Entrance into the Kingdom
I. The Entrance of Children (13-15)
A. A Parent’s Desire
The strongest believer lives not so much by apprehending Christ as by being apprehended of him (Phil. 3:12), not so much by knowing God as by being known of him (Gal. 4:9); and this the least child is capable of. If they cannot stretch out their hands to Christ, yet he can lay his hands on them, and so make them his own, and own them for his own.
The strongest believer lives not so much by apprehending Christ as by being apprehended of him (Phil. 3:12), not so much by knowing God as by being known of him (Gal. 4:9); and this the least child is capable of. If they cannot stretch out their hands to Christ, yet he can lay his hands on them, and so make them his own, and own them for his own.
B. The Disciples Rebuke
C. The Love of the Savior
The Indian Christian Premanand tells of a thing his mother once said to him. When he became a Christian, his family cast him off, and the doors were shut against him; but sometimes he used to slip back to see his mother. She was broken-hearted that he had become a Christian, but she did not cease to love him. She told him that when she was carrying him in her womb, a missionary had given her a copy of one of the gospels. She read it; she still had it. She told her son that she had no desire to become a Christian, but that sometimes, in those days before he was born, it was her greatest wish that he might grow up to be a man like this Jesus.
The parents brought the children to Jesus that He might bless them. There is no thought here of baptism or even of salvation. Children who have not reached the age of accountability (Isa. 7:16) are surely covered by the death of Christ (Rom. 5:17–21). Children are born sinners (Ps. 51:5); but if they die before they are accountable, they are regenerated and taken to heaven (2 Sam. 12:23; Ps. 23:6).
The strongest believer lives not so much by apprehending Christ as by being apprehended of him (Phil. 3:12), not so much by knowing God as by being known of him (Gal. 4:9); and this the least child is capable of. If they cannot stretch out their hands to Christ, yet he can lay his hands on them, and so make them his own, and own them for his own.
II. Then Entrance of the Rich (16-26)
A. The Failure of the Rich Man (16-22)
Question #1 “What good thing shall I do?” (16)
Question #2 “Why are you asking Me about What is Good?” (17)
Question #3 “Which Ones?” (18-19)
Question #4 “What am I still lacking?” (20-22)
B. The Principle of the Rich (23-26)
‘What must I do?’ He is thinking in terms of actions. He is like the Pharisees, thinking in terms of keeping rules and regulations. He is thinking of piling up a credit balance sheet with God by acting in accordance with the law. He clearly knows nothing of a religion of grace. So Jesus tries to lead him on to a correct view.
The Indian Christian Premanand tells of a thing his mother once said to him. When he became a Christian, his family cast him off, and the doors were shut against him; but sometimes he used to slip back to see his mother. She was broken-hearted that he had become a Christian, but she did not cease to love him. She told him that when she was carrying him in her womb, a missionary had given her a copy of one of the gospels. She read it; she still had it. She told her son that she had no desire to become a Christian, but that sometimes, in those days before he was born, it was her greatest wish that he might grow up to be a man like this Jesus.
But Jesus did not say that it was impossible for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Zacchaeus was one of the richest men in Jericho, yet quite unexpectedly he found the way in (Luke 19:9). Joseph of Arimathaea was a rich man (Matthew 27:57); Nicodemus must have been very wealthy, for he brought spices to anoint the dead body of Jesus, which were worth a great deal of money (John 19:39)