Mark 10

“Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭10‬:‭15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

What does it mean to receive the kingdom of God like a child?  Young children are totally dependent on their parents and other caretakers for all of their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.  They also trust those that care for them unconditionally, and love them wholeheartedly.  Children usually do not struggle with pride, so meekness and humility come easily.  God wants us to have this same degree of dependence, trust, and love for Him.  Unfortunately, it is difficult for most of us to willingly put our pride aside and become dependent upon someone else, especially because we are used to being so self-reliant.  By the time we reach adulthood it is often very hard to completely trust others and offer unconditional love.  Because this comes naturally to children, they are great examples of how we should receive the kingdom of God.  God makes it clear that without this dependence on Him in all areas of our lives, our full potential will not be reached.  In order to receive the kingdom of God with all of its blessings and benefits, we must put God in His rightful place in our lives and understand that we cannot do anything without Him.  Jesus said “I am the vine; you are the branches.  If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).  For those of us that struggle in this area, we need to pray for the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts.  God sent the Holy Spirit to help those who love Him: “If you love Me, keep My commands.  And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth” (John 14:15-17).  Make sure to pray for any pride to be put aside so that your heart can be a blank slate for God to do His work in you and through you. 

Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’” And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭10‬:‭17‬-‭24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Does this passage mean that in order to receive eternal life each of us has to give up all of our possessions?  Not exactly.  Look at the story of Zacchaeus: “But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord!  Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’  Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham’” (Luke 19:8-9).  Zacchaeus gave away half of what he had, which means that he was still a very wealthy man.  The critical change in Zacchaeus was that Jesus could tell that he loved God more than he loved his money.  In contrast, the rich young man in this story valued his money and possessions above God.  Remember that Jesus said “No one can serve two masters.  Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24).  No matter what our financial situation is, the important thing to decide is which is more important to us: temporary riches or eternal riches?

And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John. But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles Lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭10‬:‭41‬-‭45‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The hierarchy of God’s kingdom is opposite of what we observe on earth.  True leadership isn’t about exercising your authority over people or influencing people to do what you want them to do.  Paul said in Galatians 5:13, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.”  Genuine biblical leadership is about loving others and serving them.  Not only did Jesus tell us to serve and minister to each other’s needs, He acted on His words and showed practical examples of how to do so.  He washed dirty feet.  He touched lepers and other “unclean” members of society.  He had meals with, and showed love to people that were rejected and looked down upon.  We each need to follow Jesus’ example and serve those that God has put in our path.   Pray for opportunities for serving others to come your way, and for your heart to be willing and determined to help.