Mark 10:17-45 - Embrace the Simplicity/Difficulty of Entering the Kingdom

A There are two ways to do things, the easy way and the way that I usually do them.

I think this was bread into me by my dad.

My dad loves to do things the hard way.

When my dad helped us move to Dillsboro, we loaded up the washer and dryer.

If you’ve ever lifted a washer before, you know it’s a catastrophic pain.

Photo of dad

I’m pulling the dolly behind me like a teddy bear while my dad shows his muscles by carrying the stupid washer on his shoulder.

Sometimes we do things the most difficult way possible.

Big idea: The Simplicity and Difficulty of the Kingdom

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Mark 10:13–16 ESV

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. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

Leader: This is God’s Word

Everyone: Thanks be to God

Jesus is teaching the crowds, per usual

He just won a spar with the Pharisees over divorce

Now the people are beginning to bring children to Him to receive a blessing from Him.

The disciples were rebuking people

These guys are clearly not cut out for kid’s ministry.

Jesus was “indignant”

He was aroused to anger

Jesus doesn’t stew about it, He boldly expresses His displeasure.

He sharply opposed their wrong doing

“Ah, Ah! Don’t you dare hinder those little ones!”

This comes out of an overflow of love.

When you love something, and you find it attacked, your righteous anger is going to flare up to protect it.

Jesus loves His disciples, but He also loves children.

There’s no way Jesus would pass up and opportunity to bless them.

He reveals something major about God’s Kingdom

It belongs to children.

Not just physical children, but to a certain kind of person.

Those who receive the Kingdom like a child.

Jesus shows us:

The simplicity of God’s Kingdom (vv. 13-16)

Children have an absolute dependence on their parents.

They are reliant for every aspect of their lives.

Children are not valued due to their virtue or what they contribute.

Jesus commends children because of their innocence, purity, spontaneity.

My son’s biggest concerns are 1. making sure you hear his dinosaur roar and 2. “where is my tea?”

Jesus doesn’t bless these children for what they have to offer Him, but for what they lack.

They’re small, powerless, and helpless.

Jesus is saying that the Kingdom of God is for those who have no credits, no clout, no claims.

We don’t get grace by our good works or our merit.

We get grace by our neediness, not our impressiveness

Only empty hands can be filled with the fullness of God.

APPLICATION: (Life in God’s Kingdom) we believe with child-like faith

We can’t approach God and claim rights to the Kingdom.

When we get to heaven, we’ll notice that only one person deserves to be there.

We will be there only because God wants us there

Everyone else is there because they were invited by the King.

now we get an opposite picture

This man comes to Jesus and asks a huge question.

No one who had heard Jesus teach in Galilee had asked a question this big yet.

“What must I do?” (v. 17)

This is the essential question we all want to know.

“What must I do to get to heaven?”

Ironically, Jesus withholds the much-anticipated answer.

He answers with a question (v. 18)

In Judaism, only God was considered “good.”

Rabbis would welcome several flattering titles, but they would never allow someone to call them “good teacher” because it was considered blasphemy against God.

“Why do you call me good?” (Emphasize “me”)

Jesus is eluding to His deity here!

Jesus gives him some ethical commands

This is to emphasize God’s goodness and commandments.

Jesus is pointing to the reality that despite this man’s moral zeal, there is something missing in His relationship with God.

Jesus’s unexpected comeback is to move the man beyond his moral ability to please God to the ultimate purpose of His life—To KNOW God.

This man thinks that his behaviour is the ultimate requirement to get to heaven.

He’s trying to use God’s law as a ladder to get to heaven.

This is why he brings his moral report card to Jesus.

He’s absolutely sincere in his approach!

Jesus is going to show him that God’s commands aren’t a ladder, they’re a mirror to our hearts.

They reveal what we can’t do perfectly.

The difficulty of God’s Kingdom (vv. 17-31)

That’s why Jesus looks at him and loves him (v. 21)

Jesus doesn’t look on hypocrisy with love. That’s how we know that this man is serious.

Jesus looked into this man and loved him. Mark doesn’t write this about anyone else in his gospel.

Jesus tell him the thing he lacks (v. 21)

Jesus brings him to the present tense.

It’s not about what you’ve done, there’s something to do now.

Your ability to follow the law is no substitute to following Jesus.

The man asked a question about the Law of God, but Jesus points him to his deeper need. A relationship with God.

Jesus tells him that if he sells all he has, he’ll have treasure in Heaven.

Right here, Jesus is offering this man himself.

He offers Himself as a substitute for this man’s possessions.

“You can have THE Treasure of heaven!”

The man went away, unwilling to part with his stuff.

Jesus points us to the difficulty of entering the Kingdom (vv. 23-24)

Friends,

If we seek the riches of this world, we will never rightly treasure Jesus.

The man was offered the treasure Himself, and he walked away.

Jesus has done the same with us.

Jesus frequently offers Himself freely to us.

He wants to give us abundant life.

We continually settle for less.

I want what the world has to offer.

More money, sex, status, toys, attention.

Jesus offers us the joy of the Kingdom of God, yet we decide to play in our cardboard kingdoms.

Jesus wants to give us the gift of grace, love, forgiveness, restoration

Yet, we refuse to receive the gift.

It is difficult to receive a gift when your fist is clenched around money and the things money can buy.

Warren Weirsbe

He’s holding onto something that’s keeping him from heaven!!

Jesus calls us to come to Him as children

With the empty hands of faith.

Not in our sophistication or impressiveness.

Children come only as they are.

Small. 1Insignificant. Reliant. Dependent.

Children show us that only empty hands can be filled.

We’ll never have the true Treasure of God’s Kingdom if our hands are full of the world.

Give up everything, however precious, which comes between you and heaven.

JC Ryle

APPLICATION: (Life in God’s Kingdom) requires our hands to be empty

We must approach the throne of God as a child!

This means we need to get our eyes off ourselves.

Stop looking at your ability to please God.

Stop saying things like, “I need to get my act together/straighten up before I follow Jesus.”

On the flip we need to get rid of this high view that we have of ourselves!

We’re not as awesome as we think we are!

No one has lied to you as much as you have.

No one has built you up so high and betrayed you as much as you have.

You’re trying to earn a gift!

God’s love is a gift!

You don’t earn gifts. You just look busy.

You simply need to follow Jesus.

We need to stop seeing ourselves as great and awesome, trying to earn heaven

We need to starting seeing God as awesome, mighty, beautiful, and good!

We need a high view of God, not of ourselves or the world.

Get your eyes up!

We need to come to Jesus with absolute dependence, like a child, saying, “I NEED you!”

Why? because Jesus is the mighty one. Because Jesus is the Savior.

Mark immediately paints this amazing picture of Jesus.

Mark 10:32–34 ESV

32 And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33 saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. 34 And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”

Jesus is going to Jerusalem

He is leading the charge ahead of everyone.

Jesus know’s what’s going to happen when He gets to Jerusalem, and He isn’t shying away.

Jesus isn’t dragging behind like a prisoner going to the gallows.

Jesus is in the front.

He’s marching toward the city like a noble General leading His soldiers to battle.

Jesus has declared war on sin and death, and now He’s leading the way.

The disciples were amazed and some were afraid.

This is the third time Jesus called His shot.

“I’m going to Jerusalem, and this will happen.”

Disciples: “Then WHY are we going?!”

You can’t have a resurrection without a death.

When it comes to humility, Jesus doesn’t just teach: He leads the way.

James and John, on the other hand, don’t exhibit this same type of humility.

They have this audacious request.

They want to sit next to Jesus in glory.

These guys know that Jesus is the Messiah, and they believe that when they get to Jerusalem, Jesus is going to inherit a messianic Kingdom.

Despite their continued misunderstanding of Jesus’s mission, they ask to sit at His side.

Jesus replies with grace and love.

You have no idea what you’re asking for.

This is a moment where we thank God that He hasn’t given us everything we’ve ever prayed for.

Let’s face it. We’ve prayed some foolish prayers.

We would be absolutely ruined by having our prayers answered. We don’t know what we ask.

He loves us, so He tells us no.

If Jesus wanted to fill our desires, it would show us that we desire power and fame, not His Kingdom.

James and John are quick to claim the benefits of God’s Kingdom, but slow to hear the costs of the Kingdom.

Mark 10:38 “38 Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?””

GOSPEL PRESENTATION This cup and baptism that Jesus refers to is the judgement and the wrath of God toward sinners.

We so easily want the blessings and joys of the Kingdom, but we forget the cost that Jesus paid for the Kingdom.

The sufferings and death of Jesus is the cup and the baptism.

The cup was full; Jesus drank it dry.

The baptism was intense; Jesus was immersed

He took all of the wrath for all of the sin we committed.

We would not be willing to drink of His cup or have His baptism

Although Jesus can’t tell them that the spot is their’s, Jesus points them to a deeper reality.

The Irony of God’s Kingdom (vv. 42-45)

Jesus points to the kingdoms of the day.

Worldly kings and emperors ruled with iron fists. They were very heavy handed.

The word Jesus uses means “to become master”

The kingdoms of the world are self-serving kingdoms.

This is the juice we drink. This is the world we know.

But not in God’s Kingdom.

The world we know is upside down. God’s Kingdom is right side up.

We have a broken reality; the Kingdom of God is a wholistic reality that flows and functions according to God’s design.

To us, the Kingdom of God is upside down.

This is Kingdom economics (v. 43-44)

What you’ll find throughout the gospels is that Kingdom economics don’t flow with ours.

In our economy, if you want more money, you work more.

In our economy, you want status? You put yourself above everyone else.

In Kingdom Economics, if you want treasures, you store it up in heaven.

If you want to be great in the Kingdom, you must be a servant/slave to all.

If you want to live, you must die.

All of these things stem from a heart of following Jesus.

Jesus is the eternal Son of God, yet He had no where to lay His head.

Jesus is the King of all glory, yet He was the servant of all.

Jesus is the creator and giver of life, yet He laid His down so that we can live with God forever.

If you’re here and you’re not a Christian, this is an invitation for you to see God’s Kingdom for the first time.

It’s not like our Kingdom’s that we’ve set up for ourselves.

You don’t have to move the washer all by yourself.

You don’t have to earn your way into God’s family.

You don’t choose the Father, your heavenly Father has chosen you.

Stop trying to get into the Kingdom the hard way.

The simplicity of God’s Kingdom is where we come to Jesus with a childlike dependance, recognizing that we need Him, and approaching Him for His love and grace alone!

Will you receive His free gift of grace today?