Jesus Teaching About Eternal Life

One of the amazing things, and I think I've mentioned this before, but it never ceases to amaze me about this particular time period of our Lord's life and ministry that we're looking at. By the way, we begin tonight in Mark chapter 10, if you want to be finding your way to Mark 10. One of the things that really amazes me though is the many different directions that our Lord's ministry is taking. We're looking at the events sequentially. We're looking at them in chronological order. As you do that, you put all those events into a context. It's not just an event that happened at some point, somewhere in the Lord's ministry, which is often what we think of when we just pull an event out of the gospels. They're placed in a timeline, in a sequence, a context. The context is within the last couple of weeks of our Lord's life, is where we are right now. He's on his way to Jerusalem. It won't be very long until we find him in Jericho, just a couple more studies probably. We'll find him in Jericho, the last stop before he goes to Jerusalem to die for our sins. Jesus is within a couple of weeks of dying, and yet he continues to minister to various people without any sense of frantic pace or got to get this done before because he knew what was happening, knew when he was going to die. It's just amazing to me that all of the different things that happen, Jesus, the way he responds to them, demonstrates his submission to the Father's purpose and will, and that he knew that every moment and every day he was just following the Father's plan. We have found last week that he was involved with the Pharisees. Again, the Pharisees asked him another question. They thought would trip him up, and he answers them. It's a very tense confrontation with the Pharisees. And then we're going to find tonight that right after that, he is dealing with little children. And then right after that, he deals with a very wealthy and powerful young man who comes asking him questions. Jesus is dealing with all these different categories of people and stages of either belief or disbelief in him, and yet he just takes it all in stride. He's just purposefully moving toward that time when he will die. In Mark 10, the event we're going to look at first tonight, and by the way, both of these events, I've kind of grouped them together in the sense that Jesus was teaching about eternal life in both of these settings, first with children and then with the rich young ruler. But the first event we look at tonight is Jesus and the little children. It's recorded in Mark and Matthew and Luke, those three of the gospels record this event. In order to set the historical context for what Jesus is doing here, it's important to understand that children were not highly valued in the Greek and Roman world of Jesus' day. If children were not considered to have any economic value or value to the honor of a family, they were disposed of. Abortion was very common in the first century in the Roman world. As was in phantasy, many children were left to die on the street, and Christians were well known in the first century for rescuing those children and taking them into their own homes. The Roman government did not pass a law against in phantasy, the killing of young children or the abandoning of young children until 375 AD. That's incredible. For most of the Roman Empire, it was legal just to throw a child away. If you didn't want the child, if for some reason that child did not suit your purposes or your desire, you could just leave them on the street and you would suffer no consequences from that. There were other people who would rescue children from the street and raise them to be gladiators. It was raised them to provide support by giving their lives. Or in some cases, they would raise them to be prostitutes. Or even worse yet, would this figure those children so that they could make good beggars and people would feel sorry for them and give money as they begged on the street? It's just incredible. The atrocities committed toward little children in the world of Jesus' day. It's against that backdrop. I want us to see this story. Obviously the Old Testament valued children. As God taught his people Israel, he certainly taught them differently than what the Roman world would show us as regards the value of children. The Bible says, the Old Testament children are an inheritance from the Lord. The fruit of the womb is his reward. That's how children were seen in the Hebrew mind. And certainly Jesus placed great honor upon children. And we'll see an example of that. That's what we're going to look at tonight in Mark chapter 10, beginning in verse 13. Jesus elevated children to a place of honor. And this is a beautiful example of that. But as we read this story, really there are four perspectives on children in this story, one in each of the four verses. Let's take a look. Mark chapter 10, verse 13. People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. Now people are bringing children to Jesus. Young children, Luke says, even babies. And Matthew says not only did Jesus place his hands on them but he prayed for them. So this is the common Old Testament blessing upon children. So what we find here in verse 13 is children as a bother. Okay, parents are bringing children to the disciples, rebuked the parents. So children are seen as a bother here. But it's important to see what Jesus is called upon to do is something that would be very commonly known from the Old Testament dating all the way back to Jacob blessing his children and their children before he passes off the scene in Genesis chapter 48. But it was common of rabbis to do this in Jesus' day. They would take children and place their hands on them and pray a blessing on them. So parents are bringing their children to Jesus for this very purpose. And no doubt Jesus would hold those children very close and place his hand on their head, lift these eyes to heaven and pray a blessing on those children. That was a very common thing to be done. And that's what Jesus is being asked to do here. But verse 13 says the disciples rebuked them, these parents for bringing children to Jesus. Why would they do that? Why do you think they would rebute the parents for bringing children to Jesus? Jesus is too busy and he doesn't have other things to do. Okay, Jesus too busy has other important things to do. He is busy, isn't he? And we would have just seen. He moves from one either group of people or individual to another. People are pulling at him constantly. He is very much in demand. Remember that we've seen several times at this phase in his ministry. There are great crowds that are pressing in on him. He has very little time to himself. So I think that's probably one idea and a good one about why they may have done that any others. Okay, maybe the disciples had lost track of some of that spirit of the Old Testament, value on children and they see this is a bother to the Lord and not really as important as teaching the multitudes or instructing them or whatever. Yeah, quite possibly. Any other thoughts? Why would they? Adults are more important than the children. Yeah, maybe they're feeling that. He's got limited time. Let's focus on the adults, not the kids. They may have thought Jesus is doing so important that he got in a rush and it might throw it all off. Okay. They really wanted to hear it properly. Yes. Okay, maybe they are thinking it's more important for Jesus to be doing other things like teaching and he doesn't need this interruption of the little kid just sitting down holding the little kid on his lap and you know praying with his hand on their head. That's inconsequential. Okay. Yeah. Here's the Son of God. They know that he is the Son of God. They know he is the Savior. They don't understand everything about his death yet but they know who he is and for him to take time just to sit and hold little children, he's above that. Maybe so. Maybe that was part of it as well. Kids were unworthy, not worth his time and attention. Yeah, all of those things I think may have entered into their thinking and also the fact that remember that interaction with the Pharisees that he has just had and the disciples were perplexed by his answer about divorce. Remember that? And Jesus handled that situation so beautifully but in a way that they that kind of stunned them the disciples and they said, well Lord, if that's the case then be better for no one to be married and Jesus had answered them about you know the gift of staying single and that that's a rare thing and only in certain cases is that advisable. And I think the disciples, their heads are still kind of spinning about that whole thing and maybe they in addition to all the other things you've mentioned, maybe they were thinking, you know, don't mess with kids right now. We want a little more time. We need to ask you a few more questions about this. Try to get this straightened out in our minds. Maybe they wanted time with him because he's been so much with other people and with crowds and they want some time to get some of their questions answered. Maybe that was part of it too. But for whatever reason they are kind of flexing their muscle and exercising their authority to screen who gets to Jesus. To screen who Jesus is going to spend these time with. And wait till you see how Jesus responds to that. He does not like it very well. The first view we have of children here is children as a bother. Don't bother the Lord with these children. But notice what Jesus does in verse 14 where Jesus treats children and we see them as believers. Verse 14, when Jesus saw this, he was indignant. I want to stop right there because I don't want to just slide right by that. It's the only time this word is found in the New Testament. The Greek term is made up of two words. One which means grief and the other which means much. Literally Jesus was much grieved, deeply grieved that children were being turned away and that his disciples were intervening between him and these children. And this is a very strong word. Again, I mentioned it's the only time this word is found. It's not the normal word for irritated or frustrated or angry. This is deeply grieved and much grieved over this. Indignant over this. You know the things that make us indignant tell a lot about us, don't they? One of the ways to really do a good character check is to figure out what you get mad about. What do you get mad about? What do you really get deeply grieved or indignant over? And if you really kind of do an evaluation of those kinds of things, I think most of us would be ashamed that most of our anger is centered around things that are about us. We didn't get what we wanted. Things didn't work out right for me. Somebody did this to me, said this to me. Jesus is indignant that little children are not being allowed to come to him. He says a lot about him, doesn't it? He says a lot about who he is and where his heart is, his heart is with little children. But notice what he goes on to say about these little children in verse 14. He said to them, let the little children come to me and do not hinder them for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. It's obvious that Jesus loves children. You know, when you stop to think several of his miracles involved children, the raising of the widow's son, gyros' daughter, casting out of demons of a child of a man who was at the foot of the Mount of Transfiguration. And others, other miracles that Jesus did that had to do with children, Jesus loved children. But it's fascinating what he says here about them. Let them come to me, do not hinder them for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I think Jesus is saying that children have spiritual capacity. They are able to understand spiritual things. And they can be saved. The kingdom belongs to them. Children can authentically grasp the basic concepts of the gospel and understand what it means to be saved. And so Jesus valued, not only loved children, but valued their ability to grasp and respond to spiritual truth. And we need to do the same thing. I am so thankful that our church has seen fit to place a great focus on children's ministry. Because children can grow and understand and learn what the Bible teaches at a very young age. And as they grow a little older and process that information, they are able to make authentic decisions to trust God and come into the family of God, the kingdom of God. They are able to do that. And so Jesus treats them as believers. It's not that all children are automatically believers, but they are capable of believing and understanding and grasping spiritual things. You know, quite often you hear the statements that the children are the church of tomorrow. I understand what people mean by that. You know that the leadership of tomorrow's church is going to come from these children that are being reared now. But the children are part of the church of today. A very important part of the church of today. And we dare not neglect them. We need to reach out to children. And I am grateful for what is going on right now in other parts of the building to get spiritual truth on a child's level where they can understand it and grasp it and respond to it. But it is interesting to me too that if children are capable of responding to spiritual truth, Jesus actually gives us the model of how to minister to children and how to reach children. And even for parents, how to deal with your children. Have you ever thought about this? That what Jesus says here is the perfect model for how to reach children. In verse 14 he says, let the little children come to me. Allow them to come to me. Do not hinder them. Those two statements provide I think a great model for parents in dealing with your children. Allow them to come at their own pace. Don't push. Don't pressure. Allow them to come. When they start asking questions. And you sense that there is spiritual interest. Allow that to happen. Encourage that. Nurture that. So there's a positive element to that. Allow them to come on their own at their own pace, on their own level. But then do not hinder them. The other thing that's the negative side of it. Do not put any roadblocks in their way. Don't try to stop or restrain children when they start showing spiritual interest. You know, Gene and I have raised three girls and we know the difficulties when they are very young and beginning to show them how to do it. I know what they are saying. What should I encourage? What should I encourage? What should I do? And I always say, just do exactly what Jesus said. Allow them to come. Allow them to come and draw out of them whatever they are asking, whatever they are wanting to do. By all means, do not hinder them. Do not restrain them. Do not try to stop them. But allow them to come at their own pace. Do not push them either. That's a delicate balance sometimes. But I think for most parents it involves answering a child's questions at the level that they can understand them. And then without pushing, without saying, okay, it's time to get down on your knees and receive Jesus into your heart. You are two years old and you have asked your first spiritual question. Without pushing, without shoving a child, allow them to come. Keep answering the questions. And then when they show real genuine spiritual interest, by all means, don't stop them. Don't restrain them. Don't say you are not old enough. Don't push them away. I think it's a great model for dealing with children. So Jesus is teaching His disciples here. Any comments or questions about that? Jesus seeing the children as believers or at least potential believers. Okay? In verse 15, Jesus goes even a step further. And Jesus now sees the children as the benchmark, meaning the example, the model, the standard. Jesus uses children as the standard of what it means to come into His family. Verse 15, truly, I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. So verse 14, children are capable of understanding and responding spiritual truth. Verse 15, they are the benchmark for how you get into the kingdom. Okay? In order to get into the kingdom, in order to be saved, in order to know Jesus, you have to come like a little child. Now, what does that mean? What do you think that means? Trust? Okay? Humble? All right. Open. Okay? Eager to learn? Receptive? Okay? All of those things, at least to some degree, are true of young children, aren't they? Now, we all know the other side of children as well, that they can be very stubborn and resistant and so forth. But at least to some degree, there is that humility, openness, and so forth. I remember one time, I think it was when I was in Florida, and I was preaching, I don't know if I was preaching on this passage or something like this. And I mentioned those kinds of qualities of children that seem to be what the Lord was talking about. I had a lady come up to me after the service, and she looked at me, and even though we had, you know, a couple of small children at that time, she looked at me and said, you don't know much about kids, do you? Because I was talking about how children, you know, they're compliant, they're humble, they're responsive, you know, that kind of thing. You don't know much about kids, do you? So we all know that the opposite side of that is well. Things are true to some degree of the nature of a child, but I think there's something even more than that. The most common characteristic of a child, especially young children, is that they are absolutely dependent on others. They can't do for themselves, especially very young children. They can't feed themselves, they can't dress themselves, they can't take care of anything by themselves. They are dependent on someone else to do it for them. And I think as much as anything, that is the parallel between children and those who get saved. If you're going to come into the kingdom of God, you have got to come like a little child, absolutely dependent on someone else to save you. Salvation is totally by grace, it is not anything you do for yourself, it is not something that you can pull off on your own. So in order to be saved, we have to lay aside our pride, our ambition, our own self-respect, our own independent, do it myself, spirit. I can do this, no, you can't. We are absolutely dependent on someone else to save you. And if there's no other likeness, certainly that one is true of, especially young children, absolutely dependent on someone else. So children are the benchmark, if you're going to be saved, you've got to come like a little child, absolutely dependent upon God and His grace to save you. And then verse 16, notice one other thing about children. Here we find that children, we see children as blessed, verse 16. And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them. Fascinating picture, it is no wonder that artists have vied for the ability to get this picture on canvas. You see a lot of pictures of Jesus holding the little children, don't you? And it is such a special scene, it is a precious picture. Jesus takes these little children in His arms, probably places them on His lap, puts His hand on their heads, and prays a prayer of blessing on them. And when the text says here, He blessed them, the word is a very strong word, the verb is in an intensive form, which means He fervently blessed them. It is not just a little bless you, you know, little thing. It is joyfully and from His heart He blesses these little children. You can just see that He loves them and He is fervently blessing these little children. And we certainly need to have the same attitude toward children, to affirm their value, their importance to God and to ministry, to show them that, spend time with them, to make sure they realize that they are affirmed in the special creation of God that they are. And bless them joyfully and fervently, that is what we need to be doing with children. Okay, children are not a bother. They have spiritual capacity and able to understand and respond to spiritual truth. And Jesus even says, if you are going to be saved at all, you got to come like a child does, absolute dependence on someone else to save you. And after saying that, He just scooped some up in His arms and fervently blessed them. I just love that scene. I love to have seen that. And I can't help but think that Jesus is still doing that. I really do. I don't know everything about what heaven is like and I certainly don't understand what happens when a small child enters His presence. But if they still are children in heaven, I think He scooped some up, put some on His lap and blesses them. He is the same yesterday and today forever. And that same love for little ones I am sure is expressed in heaven even today. I am convinced of that. Jesus and the little children, what a special picture. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. don't take the name of the Lord and vain and keep the Sabbath. Those four have to do with the relationship of the God. The last six have to do with relationship with others. They are more observable. They are more quantifiable. This man would be able to say whether or not I kept those. And Jesus gives five of them. And then the last one that he says is kind of a summary of that second table of the law. Love your neighbor yourself. That summarizes the last six of the commandments, which have to do with your relationship with other people. So Jesus mentions five of the six. And what he's saying to this young man is you are concerned about what good you can do. You're concerned about your actions. And you say you have kept them because in verse 20, he says, all these I have kept, the young man said, what do I still lack? By the way, which one did Jesus leave out? Which of the 10 commandments the last six did he leave out? Did you pick up on that? That's involved in it? Covered. Covered. Covered. The 10th one. Jesus didn't mention that one. And he does talk about coveting your neighbor's wife. thou shalt not cover the last of the commandments. And what Jesus is doing when he leaves that one out, I think the young man probably realizes that. He says, I've kept all those, but he probably realized Jesus left that one. And I can just imagine he's squirming a little bit because he senses that Jesus knows what his real problem is. By leaving out that commandment, I think he senses that Jesus really knows what's troubling his conscience, what's bothering this young man. He knows it. And I think he suspects maybe Jesus knows it, that he is a slave to his possessions. That is his idol. He has a lot. And he's not willing to give it up. Probably wants more. He's guilty of that 10th commandment, not keeping that. So I believe tentatively, and again, I'm trying to put myself in this situation and just feel what it would be like. What kept all these, but he realizes that Jesus has not mentioned the one about coveting. And so tentatively says, what do I still lack? And I think he can almost guess what's coming. What do I still lack? And Jesus is going to point out to him what he still lacks. Look at Jesus' answer, where Jesus basically now says, the standard is very personal. Not only is it high, not only is it clear, it is also very personal. Verse 21, Jesus answered, if you want to be perfect, in other words, if you want to really keep all the commandments, go sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me. Wow, if you want to be perfect, go sell everything you have, give it away, and follow me. Doesn't that sound like a strange answer to the question of how you get eternal life? You think, is Jesus telling him that the way you get to heaven is you sell everything you have, and give it away? And then follow me. He's not easy. He's not saying that. It sounds like it. What is Jesus doing? Is he telling the man how to get saved? Telling him what his problem is. Jesus is backing up a step. And again, what he's dealing with is you've got to understand this before you can be saved, you've got to understand you are guilty. You are a sinner, you haven't kept the commandments, and I'm going to prove it to you. The one I left out, you have violated, and you know it. You know it. Because you covet, you want things so much, and by the way, that has become your God, which means you've broken the first commandment too. You should have no other gods before me. Because when Jesus says, if I expect that of you to follow me, what does a young man do? Verse 22, when he heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. What Jesus is doing is he is showing him that he has indeed broken the commandments, that he is a sinner, and that he is incapable of keeping God's standard of goodness. Only God is good. Jesus, in our times up, so we'll do this quickly. Jesus is not using the law to tell the man how to be saved. Nobody is saved by the keeping of the law. As Paul said in Romans chapter 3 and verse 20, I want to make sure I get it right here. Now therefore, no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law. But rather, through the law, we become conscious of our sin. And that's exactly the way Jesus was using the law. In the way it was intended to be used. Not to save people. You don't get saved by not stealing, not committing adultery, not lying, not coveting. You don't get saved that way. What happens is God through his law makes you conscious of your sin. Makes you conscious of the fact you're not as good as you thought you were. You can't measure up to the holy standard of God's goodness. And that's the law does lead us to Christ. That's what Paul says in Galatians 3. It's a school master. It was for our early education to lead us to Jesus. So Jesus was using the law exactly like it was supposed to be used. To make this man conscious of his sin. This passage has puzzled people because it sounds like on a surface reading that Jesus is saying you can get saved by keeping the law. You can be right with God by doing good things, giving to the poor. That's not at all what he was saying. He was saying, well, back up a step. I'm going to show you that you're a sinner. You can't keep God's law and you're not keeping God's law. Not like you think you are. So he really is using the law to show him that he's a sinner, making conscious of his sin. I will see what Jesus goes on to talk about about salvation, the difficulty of salvation and the rewards of salvation next time. Let's pray. Father, thank you for our Lord and His masterful dealing with people. Thank you, Lord, for His incredible wisdom, His ability to get right to the heart of an issue, I pray, Father, that we will learn the kind of wisdom that Jesus demonstrated, that we will grow more and more to be like Him, even though we know we will not be fully like Him till we get to heaven. And, Lord, I do thank you that Jesus loves little children, help us to love them to demonstrate that in our personal lives and in our ministry. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.