Mark 10:13–16 belongs to the section of Mark’s Gospel that focuses on Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem with his disciples (Mark 8:22 – 10:52). This middle section is framed by two accounts involving the healing of a blind man (Mark 8:22–26; Mark 10:45–52), and in between it also contains three predictions by Jesus regarding his future suffering, death, and resurrection (Mark 8:31; Mark 9:31; Mark 10:33–34). The focus of these middle chapters is learning what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. We learn from these chapters that to follow Jesus is to accept the way of the cross—a life of service, obedience, and sacrifice. As a result, this section of the Gospel is often described as the “discipleship section.”1
13 And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them.