Mark 10:8

God allowed divorce because people’s hearts were hard, meaning they would not obey God. But the passages that Jesus quotes from the law of Moses show God’s true plan for marriage (Genesis 1:27; 2:23–24; see also Malachi 2:16). These passages show that God values marriage. In marriage, a man and woman form a new union, and the two become one. People should not go against God’s will by separating what God has joined together.

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).