Mark 10:26

They were even more astonished: Many people believed that wealth was a sign of God’s blessing and that rich people could use their money to do good deeds. Because of this, people often assumed that the rich had a better chance of entering the kingdom of God. So the disciples’ question was understandable. But God’s view was very different from the common thinking of their time.

Jesus surprised the disciples by challenging the common belief that wealth was a sign of God's favor.

The story of the rich man continues the themes of discipleship that began in 9:33 and the requirements for entering the kingdom of God (10:13–16). The rich man’s attitude is very different from the humble, childlike faith needed to enter the kingdom of God.

This section is the second cycle (see study note on 8:27–9:1) containing:

• a prediction about the suffering of Jesus (9:30–32),

• an error by the disciples (9:33–34), and

• teaching about discipleship (9:35–10:31).