What do you lean on when real pressure comes?
In this Super Short Thought, Ezekiel’s warning about Egypt’s broken reed staff meets the rich young man of Mark 10:21-22.
Both leaned on something that looked solid.
Both found it gave way under weight and stabbed them ... not even in the back but in the front!
Ezekiel told Israel that trusting Egypt’s military alliance was like leaning on a walking stick made of reed. It cannot bear your weight, it snaps, and the sharp end goes into your shoulder (Ezekiel 29:6-7).
In Mark 10, a wealthy man’s money was working the same way: solid-looking, dependable, until the pressure came. Jesus looked at him, loved him, and offered a far better support package: “Come, follow me.”
Scripture: Ezekiel 29:6-7, Isaiah 36:6, Mark 10:17-31
Part of the Discovering Mark series, short thoughts on Mark’s Gospel for people who want the Bible made plain.
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Info Retention Quiz
1. Which prophet compared Egypt to a reed staff?
A. Isaiah only
B. Ezekiel
C. Jeremiah
D. Hosea
2. What does a reed staff do when you put your weight on it?
A. It bends but holds
B. It stays solid
C. It snaps
D. It grows stronger
3. In the reel, what was the rich man in Mark 10 leaning on?
A. His family name
B. His religious record
C. His military alliances
D. His money
4. What does Mark 10:21 say Jesus did as He looked at the man?
A. He rebuked him
B. He loved him
C. He ignored him
D. He tested him with a riddle
5. What did Jesus offer instead of the false support?
A. A bigger inheritance
B. A new law to keep
C. “Come and follow me”
D. A place in the Temple
6. How did the man respond in Mark 10:22?
A. He went away sorrowful
B. He sold everything immediately
C. He argued with the disciples
D. He fell on his knees in worship
7. What is the main lesson of the reel?
A. Money is always evil
B. Only Christ bears the full weight of our trust
C. Alliances are never helpful
D. Good people don’t face pressure
Answers
B
C
D
B
C
A
B
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