“And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them.
And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. 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. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.
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?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 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.’” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 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.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
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!” 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! 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.” And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 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, 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. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.””
Throughout Mark, the disciples have been learning that God’s kingdom works differently from the kingdoms of this world. Today’s reading gives us several examples, but they come together around one central truth:
The Kingdom of God is received as a gift.
God gave mankind the gift of marriage. The unique way a man and woman can come together and become one. This is a great blessing, but man perverts it.
“What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Sadly, husbands and wives often separate. It’s not that there are no grounds ever for divorce. Elsewhere in Scripture we see that adultery and abandonment are valid reasons for divorce, but in those cases, the divorce is just recognizing how the two have already been separated either physically or through infidelity.
The problem is man’s hard heart, but the solution, as we’ll see in a moment, is God’s gift.
When people bring children to Jesus, the disciples try to stop them. Perhaps they think Jesus has more important things to do. But Jesus is indignant. He welcomes the children and says,
“Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
Children had no status to offer and a child doesn’t negotiate for a gift. A child simply receives what is given.
That is how we come to God.
Then a wealthy man approaches Jesus with a very different mindset. He asks,
“What must I do to inherit eternal life?”
He wants something good, eternal life, but notice the question: “What must I do?” Where the account of the children considers having status before Jesus will receive you, here this man thinks he can earn it. And notice, this man would have had great status as well, being a wealthy man.
Jesus points him to the commandments, and the man believes he has kept them. Then Mark includes a beautiful detail: Jesus looks at him and loves him.
What Jesus says next comes from that love.
He tells the man to sell everything, give it to the poor, and follow Him. The man walks away sorrowful because he has great wealth.
His possessions have revealed his heart. He cannot receive eternal life as a gift because he is still trusting in what he possesses and what he can do.
The disciples are stunned when Jesus says how difficult it is to enter God’s kingdom. In this culture, a wealthy man was a blessed man. They would have thought he was near the front of the line for heaven. But, again, salvation and, thus, heaven are a gift. So Jesus makes the point even stronger:
“With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”
That’s the Gospel.
We cannot earn our way into God’s kingdom. No one has enough status. We cannot obey enough, sacrifice enough, or make ourselves worthy enough. It is impossible for us…all of us.
But what is impossible for us, God does for us.
Jesus is already traveling toward Jerusalem, where He will give everything for sinners who cannot save themselves. Eternal life will be purchased by Him on the cross and given freely to those who trust in Him.
Like a child receiving a gift.
Let’s pray…
Lord Jesus,
Forgive me for trusting in what I have or what I can do. Teach me to receive Your kingdom as a gift, trusting in what You have done for me. Keep my heart from anything that would become more important to me than You.
Amen.
As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:
After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
