Mark 10:13-31

Jesus is now in Judea, in an area to the East of the Jordan River. After our passage this morning, He will leave and start heading towards Jerusalem. His ministry has turned from primarily performing miracles to prove who He was, to now a more intentional season of teaching, specifically on what is required to follow Him. This morning, we see a comparison of faith, illustrated by a child, and a “rich young ruler.” And really there is one big question that is begging for an answer:

Who does the Kingdom of God belong to?

Read Mark 10:13-16

1. The Kingdom belongs to those with “childlike faith” 

A common religious tradition of that day was to bring your baby or young child to a Rabbi to be blessed. This, coupled with the stories that they had heard about Jesus, compelled people to bring their children to be blessed by Him. The disciples, most likely seeing the overwhelming crowds, and thinking they were protecting Jesus, started to turn families away. Remember also that children back then were not thought of very highly, so to the disciples, it wasn’t a big deal to be sending them home. 

Jesus becomes indignant. This is the only time in all of Scripture that this word is used to refer to that attitude of Christ. It is the word “aganakteo,” and it means “to be oppressed in mind, to be grieved, or to be resentful.” Jesus is greatly troubled at the fact that His disciples are turning children away from Him! 

And so He says to His disciples, “Stop! Let them come to me. Do not hinder them.” Or more forcefully and accurately, “leave them alone!” I just picture Jesus getting up from His seat and hurriedly moving through the crowd, “no, don’t leave, come back!” And He looks at His disciples, like, “what are you guys doing?! The kingdom of God, the One that my whole message and mission revolves around, that kingdom belongs to “such as these.” Now, Jesus doesn’t say that the kingdom belongs to children. In fact the next verse shows us what He is really saying. “Anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God LIKE a little child will never enter it.” 

The Kingdom of God belongs to those with similarities to children. How does a child model for us the kind of faith required?

What it DOESN’T mean: 

• That the belief is blind, with no deep thought behind it. Luke 14 tells us that the wise man considers the cost of discipleship before committing to it.

• That there is no room for questions. It is a healthy part of the journey to ask questions. Sometimes our faith journey leads us to wrestle with doubts. It’s ok to ask questions, it’s ok to wrestle sometimes. 

• Immaturity.

What it DOES mean: 

• Children are helpless and dependent. No matter how much they may act like they want their independence, or how much they want to do things themselves, the truth is that they need adults to help them, and deep down they recognize that! 

• So, we should come to God as helpless and dependent, acknowledging that without Him we are nothing. No matter how much we might think we can, ultimately in our own power, we can’t. 

• Remember in that context, children were looked down upon, and had nothing to offer. 

• We need to understand that when we come into the presence of God, we have nothing to offer except what He has given us to give back to Him

• Another cool way to imagine this is just to watch kids, especially when they are out in nature and discover something new. They are so inquisitive. They are so curious. They have so much joy and awe and wonder. They haven’t been tainted by the world. They have a sin nature, yes, but there is still an innocence of conscience about them. 

So, Jesus says that the kingdom of God belongs to those who are like children. And then we see the contrast illustrated in the next section of the passage. We see a man who has done well for himself, and doesn’t need anybody or anything else.

Read Mark 10:17-22

2. The Kingdom of God belongs to those who are willing to sacrifice 

Jesus’ response can be a little confusing at first. “Why do you call me good? Only God is good.” It sounds like Jesus is saying, “I am not perfectly good, only God is perfectly good.” What most commentators believe is that Jesus is trying to direct this man’s attention to the highest standard of good, which is God. We know that Jesus is God, but this was still a truth that people were trying to grasp hold of. The goodness of God in heaven was a truth that all had been holding onto for generations. So, let’s set our perspective on the standard of goodness. 

Then, knowing the heart of this man, Jesus takes him on a mental journey of discovery. First he lists commandments 5-9. And the man is like, “yes, I know these. I have kept them since I was a boy!” Scripture tells us that Jesus looked at him and “loved him.” Jesus wanted this man to get it. He wanted him to have eternal life. He looked at him and felt a deep love for him, and in a spirit of love, he encouraged this man to go and do one thing.

“But,” Jesus says, “there is one commandment that you have not been following. One thing you lack. Commandment #1 - ‘You shall have no other gods before me.’ God says that HE must have priority in your life. You are wealthy, and have done very well for yourself. Show me that God is more important than your possessions. Show me that you are willing to sacrifice much to follow me.” 

Look again at verse 22. “At this, the man’s face fell.” He heard what was required of him. And it wasn’t really about the possessions, it was about what took the primary position in his heart. Would he be willing to give up everything to follow Jesus. Was Jesus worth it? By the immediate change in his countenance, we can see that the answer unfortunately for him was no. “He went away sad, because he had great wealth.” 

This man who had everything, had built up great possessions and wealth, was not willing to give it up to follow Jesus. So Jesus turns his attention to His disciples to explain this interaction to them. 

Mark 10:23-27

** Difficulty that comes with wealth **

There’s so much here. Let’s look at the disciples’ response first. Verse 24 tells us that they were “amazed.” They were “struck out of their minds” because they had been taught that good health and material wealth were an evidence of one’s obedience to the Law. This rich young ruler was the perfect candidate! He had kept the Law, and he had great wealth. But yet Jesus, as He had been doing all along, takes that idea and flips it on its head.

Then, in verse 26, they were “even more amazed.” They were so struck by what Jesus was saying, that they were like, “wait a minute, if that is true, then who can be saved? You’re making it sound really hard Jesus!”

So what is it about wealth that makes it so difficult? Why does Jesus use such an extreme picture of a camel and the eye of a needle to demonstrate? I mean, that does sound impossible!

It’s important to say first that just because you have wealth, have done well in your job and have nice things, this doesn’t mean that you won’t go to heaven. That isn’t the lesson here. The lesson lies deeper. Remember what Jesus just taught. Childlike faith means helpless dependence. What wealth can do is create in us an independence, free from anyone’s help. Wealth can be a dangerous thing, and I think it’s what makes it so difficult for many in our area to believe in what Jesus offers, because they have everything they could possibly need! Money can provide temporary happiness. Money can mask discontent. Money can give other people the impression that “I have it all together.”

And so the danger that comes with wealth is that we can think that we don’t need God, because what else could I need?!

And while Jesus makes it sound impossible, verse 27 is where we find hope. “No matter how impossible something might appear, nothing is impossible with God.” Whether rich or poor, young or old, man or woman, sick or healthy, God opened the doors to His kingdom to ALL who believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus for salvation.

But, it may require sacrifice. It definitely requires a willingness to sacrifice. It requires us to live a life with open hands, not holding too tightly to the things that we have, not holding tightly to the things that we have acquired. It’s like the popular worship song from 2002, “you give and take away.” This is why Jesus tells the rich man to go and sell his possessions and give to the poor. Would he be WILLING to sacrifice much to follow Jesus? 

What about those that do sacrifice much? Read Mark 10:28-31

Peter, in typical Peter fashion, opens his mouth, “what about us?! We sacrificed much to follow you!” 

So Jesus responds, “no one, and I mean there are no exceptions, no one who sacrifices much to follow me will be left wanting in this life or the life to come.” And this is not a prosperity gospel, because I know a lot of people who are passionate and faithful followers of Jesus who don’t have great wealth. I’ve been to Kenya. I’ve been to Haiti. One of the greatest lessons that can be learned on those trips is seeing great faith in the midst of poverty. 

But, Jesus says you will gain homes, brothers, sister, mothers, children and fields. Look around this room. Brothers and sisters. People open up their homes. People share their resources. The attitude of “what’s mine is yours” becomes a deep reality in God’s Church. And let’s not miss what else Jesus says. You gain all of the good things, but ALSO, you will face persecutions, plural. But take heart, because in the age to come, you will have eternal life. “And don’t forget,” Jesus says, “think of the needs of others above your own. Serve and love one another deeply.” 

Application:

2 Questions: 

1.. Can I honestly say that I have faith like a child? Do I understand that I am helpless and hopeless without Jesus? Am I fully dependent on Him? 

2.. Am I willing to sacrifice much for the cause of the gospel? Time? Energy? Finances? If Jesus called me to it, would I be willing to sell everything, give it to the poor and run to wherever Jesus is calling me?