciples to understand some of what he’s talking about, and we know that they eventually do catch on.”
what Matthew says: what Bartimaeus can teach Christians
Matthew notes that in the Gospel According to Mark 10:46–52, the blind beggar seems to have correct priorities when he approaches Jesus.
“Notice the inversion from the event with James and John. This blind man calls out to Jesus for mercy, and then Jesus asks the man what he wants. James and John take a round-about route to asking Jesus for an unspecified thing without prompting. I think the order of operation and means of approach here also teaches us something useful about prayer. How do we go about approaching Jesus? Do we go to him with a specific request in mind and try to get him to do what we want, or do we go to him with a general need or plea and let him choose how to address it from there?’
the best Catholic commentary about Scripture
To find out more about how Church teaching is supported by passages in The Gospel According to Mark: A Look at the Son of God, check out the Index of Citations in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Links to each lesson’s primary Scripture passages (from the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition [RSVCE*]) that are cited in relevant paragraphs in the Catechism are provided here. Not every passage in the Gospel According to Mark is referenced in a Catechism paragraph.
the Gospel According to Mark 10:8—paragraph 1627
the Gospel According to Mark 10:9—paragraphs 1639, 2364, 2382
the Gospel According to Mark 10:11—paragraph 2380
the Gospel According to Mark 10:11–12—paragraph 1650
the Gospel According to Mark 10:14—paragraphs 1244 and 1261
the Gospel According to Mark 10:16—paragraph 699
the Gospel According to Mark 10:19—paragraph 1858
the Gospel According to Mark 10:22—paragraph 2728
the Gospel According to Mark 10:28–31—paragraph 1618
the Gospel According to Mark 10:32–34—paragraph 557
the Gospel According to Mark 10:33–34—paragraph 474
the Gospel According to Mark 10:34—paragraphs 649 and 994
the Gospel According to Mark 10:38—paragraphs 536 and 1225
the Gospel According to Mark 10:39—paragraph 618
the Gospel According to Mark 10:43–45—paragraph 1551
the Gospel According to Mark 10:45—paragraphs 608 and 1570
the Gospel According to Mark 10:46–52—paragraph 2667
the Gospel According to Mark 10:48—paragraph 2616
the Gospel According to Mark 10:52—paragraph 548
ways our glossary might prove helpful
In addition to providing extra information about geographical locations, our glossary also points out 
persons or places mentioned in the biblical text under more than one name or more than one spelling. If you can remember a name but aren’t sure in which lesson it shows up, you can find it in the glossary, which lists every proper noun that appears in the biblical text for every lesson in The Gospel According to Mark: A Look at the Son of God. A few general terms also are included that may be unfamiliar or whose meaning may be unclear to readers.
to learn more, read more Scripture
If you’re having difficulty with a particular passage of Scripture, it can be helpful to read the relevant 
cross references—but looking these up can take time. To make that easier, we’ve compiled the cross references from the Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE)—the translation that we reprint in our study books. A link to that list can be found at the top of every online study page; the list features links to cross references in the primary biblical text in the study book The Gospel According to Mark: A Look at the Son of God.
don’t forget about our indexes & extra online material
If you’re trying to locate information about a specific Scripture passage, you can look it up in the index at the back of the study book. If you want to find a particular commentary, you can look up its title in the topics index. To learn more about another book of the Bible for which there’s a Turning to God’s Word study, visit the online study directories to read the commentaries and watch any accompanying videos. Finally, if you have a question or would like to make a comment about any of our studies, you can use one of the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” buttons to email our authors.
ex libris—Church documents & books about religious topics
Link to magisterial documents referred to in our Bible studies at ex libris—magisterial documents. 
This listing includes significant recent encyclicals as well as a number of historical Church documents. Recommended books related to Scripture study can be found at ex libris—main bookshelf.
wondering how to pronounce some of these words?
The following link is to a reading from the New International Version (NIV) Bible. To listen, open the link and click on the audio icon above the printed text. Although not taken from the translations used in our study materials, the NIV reading provides an audio guide to pronunciation of words in this lesson’s primary biblical text. A close online version of the translation of the Bible used in Catholic liturgy in the United States as well as an audio guide for daily Mass readings for the current month can be found on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
the Gospel According to Mark 10:1—52 (NIV)
close with Bible-based prayer related to this lesson
Many of our Catholic study groups like to conclude their discussions with a prayer based on the scriptural focus of their lesson, and some participants include Scripture-specific prayer in their individual study. If you’re uncomfortable composing your own Bible-based prayers, you can follow our four easy steps. If you prefer, you can use the following prayer based on this lesson’s text from the Gospel According to Mark.
O God, your Son Jesus explained to his disciples
the extent of suffering he was to endure in Jerusalem.
Grant that we may recognize and appreciate that no amount of suffering
we encounter is equal to that endured by Jesus for our sake.
Teach us to more willingly love and serve others as he did
that we might better understand his great gift to us. Amen.
Lesson 11 Jesus Cleanses the Temple—the Gospel According to Mark 11:1—33
Lesson 9 The Transfiguration—the Gospel According to Mark 9:1–50
you also may like our free Lenten study of Jesus’ Passion (digital only)
Jesus’ Passion: The Story of Redemptive Suffering is a five-lesson Catholic Bible study offering an in-depth look at the biblical foundations of the movie The Passion of the Christ. This revised study, which has been granted an imprimatur, contains all of the original material of the 2004 edition as well as many new features in an improved, reader-friendly format. Free digital lessons of Jesus’ Passion: The Story of Redemptive Suffering are available on our website during Lent. Click here to view a sample of the introduction.
start a Turning to God’s Word Bible study
Thank you for your interest in our three-part study of the synoptic Gospels. 
More information about beginning a Turning to God’s Word Bible study can be found at start a Bible study, and Tami, Matthew, and I are available to answer questions or discuss concerns. Contact us to start this or one of our other studies or to have your schedule listed with other TtGW study groups on our website. —Jennifer
*There are seven deuterocanonical books in the Old Testament—Baruch, Judith, Sirach, Tobit, Wisdom, and First and Second Maccabees—and there are some deuterocanonical passages in the Books of Daniel and Esther. Protestants usually refer to these works as “apocryphal,” a word that means “outside the (Protestant) canon” because they’re excluded from most Protestant Bibles. Deuterocanonical means “second canon”; Catholics use that word to refer to any section of the Catholic Old Testament for which there are no extant, or existing, Hebrew manuscripts. All of the deuterocanonical books appear in the Septuagint, the earliest remaining versions of which date to the 1st century B.C. This Greek translation of the Old Testament was in common use by Jews at the time of Jesus. Learn more by reading How Do Catholic & Protestant Bibles Differ?
Turning to God’s Word printed Bible studies use the 2006 Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) translation for all Scripture references except those to the psalms, which are taken from The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, prepared by the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey and published in 2020 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). All Scripture links for the online study pages for The Gospel According to Mark: A Look at the Son of God are to the 1966 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE) translation. The New International Version (NIV) audio recordings follow the same chapter and verse numbering as the RSV Catholic translations.
The 1966 RSVCE uses archaic pronouns and verb forms such as “thee,” “thou,” and “didst” in the psalms and in direct quotations attributed to God. The 2006 RSV2CE replaces these with more accessible English. The few significant translation changes in the RSV2CE include rendering almah as “virgin” in the Book of Isaiah 7:14 and restoring the term “begotten” in the Gospel According to John 3:16.
Numbering varies for some passages in this Bible study. Turning to God’s Word studies (print and digital) follow the numbering in the Revised Standard Version Catholic translations (RSV2CE and RSVCE). Discrepancies in the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) are noted in the Index of Scripture Citations in the study book.
You can learn more about the psalms by viewing a sample lesson from the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church. The first volume covers psalms prayed at Lauds and Vespers; the second volulme covers psalms prayed at Vigils, Day Prayer, and Compline. Numbering of psalms and verses may vary in different translations.