Introduction
Nothing is easier than entering the kingdom of God; nothing is more difficult. Nothing is simpler than receiving eternal life; nothing has greater obstacles to overcome. Entering the kingdom, receiving eternal life – both mean salvation. It is a salvation that requires nothing of us, and yet, takes nothing less than all that we have to give. It only comes free, but one must count its cost before receiving it. It is so easy to receive that a child knows best how to take it, but it is so difficult to earn that the most righteous fail to come near to grabbing it. So Jesus teaches us in these two stories.
Text 13-16
13 People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.
The parents seek Jesus’ blessing on their children. That is the purpose of the touch. The disciples, for some reason, are trying to keep the parents from getting to Jesus. They saw themselves – and this probably was needed – as crowd control aids. People are constantly trying to get to Jesus to do something for them or simply to see him, just like what happens to entertainment stars today. Blessing children certainly was one thing that could be scratched from Jesus’ to do list. After all, he is not a politician running for election. Come on, parents, just take your kids back home and give Jesus a break.
Wrong decision! 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. What are you doing! Who told you to send these children away? Jesus is upset. He is not smiling. He is not thanking his men for watching out for him. He gives a command: Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them.
Jesus thinks that something important is at stake here. He tells why. He doesn’t rebuke the disciples by telling them they ought to be nice to kids. He is angry, not merely because the big adults are not being nice to the little children, but because the disciples miss “it” again. They miss what the kingdom of God is about.
For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” “Don’t you see what these kids represent?” Jesus explains. “They are the living signs of the kingdom. What must one be like to get into the kingdom, i.e. to receive eternal life? What must one do? Be like the Pharisees and work harder than anyone else to be righteous? No, be like a child. Be like a child who is led by his father to be blessed for no other reason than you want my blessing. Be like a child, not even fully aware of what is going on except that you are in the presence of someone from God; be like a child who doesn’t pretend he is bigger than he is or more important or more holy than he is. Be like a child who simply receives God’s blessing.”
16 And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them. Jesus likes children. He doesn’t merely say a blessing over them; he doesn’t merely stretch out his hands over them. He takes them into his arms and places his hands of blessing on them. This isn’t going through the motions; this is giving real blessing to those who receive it in the best possible spirit – unconscious faith and humility.
17-31
In our next story, someone else desires to enter into God’s kingdom.
17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
The man is young, which we know only through Matthew; Mark does not describe him. It is clear he is sincerely respectful of Jesus. He certainly acts with humility. He runs up to Jesus; he is excited to finally meet him. He falls on his knees before Jesus, a true reverent act acknowledging that Jesus is a man of God above him. We know through Luke that the man is some kind of official, which makes this reverent act all the more commendable. He addresses Jesus as “good teacher.” Again, he clearly has deep respect for Jesus.
He wants to know how to inherit eternal life. In our terminology, he is asking, “How can I be saved? What do I have to do?” Jesus replies: 18 “Why do you call me good? No one is good—except God alone. But Jesus is God, isn’t he? Certainly Jesus is good. You know that and I know that, but not this man. What is already clear to Jesus is that as sincere as this young man might be about being right before God, he really doesn’t have a clue as to what real goodness, i.e. righteousness entails. He just has a surface knowledge, which he will clearly reveal in a moment.
Jesus goes on. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’ Finally, Jesus gives an answer that the Pharisees and teachers of the law would approve of. This is good Jewish rabbinical teaching. Obey the law.
It is interesting to note the laws he selects as samples. All but one are taken from the Ten Commandments, and they all have to do with relating to other people. Jesus wants us to keep the commandments regarding our relating to God, of course, but this list does reveal his concern that in our attempt to be holy, we must keep in focus that we are to love our neighbor.
The young man’s response is startling to us. 20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” Before we roll our eyes at the audacity of this claim, note Jesus’ reaction to him: 21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. The young man evidently is not being hypocritical. He sincerely believes he has kept the law. Indeed, he seems childlike in his understanding. Didn’t Jesus say one must be like a child to enter the kingdom?
“One thing you lack,” [Jesus] said. What could that be if the man is keeping every law? And yet, the man does feel that something is lacking. He is probably encouraged. Jesus is going to reveal the one more work to do that will give him peace of mind. And, by the way, what a testimony to Jesus’ faith in the man that he can only think of one more thing to do! “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Excuse me? “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Do what? This is a nightmare. 22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. 23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
Let’s consider what just happened. This young man sincerely desires acceptance by God. This is not a person who has “sowed his wild oats” and is ready to get straight with God. He has always been a good moral person. And, by the way, that would have included giving to the poor. That goes without saying. It was one of the basic principles of living a righteous life. He still is a bit uneasy, however, about his salvation, which is not unusual for such people. Very often it is the people who strive the hardest to be good who nevertheless are not certain of their status with God. They hope that God is pleased with them, but still…maybe there is something more they should be doing. Besides, it never hurts to ask someone you respect for his godliness.
Jesus gives the expected answer, which is to obey the law. The young man has been doing that. What Jesus ought to have said then was to keep it up. Or perhaps he would add one additional duty to do for the man to prove himself, such as making a special contribution to the poor or the temple. Maybe make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and offer an expensive sacrifice. Being generous was expected of a wealthy man; he understood that.
But this – to give up everything? To leave his comfortable home and follow Jesus like these poor disciples? Notice his emotional response – he went away sad. He doesn’t become angry like the Pharisees. Apparently Jesus’ lesson hit home. What was that lesson? He did not love God as much as he thought, nor did he truly desire righteousness. He did not, as Jesus would say elsewhere, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. He loved the Lord what seemed a good bit, but Jesus’ offer revealed the shallowness of his sincerity.
I intentionally use the word “offer” and not “demand.” I don’t believe that Jesus was simply putting the man to the test. Nowhere else in Matthew, Mark, and Luke is Jesus described as loving someone. He, of course, obviously did love people. The point here, however, is that Jesus sincerely loved this man and wanted him as a follower. And as far as Jesus would be concerned, he is bestowing a high honor on the young man. Only the twelve disciples were directly called by Jesus to travel with him. The one request by a person to follow him (the man named Legion), Jesus turned down. Jesus’ offer for the man to abandon everything and follow him was an act of great love. I think the man took it that way as well. He is not offended, but saddened.
The problem, of course, is that the man’s wealth has too strong of a hold on him. He cannot give it up. Jesus recognizes this and thus his comment: How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Let’s turn next to the disciples.
24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
The disciples cannot believe what they are hearing. One wonders how they could be either so naïve about the effect of money or unable to pick up on Jesus’ reasoning. Doesn’t it make sense that wealth tends to make a person more worldly-minded and less willing to make sacrifices?
But think of what they have just witnessed. They saw a rich man who seemed to be a truly God-fearing man as well. He was the epitome of the Jewish principle that God blesses the righteous man with prosperity, who in turn does good deeds with his riches. Here is a good guy who has been blessed by God undoubtedly because he has been good. Jesus, though, does not only disqualify him as a disciple, but regards him as being rejected altogether from the kingdom of God. This good man does not even get in!
Did they hear him right? In case they weren’t sure, Jesus makes his statement even harsher. 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. In other words, it is impossible for a rich man to be saved.
This is incredible. Yes, yes, there are wealthy people who are unscrupulous and yes, riches can make a man become greedy and too interested in his money. But surely, Jesus must concede that God does make some of the righteous prosper.
Perhaps, but this young man does not fear the Lord as he thinks he does, and he exemplifies the wealthy in that way. They have convinced themselves that their prosperity is a mark of God’s favor, when it is nothing more than a blind that prevents them from seeing their true condition. His statement still stands: 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
Then who can be saved? If a god-fearing man who seems to be blessed by God cannot be saved, then who can? 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” Nobody can be saved. Nobody can be good enough. Nobody can look upon prosperity or even poverty as a sign that they have earned God’s favor. It doesn’t matter how many commandments you think you’ve kept, how nice a person you think you are, or how many good deeds you have to your credit – you cannot enter the kingdom of God through your effort. But, what is impossible with man is possible with God. It is God who draws a man into his kingdom.
The logical question at this point is What, then, does God do to save us? How do we know if we are in God’s kingdom? Instead, Peter takes opportunity to distinguish the disciples. 28 Peter said to him, “We have left everything to follow you!”
I’m not certain what motivates Peter to make his assertion. Perhaps Jesus has unnerved him and the disciples. They, unlike the rich young man, have left everything to follow Jesus. Is he telling them that their sacrifice also is not good enough to enter the kingdom?
Jesus’ answer is both reassuring and a lesson about sacrifice. 29 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
No one who has given up what matters in life for the sake of Jesus will fail to receive eternal life. As he said before in chapter 8:35: For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. If you truly commit your life to Christ you will be saved.
But note that Jesus guarantees not only salvation, but also reward on earth. No one… will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields…). This sounds like the prosperity gospel, which teaches that God wants us to be wealthy and healthy and will give such to us if we believe.
There is a problem, though. None of the disciples, we are aware of, became wealthy. We don’t know of new homes they received; no mention of more children nor fields. What the followers of Jesus gain is his family the church. The territory they gain is the kingdom of God. One who has abandoned worldly possessions will reap tremendous blessings in this life as they serve the Lord. With it will also come persecutions. Blessing comes with the hardships. But here is the lesson that Jesus is teaching and that his disciples did come to learn as apostles. To sacrifice for the Lord is blessing. The sacrifice brings with it the joy that only those who have sacrificed know. Just as soldiers who have sacrificed for their country attest to the pride and joy they felt in serving their country, so Christ’s soldiers attest to the joy in serving him.
And where everyone else looks for happiness through entertainment and accumulating possessions, the soldiers of Christ find it in the very act of sacrifice. And their greatest reward is to be used by Christ to bring others into the kingdom and thus gain more brothers and sisters and mothers. The fields they take joy in are the fields of harvest. Their blessing is to be a blessing to their brothers and sisters.
The tragedy of the rich young man is that he not only lost eternal life, he lost true joy in this life. Jesus was not calling him to great sacrifice; he was offering the opportunity for great blessing and joy.
Jesus said it well: 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” Many who work hard to be the top dog in this life will lose out in the end, and many who gladly choose the way of being a servant in this life will find themselves in places of honor in the life to come.
Nothing is easier than entering the kingdom of God; you just have to receive it like a child. And nothing is more difficult to do; for with that kingdom comes uncertainty about what you may be called by Jesus to do. To gain salvation, nothing is required of us except our willingness to receive it by faith. Yet, as possessors of it, we must be willing to abandon all that we have on this earth to serve our Savior and Lord.
And what we most need to abandon is what is most difficult – our faith in ourselves: our faith that we can be good enough, holy enough, smart enough to win God’s favor. We have to give up our insistence to control our destinies. The rich young man couldn’t do it, and neither can we, unless God’s Spirit so empowers us. Let us pray for that power. Even as Christians, let us pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to keep us on the path of following our Lord. It is difficult, even after years of following Jesus, not to trust in our good works and righteousness. And it is difficult not to settle into a comfortable, controllable life. May the Spirit cause us to live lives abandoned for our Lord that we may know truly his joy and blessing.
