Introduction
This morning, we are in Mark chapter 10, and we’re talking about the Kingdom of God.
Now, if you don’t know, the Kingdom of God is a good thing. You want the Kingdom of God. That’s why we would daily pray in Lord’s prayer “Your kingdom come.” You want the Kingdom of God to come, and we gladly pray for it to come everyday. Why? Because the Kingdom represents God’s rule and reign. And where a good and kind and just God rules and reigns, you find life and joy and justice and peace. So you want the Kingdom of God.
It’s like when some old property or some rundown restaurant comes under new management. The rule and reign of the new management, hopefully, begins to improve things, renovate things, set things right, make things new, turn things around. That’s what happens when the Kingdom of God arrives. When his rule and reign arrive, wrongs are made right, sin is defeated, and life and joy and peace win. And this is the endgame. We’re told in Revelation that one day, this declaration will be made: “…The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15b). And what will it be like when God’s Kingdom encircles the globe? Revelation 21 tells us: It will be heaven on earth.
So, yeah, you want the Kingdom of God. It’s a good thing. It’s the ultimate thing. It is where God will be most glorified and we will be most blessed.
And today, Jesus will answer three super important questions about the Kingdom:
- Who gets the Kingdom of God? (That’s a good one.)
- How does one receive the Kingdom of God? (Might be good to know.)
- Who will struggle to enter the Kingdom of God? (Like, the at-risk category.)
And then we will get a couple reactions from the disciples, and a big finish from Jesus.
So let’s dive in and see what Jesus says.
Q. Who gets the Kingdom of God? (Mark 10:13-14)
[13] And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. [14] But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.
We see here that, as usual, the crowds flock to Jesus. In this particular instance, there are many folks bringing children to Jesus. I guess this area had a baby boom. So, people are bringing little children to him that he might hold them, pray for them, and bless them. But the disciples, apparently, see it as a problem, and they tell the people to stop. How does Jesus respond? His response is remarkable. He doesn’t just shrug and say, “It’s fine; let them come.” No, Mark says he is “indignant” about the disciples rebuking these people for bringing their children to him. And why is he indignant? He says (and this is our first key verse and first main point) because “to such belongs the kingdom of God.” Why is he indignant? Because they’re blocking the kind of people to whom the kingdom belongs. And that brings us to our first answer. Who gets the Kingdom? Children and the like. In other words…
A: The kingdom belongs to the lowly.
I was listening to two historians talking about the coronation of King Charles, and I got talked into watching it. They said elements of the liturgy and parts of the regalia are so ancient that seeing the coronation would be like going on a safari today and seeing a wooly mammoth, so ancient is this thing still walking the earth. So, I recorded it, and I fast forwarded to see some of the more interesting parts. But if you watch even just a few minutes of that ceremony, you will immediately see the contrast between what Jesus says here and the way we tend to view who gets kingdoms. We typically think kingdoms belong to the great and the exalted. Kingdoms belong to the powerful. Kingdoms belong to princes and princesses and lords and ladies and dukes. The country, like it or not, goes to Ivy-leaguers, Rhodes scholars, generals, and the rich. Kingdoms belong to kings with gold robes and scepters and servants who have been bred and trained and groomed to take the throne. But Jesus points to a cooing infant and toddling toddler and says, “Don’t you know? To such belongs the Kingdom of God.” Can the Kingdom of God belong to the rich and highly exalted of our world? Yes, but the kingdom also belongs to (and as we will see in a moment, more often belongs to) the lowly.
So friends, we begin with good news. There’s no ACT score required for the Kingdom of God. There is no minimum degree requirement. There is no pedigree you must have. There is no particular family you must be from. There is no particular country you must be a citizen of. There is not a level of career achievement you must attain. There is not an IQ score you’ve got to have. The Kingdom of God is available to everyone. The kingdom of God can belong to anyone. The poor, the child, the forgotten, the down-and-outer, the outcast, the nobody, the lonely, the depressed… they get the kingdom! The eternal riches, the peace and security, they get it! The Kingdom of God belongs to such, to the low and the least.
Now, here we take an interesting turn. Not only can the kingdom belong to the lowly. But a certain type of lowliness is required to enter the Kingdom of God. How does that work? Well, that leads us to the next key verse and the next main point. Verse 15…
Q. How does one receive the Kingdom of God? (Mark 10:15)
“Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
Jesus is saying something slightly different here. It’s not just that the lowly can receive the kingdom, which is an idea we’ve just now been thinking about and delighting in. It’s that, in some sense, everyone, if you wish to receive the kingdom, must receive the kingdom like one lowly example in particular, that of the child. And this is our second answer.
A: You must receive the Kingdom of God like a child.
What does that mean? It means a lot of things. Jesus is so brilliant at packing a universe of truth into a simple picture, and we have that here with the image of a child receiving something. How does a child receive something?
- By grace. They do not and cannot earn the gift. They are wholly dependent.
- With full focus. They completely abandon the thing they had and turn to the new, better thing. It’s the perfect picture of repentance.
- With humility. And they’re not afraid to receive. They don’t make speeches or swear oaths about how they’ll pay you back. They don’t apologize for taking it. They just take it.
- With joy and delight. They receive it with joy and delight. They don’t take popsicle and say, “Father, Mother, I just want to take a moment to recognize you for all your hard work and the care you’ve shown in buying me this popsicle.” No, they just receive it with joy, running off giggling and licking their new popsicle. And of course, as a parent, that joy, with just a simple thank you, is enough.
- With gratitude. They’re thankful for every little thing. And little kids, they’re excited about everything, the toy, but also, the wrapping paper, the tissue paper, bubble wrap, the bow, the styrofoam, and the string. In fact, when they’re little, sometimes you have to kind of steer them towards the toy inside because they’re so delighted with everything that they some times overlook the toy itself.
But those are just few examples. The illustration Jesus uses is doing so much work, and I don’t want to flatten it out (cf. Watkins, 2022). Jesus gives us a living picture with a lifetime of meditations in it. The imagery of a child brings with it a collection of attitudes, emotions, and actions. And Jesus is saying just consider all that. Receive the Kingdom of God like a child; go and think on these things.
So every time you go to a kids birthday party – maybe your child, or a niece, or a grandchild – you have the chance to see and consider how you should receive the kingdom.
So, yeah, Jesus loves kids! The kingdom belongs to them, and they’re a good example of how to receive the kingdom. So of course he welcomes them. And the scene concludes nicely with verse 16: “And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.”
Now, we take a turn. New scene. New character. But we’re still talking about the Kingdom. But now we turn to the question of who will struggle to enter the Kingdom…
Q. Who will struggle to enter the Kingdom of God? (Mark 10:17-25)
[17] And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” [18] And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. [19] You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” [20] And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” [21] And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
Okay, before we get our answer, let’s stop here for a moment and get something out of the way right now…
- Must you surrender everything you own to Jesus? Yes. Jesus is the King of the Kingdom. You owe total allegiance to him. Everything you have, are, will be must be submitted to his Lordship.
- Must you sell everything you own to surrender everything you own to Jesus? No. It may be that how you view and use your stuff is transformed. We will meet more rich people in the NT, and they will share their wealth with the church, sometimes through donations, sometimes through hospitality and so forth. Paul will instruct the rich to be humble, generous, abounding in good works, and not to trust in their riches, but he will not command them to sell everything (1 Tim 6:17-18).
- Must you sometimes sell everything or some things you own to surrender everything to Jesus? Yes. Jesus still asks people to leave everything behind. Jesus still asks people to leave many things behind. Friends, one of our greatest problems, indeed sins, is our obsession with stuff.
- Somethings: Following a call to another city or job. Forsaking money for family.
- Everything: Going to seminary for three years. Going into missions.
Okay, back to our question…
Q. Who will struggle to enter the Kingdom of God? (Mark 10:17-25)
[22] Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. [23] And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” [24] And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult 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 person to enter the kingdom of God.”
Why did Jesus put the pressure for this man on possessions? Why did Jesus ask him to sell everything? Because Jesus “loved him” and because wealth was where the man was snagged. That’s where the man’s spiritual life was being choked out. Like the parable of the sower, in this man’s life the message of Jesus was being choked out by his wealth and possessions. And that brings us to our next answer.
A. How difficult it will be for the wealthy to enter the Kingdom of God!
A couple of quick clarifications here. (1) Selling everything is not how you get the kingdom. You can’t earn the Kingdom and the salvation it represents. How you get the Kingdom is through receiving it like a child as a gift. Anyone can receive it. Note, Jesus says to the man sell everything and follow me. The wealth is a restraint that must be cast off. But invitation of the kingdom is simply the invitation to be with Jesus. (2) Jesus does not say the rich cannot enter the Kingdom. Just a moment ago he made a categorical statement, that everyone must receive the Kingdom like a child or they shall not enter it. So, that is an absolute, universal requirement. But here, Jesus does not make a universal prohibition against richness or a requirement for a vow of poverty to enter the Kingdom. So the rich are not automatically out, and the poor are not automatically in. But what Jesus does say is that the rich are disadvantaged when it comes to entering the Kingdom. And we must hear this because, like this young man, we have great possessions!
Friends, we have, like this young man, “great possessions.” Now, you may say you’re not rich or wealthy, and that’s fine; I’m not going to argue with that. But I don’t think anyone is in this room, that I know of, can say they don’t have great possessions. King Solomon, for all his wealth, could not imagine the kind of comfort, technology, and sheer volume of possessions we have. Indeed, our great grandparents would hardly believe how we live today. We have the biggest homes in history, HVACs, so many appliances (microwave, coffeepot, crockpot, instapot, fryer, airfryer, oven, toaster, toaster oven, ice machine), couches, tables, elaborate mattresses, wall-sized TVs, fast cars, big cars, shoes upon shoes, not a coat but coats and coats, phones, computers, ipads, smartwatches. (I used to have a $10 Casio that I wore forever, and now I have to have a smartwatch, which won’t last as long as the $10 Casio, so it can tell me stats I never would have cared about before, like stride length.) So many possessions. And just so you know, I’m not talking about “them”; I’m talking about us! I have great possessions. Now, are such possessions sinful? No, not necessarily. But, do such possessions threaten your spiritual life, my spiritual life? Absolutely, one hundred percent, without question, no doubt; and that is exactly what Jesus is saying! How difficult it will be for the wealthy to enter the Kingdom of God!
Now, why is it so difficult? How do possessions and wealth make it so difficult? The Bible focuses on a couple of ways.
Distraction. Possessions distract us. Jesus tells the story a man who had more grain than he had barns, so he determined to build a bigger barn. But he didn’t know that that very night his life would be required of him. That concern was distracting him from ultimate concerns, like meeting his Maker. Jesus also notes the problem with all possessions: rust and robbery. Rust. Everything requires upkeep and won’t last forever anyway. Robbery. Stuff gets taken from you.
And we know this, right? Every time you get something new, it comes with work. You get a new car, but now you’re mindful of where to park it. You get a new phone, and now you’ve got to get a new case. You get new carpet, and now you’re the drink police. That’s how it goes. Distractions.
Misplaced Trust. The other danger of wealth often noted in the Bible is that of misplaced trust. When you have wealth and possessions, you are more likely to feel that you have no needs. And the reality is money and possessions do prove to strengthen us in everyday life, but that strengthening can eliminate occasions for prayer and lead us away from trust in God and towards trusting our stuff to get us through. So for example, if you have a storm shelter below your house and purchase good insurance, when the storms come, you may just go in the shelter and sleep like a baby, and it may never occur to you to pray or look to God. Rather, you take a final look at the walls of your storm shelter, sigh with relief, and go to sleep. Now, is a storm shelter bad? Not at all! They save lives. But you could see how it might move your heart a click over. Or, I think about when we were newly married and broke. Everything was an occasion for prayer and looking to God. We couldn’t afford an oil change, much less a flat tire, so something goes wrong and you’re on your knees in prayer. But now, things come up, and you just pay to get them done and move on without looking to God.
How menacing is wealth? Consider these two graphs. The first one is about prayer. Wealthy countries are less likely to pray. The second one is about religion in general. Wealthy countries are less likely to be religious. These graphs should haunt us. Jesus knows what he’s talking about. How difficult it will be for the wealthy to enter the Kingdom of God!
All of us should be warned. All of us should lay everything we own at the feet of Jesus and ask him what he would have us do. And all of us should follow him in his answer. He may tell you to sell. There may be some thing you own that has started to own you, and it’s time to get rid of it. He may tell you to simplify. Historically, the church has recognized simplicity as a spiritual discipline. You don’t have to take a vow of poverty, but you may do well to take a vow of simplicity, to live more simply. He may tell you to share more. Paul says tell the rich to share and be generous (1 Timothy 6:17-19). And maybe you need to do that more. Maybe he will tell you to seek him first. It’s not that you’ve been immoral or greedy, but you’re just distracted. Your focus and trust have subtly shifted to your home address and all it contains, but you need to seek Jesus and his Kingdom first (Matthew 6:33). I don’t know what the Lord will tell you, but we all need to surrender everything we own to Jesus and await his instructions. Our souls and spiritual life hang in the balance. So I encourage you to surrender everything to Jesus now. He’s got everything you need. Why cling to earthly things?
Alright, we’ve been pushing hard. And we’ve gotten our three questions answered. But we’re wrapping up. Now we come to the disciples’ response to this teaching. They have two concerns. Jesus has two encouragements and a striking summary.. So let’s go for the big finish!
Mark 10:26-30
“[26] And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” [27] Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” [28] Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” [29] Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, [30] who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.”
Concern 1: How can anyone be saved?
So the disciples are astonished. The wealthy often represent the best and the brightest and the most blessed, but Jesus is saying they’ll struggle to enter. The disciples are left wondering what hope there is for anyone.
A. With man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible (v. 27).
The hits just keep coming! Here is a great truth for us.
You cannot save yourself! It’s not possible! That’s the point. That’s the trouble with the rich; they might be tempted to think they can. They might not ask. They might be overly confident. But with man, salvation is not possible. We’ve all sinned. We’ve all fallen short, rich or poor.
But God can save anyone! All things are possible with him. He can save Solomon, and he can save poor Lazarus. He can save rich Joseph of Arimethea who donates his tomb to Jesus, and he can save demon-possessed Mary Magdalene. He can save the wealthy business woman, Lydia, and he can save the leper.
But you must become like a child and receive salvation as a gift! Because you cannot earn this. You cannot be good enough. You cannot buy it. You cannot bribe it. You cannot even get it by being pitiable and pathetic. You can only, like a child, cry out for it and then receive it. So cry out today and receive it. God will give you his Kingdom!
Concern 2: What about us who left everything to follow you?
I’m not sure what is behind Peter’s question. Maybe he’s thinking they weren’t particularly rich or poor but they had left everything to follow Jesus. Maybe he’s thinking we didn’t sell everything and give to the poor, but we did leave everything. One commentator (Edwards, 2001) said maybe Peter is thinking if the rich can’t be saved, then what chance do they have and they’ve already bet the farm!
I don’t know exactly what Peter has in mind, but regardless, there is a concern here. So what about them who had left everything?
A. God will greatly bless anyone who gives anything for the Kingdom, now and forevermore.
We’re running out of time, but what Jesus says in verses 29-3o is amazing.
Now. He’s saying when you give up your possessions to follow him, you’ll find something amazing, namely, that all of those things have been multiplied. Literally? Yes, literally, but in a slightly different way. That he says you’ll be given a hundredfold more mothers helps us understand his meaning. We know biologically, you’ll only ever have one mom, but we know in another sense you can have many moms. In the church, other people’s biological mom can become your spiritual mom. And other people’s literal brother can become your spiritual brother. So, as we consider also houses and lands, we get the sense of what Jesus means. He doesn’t mean you’ll literally get the deed for a 100 houses and a 100 acres. But you’ll get the blessing of a 100 houses and acres through the church (ESV Study Bible). We have had several different families come together to host the students for lake day. Well, none of the students own boats or docks or houses, but they’ve all enjoyed these things through the church. And that’s the amazing fact of following Jesus and being a part of his family. In this congregation, if you get kicked out of your house, there are literally a 100 houses you could go to. Now, as Jesus notes, will their still be hard times and persecutions? Yes. But there will be a return on investment in this life.
Forevermore. But, of course, the ultimate return is eternal life. What an incredible exchange. Why would gain the whole world and lose your soul for eternity? That’s terrible math. That’s a horrible return on investment. You’d be better living under a tarp 80 years, if it meant living for Jesus and spending unending years with him on the new earth. So don’t hesitate to surrender your stuff to Jesus and follow him because he’s got you, now and forevermore!
Conclusion: The first will be last and the last first.
Well, we are at the end. And we conclude with the final verse of this passage, verse 31. And with verse 31, Jesus, as usual, brilliantly summarizes everything we’ve been talking about.
“[31] But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Friends, be warned. Many who are first in this world will find they are spiritually last. Many who are rich in this world will find they are spiritually destitute. Many who have great possessions will find they are spiritually bankrupt. So please don’t assume because you’re doing well materially that you’re doing well spiritually. Don’t think because you are strong in this life that you don’t need God, that you don’t need his help, that you don’t need his forgiveness, that you don’t need his provision. It’s difficult for those with great possessions to enter the kingdom for this very reason, that they can accidentally start to put their trust in their wealth and forget their need of God. Don’t let that happen to you. Don’t let wealth lull you to sleep. Surrender everything to Jesus, and follow him. He will give you what you cannot gain on your own: an everlasting kingdom.
And friends, be encouraged. The last will be first. Are you enduring hardship? Are you facing financial stress? Did you forsake money to take care of your family but now things are tight? Be encouraged. These stresses have moved you to the front of the line spiritually because now you see what was always true: you are wholly dependent on God. You always were. So your hardships have actually moved you to the front of the line of blessing and made you see your need of God first. Your hardships have only reminded you have that truth, and now you are entering the kingdom first. And one day you will receive your ultimate reward, life forever with him. So, remain surrendered in everything to Jesus, and follow him, and one day you will hear him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant…enter into the joy of your master.” Are you just now hearing this? You’ve been chasing money your whole life and you regret the lost years? Feel like you’re in dead last? No worries. There is grace and love for you. The last will be first! So don’t wait.
Prayer
Now, if I may, can I lead us all through a simple prayer? Anyone can pray it. If you will bow your heads with me, I will lead us through the prayer and you can repeat after me in your own heart. Let’s bow our heads.
“Jesus, I want to follow you. All that I am, and all that I have is yours. Please lead me. Amen.”
Bibliography
Edwards, J. R. (2001). The Gospel according to Mark. Eerdmans.
ESV Study Bible. Crossway.
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