Short answer: In Mark 10:27, Jesus answers the disciples’ question about who can be saved. The passage contrasts human inability with God’s possibility after a wealthy man turns away from following Jesus. It is a reason to depend on God, not a promise that every personal ambition will succeed.
With men it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God. — Mark 10:27 (WEB)
Read Mark 10:17–31 in the World English Bible before working through the exercise below. The translation is public domain; the study notes and sample responses are our own. They are reading aids, not additional Scripture.
Context: what question is Jesus answering?
The conversation begins with a man asking about inheriting eternal life. He says he has kept the commandments Jesus names. Jesus looks at him with love, then tells him to sell his possessions, give to the poor, and follow him. The man leaves sorrowfully because he has great possessions (Mark 10:17–22).
Jesus then speaks to the disciples about the difficulty of entering God’s kingdom with riches. His image of a camel passing through a needle’s eye leads them to ask who can be saved. Verse 27 answers that question. Keeping verses 26 and 27 together prevents the final sentence from becoming a slogan detached from salvation and discipleship.
Mark calls the visitor a man; this passage does not itself identify him as young or as a ruler. Nor does it narrate his later life. A careful reading need not fill those gaps to understand the encounter. The text gives us enough to see the conflict between his possessions and Jesus’ invitation.
A worked study: observation, interpretation, application
Try each step before reading the sample response. The aim is to explain how you reached an answer, not simply to repeat one.
1. Observe the change of audience
Your task: Read verses 17–27 and mark where Jesus stops addressing the man and starts addressing the disciples. Which question comes immediately before verse 27?
Sample observation: The man goes away in verse 22. Jesus addresses the disciples in verse 23. Their question in verse 26 concerns who can be saved. Verse 27 is spoken to them in that conversation.
Why it matters: The immediate audience helps identify the problem Jesus is addressing. A sentence can be encouraging to later readers without losing its original setting.
2. Separate what the text says from what you infer
Your task: Write two short lists: details Mark states and conclusions you draw from them. Put the man’s sorrow, his possessions, and Jesus’ love in the first list. Where would you put an explanation of the man’s motives?
Sample interpretation: His departure connects his possessions with his refusal to follow at this moment. That supports a reading about wealth obstructing discipleship. Claims about his unspoken thoughts or eventual salvation go beyond what this scene reports.
Check your answer: Can you point to a verse for each observation? If a conclusion needs several verses, label it as an interpretation rather than placing your words in the narrator’s mouth.
3. Read past the sentence you came for
Your task: Continue through verses 28–31. Peter says the disciples have left everything. What difficult experience remains in Jesus’ response alongside the promised blessings?
Sample observation: Jesus includes persecutions in verse 30. Following him is not presented as an escape from every hardship. This is one reason not to turn verse 27 into a guarantee of comfort, wealth, or a particular result.
4. Apply the passage without making a bargain
Your task: Finish these two sentences privately: “One thing I rely on for security is…” and “One question I want to bring back to this passage is…”. Do not publish personal details to complete this exercise.
Sample application: “I want to examine whether my possessions make it harder to respond generously. I will reread Jesus’ invitation before choosing a practical response.” This is a suggested reflection, not a claim that a particular act earns salvation or guarantees a reward.
Cross-reference: possibility and God’s will
In Mark 14:32–36, Jesus prays about the Father’s ability while submitting his request to the Father’s will. Reading the two scenes together offers a useful comparison: confidence in God’s power does not mean controlling the outcome of a request. This comparison is an interpretation grounded in both passages, not a formula for getting what we want.
For another exercise, use the Bible Study Questions Generator to form questions you can check against the passage. Return to the text when an answer is unclear. The verse-explanation guide outlines the same observe–interpret–apply approach.
Questions readers ask
Does Mark 10:27 promise that my plans will succeed?
The immediate question is about salvation, not the success of a business, relationship, or personal project. The verse does not specify that your desired outcome will happen. Start with the disciples’ question in verse 26 when interpreting it.
Is Jesus saying that wealthy people cannot be saved?
Verses 23–27 describe a severe difficulty, then contrast human impossibility with what is possible for God. Read both parts. The passage neither dismisses the danger of riches nor makes wealth an obstacle God cannot overcome.
Must every reader copy the man’s exact instruction?
Jesus gives this man a concrete command in verse 21. Applying the passage to other situations requires care. Notice the direct instruction before deciding how its challenge to possessions and following Jesus bears on your own life; do not reduce it to a universal financial rule based on one sentence.
Continue the study in Bible Copilot
On iPhone or iPad, open Bible Copilot and enter Mark 10:17–31. In Interpret, ask: “How does the disciples’ question in verse 26 shape verse 27?” Then ask a follow-up about verses 28–31 and check the explanation against the passage.
Start with 3 free questions daily. Optional Pro offers monthly and annual plans. AI explanations can be mistaken; use them to support your reading, not replace checking Scripture. The App Store link installs or opens the listing; it does not automatically carry this passage or your notes into the app.