Who then Can be Saved?

Go ahead and open your Bibles this morning to Matthew Chapter 19.

I want to welcome you all this morning, and if you are with us and are a mother, we want to tell you first of all, Happy Mother’s day and we love you. Whether you are a mother of small children, teenagers, or adults, as a mother you have a unique place in your kid’s lives. So we want to recognize you this morning. And while we don’t have a themed service on occasions like this, we do have something for you, so at the end of the service I will be in the back, so mothers please come see me and I would love to be able to give you a gift this morning.

I also want to say that if you are with us this morning and you don’t have children, that we love you, and we are just as thankful for you. My own sister had a miscarriage, and has been unable to get pregnant since. And I know in situations like that, days like this can be difficult. So I don’t want to overlook the reality that God calls each of us to different circumstances, and those circumstances have no effect on our value, our identity in Christ, or the blessing that we bring to the Body of Christ.

So we are going to start this morning in Chapter 19 and Verse 13:

English Standard Version Chapter 19

13 Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, 14 but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” 15 And he laid his hands on them and went away.

This passage on the children is such a good passage for mothers day. At least at my house growing up, we always wanted to go to mom. A question, a boo boo, to tell on a sibling, it was mom. And mom would be on the phone or doing something, and dad would always try to protect mom by keeping us away. “Leave your momma alone, she’s on the phone”. And we never took that as an option. So we kept trying to get mom’s attention, and dad kept telling us to stop, which inevitably just led to a bigger fracas to where mom can’t ignore it. And in the the same exact tone everytime, momma would always say “leave them alone”, and we would be able to approach her and she would just ask “what do you want”.

And that is kind of the same thing we see here.

It is assumed that it is the parents of these children who are bringing them to Jesus, although that isn’t told to us explicitly. We also see the purpose is for Jesus to lay hands and to pray over the children.

But the disciples are getting in the way, and not only are they getting in the way, but they are rebuking the parents. And we aren’t told what the rebuke is, but I think it’s along the lines of what my dad used to say to us. “Leave Jesus alone, He’s busy”.

And when something like that, what we are really saying is, these kids aren’t as important as what Jesus is doing. Jesus is dealing with real ministry, he doesn’t have time for the kids.

Unfortunately, I don’t think this is something that has gone away. I think we still fight with the tendency to think that “real ministry” is to the adults, and the kids are at best an inconvenience, and at worst a distraction.

And we see this in the way we talk about them. It was popular back when I was in High School for youth ministry to be a stepping stone to a “real pastorate”.

We talk about children and teenagers and say things like “they are the future of the church”

But Jesus never treats children that way.

Jesus says in verse 14,

English Standard Version Chapter 19

Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.

And so we see here another reference to believers as being like Children.

Remember that back in Chapter 11:25-26, Jesus said

English Standard Version Chapter 11

I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.

And then in Chapter 18: 3-4 Jesus says,

English Standard Version Chapter 18

Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

And it’s in humility that these kids are brought to Jesus. They are being brought to be prayed for, and for Jesus to lay hands on them, which was a sign of blessing.

Proud people don’t need blessing. Proud people don’t need prayer. And we see that in the story of the Rich Young Man. Look at Verse 16

English Standard Version Chapter 19

16 And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

23 And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, 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.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

First we want to see the pride that is present in the question. Both Mark and Luke record this story and both record the young man addressing Jesus as “Good Teacher”. So he says “Good teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”

To be sure, to think you can earn eternal life is quite the prideful statement. But it goes deeper than that. He addresses Jesus as “Good teacher”. And that’s not an accident. It’s also not an accident he asks what “Good deed” he can do.

By assuming he would be able to accomplish the good deed he is asking about from Jesus, he is also assuming his own goodness. So basically, he comes to Jesus and says you are good, I am good, so what do I need to do for eternal life?

And when we see the question with that idea already in his mind, we can see just how prideful and ridiculous it seems. But somehow, it gets worse.

Jesus responds to his question and says “there is only one who is good” and tells him to keep the commandments. And yet, this rich young ruler completely ignores the first statement. He only wants to know what commandments he needs to fulfil.

The man is so full of pride about his own goodness, it doesnt even register to him that he isn’t good enough to earn eternal life. He doesn’t even reflect on Jesus’ statement.

And Jesus, as He always does, sees it and adjusts his answer to the man’s second question. Take a look at verses 18 and 19. What’s missing?

Jesus tells the man to keep the commandments, and then completely skips over the entire first tablet of the 10 Commandments! Jesus only lists the 5th-9th commandments, and then cites about loving your neighbor as yourself.

Why does he do that? Why does Jesus omit parts of the commandments? Because he is addressing the mans question the way he asked it. He asked what he had to do, and Jesus responds by telling him all the “do” parts of the law.

But as usual, Jesus isn’t capitulating to the man, He is making a point. The man says yep, done all that, what else do I need?

And Jesus cuts to the heart of the issue. He tells the man to go sell what he has and give it to the poor, and to follow Jesus.

But the heart of the issue isn’t the money, the heart of the issue is the heart of the man. You see, Jesus by demanding this of the man, points out the obvious, which is that the man isn’t dependent on God, but rather that he is depending on himself.

He is depending on his wealth, he is depending on his goodness, he is depending on his ability to work his way to eternal life. He is not living by faith. And we see that clearly in his response.

The text says he went away sorrowful. The NASB here says grieving. Why? Because that faith he has in himself and his possessions keeps him from faith in God.

And Jesus points out to the disciples, it isn’t just this guy. It is only with difficulty for a rich person to enter the kingdom. Why? Because they live a life that enables them to depend on themselves!

I went looking for some of the most ridiculous things that have been purchased, and oh wow the things I found!

In 2014 Kanye West (Thats a name you didn’t think you were gonna hear this morning wasn’t it?) created a “hip hop shirt” that was absolutely nothing more than just a white cotton tshirt, and it sold for $120. That’s not for a pack of 5 like you get at Walmart, that’s one shirt.

Not to be outdone, there are diamond contact lenses that sell for $15,000 a pair.

And more recently in the news, Lori Laughlin, the Actress from Full House, was charged with spending $500,000 just to get her daughter into the University of Southern California. Now I don’t want to disparage USC, but let’s be honest, it isn’t Harvard Law or Yale or West Point.

The point of all that isn’t to get on anyone that has the means to spend that money, because if we are truthful, the temptation of money is one of those temptations we would like to prove we can handle! But its easy to see how if you have $120 for a white cotton Tshirt, or $15,000 for contact lenses, or $500,000 to get your kid into college, you don’t have to depend on the Lord for your daily intake.

And that creates a lifestyle where you are able to attend to your own needs, and that becomes a subtle danger as day by day you teach yourself to rely on yourself and not on God.

But when you are working multiple Jobs, trying to figure out how to feed everyone and still pay the light bill, when you are putting $5 in gas in your car to hold you over until payday and praying its enough, you are much more aware of your dependence upon the Lord. It creates humbleness.

And the lesson here baffles the disciples. Look at their response in verse 25. “Who then can be saved?”

See Jesus isn’t reacting at all the way they think he should. He rejects the outwardly religious young ruler, and he accepts the children. This is the exact opposite of what they expect.

The rich man has status, he has what looks to be good works, the children have none of that. But they have what is necessary. They have humility.

Pride and faith cannot coexist. One will consume the other.

And as believers, we will see this in our sanctification. As we become more like Christ, we will grow in our faith, and depend less and less on ourselves. As we read the Word, as we pray, as we engage in biblical community, we learn that we cannot depend on our goodness or our works or our things like the rich man was.

Instead, like the little children, we come and fall at Jesus’ feet, because only with God are all things possible.