to the word of God. And they were bringing children to Jesus, 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. He took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. And as Jesus 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 set for 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 same, 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's 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, And 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, You 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 in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first. Well, last week we saw the Pharisees bring two things to Jesus, a question and a desire. And in our scripture this morning, we see some of the same, but a little bit of difference. We see Jesus, again, approached with desires and questions. Now, of course, last week, the desires and the question was terrible. The desire was to trap Jesus. Earlier, Mark, in chapter 3, says to destroy Jesus. And the question is, is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife? Of course, Jesus goes right to the heart of that interaction with the Pharisees, that you are hard-hearted, and you need a new heart. But, friends, not this morning. As I was reading, you would have heard good desires, good questions. Parents who want Jesus to bless their children. That's a great desire. A young man who could ask the question a little bit better, we're going to talk about that later, but he wants to inherit eternal life. Of course, that great question from the disciples, the Twelve, who can be saved? These are good questions, good desires. Though last week the main point was that it is our hard hearts that destroy what God has established in creation, what he commands by his word, Today the main point is the Kingdom of God. Who gets into the Kingdom? Who doesn't get into the Kingdom? What does it look like to live according to the Kingdom of God? And we can't learn this ourselves. We aren't able to sit down with a pen and a piece of paper and say, how do I think someone makes it into the Kingdom of God? We need to listen to Jesus. And he is more than willing to teach us. He continues to draw attention to the Kingdom of God. After he rebukes the disciples about the children, not only does he bless them, but he holds them up. He says, everybody look at these children. If you are going to enter the Kingdom of God, you must do it like a child. And after his interaction with the rich young man, what does he say? How hard is it for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God? And because Jesus is a grand teacher, he repeats himself. Children, how difficult is it for those who are rich to enter the kingdom of God? And so this morning, we learned who gets in, who doesn't, and what does life look like when you are living according to the kingdom of God? And along the way, Jesus critiques the kingdom of man. I'm going to be using that a lot, so it's good for me to give an explanation of what I mean by the kingdom of man. Well, Jesus is building a kingdom, and he comes and he preaches, repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand. The king is here, and he is extending his reign. But sinful man is also trying to build his own kingdom, his own empire. Augustine called it the city of man. And this kingdom has its own goals and rules and ways in which things should work. But if you are going to have high rank or status in the kingdom of man, you must fit this criteria. But this does not match with what Jesus teaches. The kingdom of man would gladly welcome someone that Jesus says they cannot get into the kingdom of God. And the kingdom of man would prevent and hinder and stop people or groups of people from entering the kingdom of God that Jesus says, no, the kingdom belongs to them. Like children. In Luke's gospel, they're called infants. And these parents are bringing their children to Jesus. And this isn't actually something we haven't seen before in Mark's Gospel. We can remember the father of his son, who is afflicted by demons. He brings his little boy to Jesus so that he could be healed. You can think about Jairus' daughter. He pleads with Jesus. She is on the verge of death. Please come. But as I was reading, you would see that Mark doesn't seem to list that there's anything wrong with these children. These are presumably healthy, cute, happy children. And yet these parents are convinced that something would be missing if my healthy, happy child was not blessed by Jesus. It is not just that when there is something going on with my child that these parents decided that they needed to get them to Jesus, but simply knowing who He is. He is the one who has been sent from God to save us. He is the one who the Lord has said, listen to my son, listen to the anointed one. And so they bring their children to be blessed by Him. And Jesus loved this desire. This is a good thing, and we can tell by His response, specifically His anger and His teaching. Verse 14 says that Jesus was indignant. We don't really use that word a lot, but we know that that's a lot more than just, I was slightly bothered. a little bit frustrated. No, when you are indignant, that's when you're angry, you're clenching your fists. And for some of us, when we're indignant, it's obvious because you get that forehead vein thing. Jesus is angry, very angry that the disciples would hinder the children, that they would respond to these children and say that if you're going to come to Jesus, You have to qualify. Of course, the standards that they are using are the standards from man's kingdom. What has the kingdom of man concluded about children? Well, they're weak, got a lot of needs, can't work much, can't earn much, at least not as much as they eat. I was one of those children. And so why should you have access to the king? And that's not an exaggeration. You'll remember that one of the The shock for the disciples concerning Jesus is not that He is the Messiah, but that the Messiah will suffer. They acknowledge that He is the King, but they're confused as to why He would have to take up a cross, why this King would move from suffering to glory. But they know He's a King. And so the disciples are feeling as if, how could you bring your little snotty-nosed kid in the presence of the king? Jesus rebukes them, welcomes the children. He says that what would disqualify these children from having any rank or standing in the kingdom of man makes them a fitting symbol for how to get into the kingdom of God. Jesus says that the neediness and weakness of children prompts them to trust someone else for their welfare, their care, their provision and salvation. Jesus says this is how you get into the kingdom. Weak, but assured of the strength of Christ. Needy, but knowing that Jesus is sufficient. This is the faith that the New Testament tells us to model. Abraham is presented to us as that great man of faith. And when the Lord comes to Abraham with that promise, Abraham doesn't say, I can do this. I can produce the heir. If anything, he's saying to the Lord, there's no way this is going to happen. But he believes the Lord's promise, and it is counted to him. as righteousness. This is how you get into the kingdom, like a child, assured that Jesus will provide. He will give you what is needed. And what an encouragement this section is for parents. There is nothing better that we can do for our children than to bring them into the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we don't have to scratch our head and say, well, this doesn't apply to us because we don't know, one, we don't have Jesus physically located somewhere. We can't go to him. But where has Jesus promised to be? What does he give to his church at the end of the Great Commission? I am with you. always. Jesus has promised to be present with us here by His Spirit, to preach to you, to feed your faith in the sacraments of the Lord's Supper, to receive your praise, to intercede for you in prayer. It is no question for us, where can I bring my children so that they may be in the presence of the Lord Jesus? It is here in worship. And it is encouraging that Jesus loves that desire. That when you are in a pew and your mind is racing because of all the things that you needed to do to make sure that your children were here, Jesus doesn't say, yeah, you need to get it together. But the Lord Jesus says, what greater thing could you do for your children than to bring them to me? It is not Jesus who sees the parents wrestling with their children in the pew, who says, you need to take that kid out of here. But it's the Lord Jesus that says, what a blessing you are giving your children. What a great thing that you have acknowledged, that if my child will have one thing, it must be Jesus. Being like a child is how we enter the kingdom. But what happens when it's not someone who doesn't fit the criteria of the kingdom of man who is asking about the kingdom of God? What about someone who holds rank in the kingdom of man? Someone who's presumably got it all together, like a rich man, or as Luke calls him, a ruler. If children aren't granted a mission in the kingdom of man, certainly those who are rich and wealthy can get almost everywhere. But every door in the kingdom of man, for the most part, has a price tag. If you can afford it, you can get in. But this is not what we see with the kingdom of God. We see this rich, young man with his great possessions and his self-professed righteousness. Teacher, I have kept all of these since my youth." Of course, Jesus loves him, and in loving him, tries to help him see how he really measures up with God's law. And did you notice that when Jesus is giving the commandments, not only does he say on what's called the second table of the law, how we treat each other, but he lifts them out of order. And all of those are commandments that if you break and throw to the side, you can get rich pretty quickly. You can get rich if you don't honor mother and father. Of course, this would be taking care of aging parents. You know, this is earlier in Mark 7. Remember that this would be the teachers for this rich young man. And Jesus says to them, You receive money, and rather than taking care of your parents, you say, oh, well, this is dedicated to the Lord. You take that money, and you slide it into your pocket, or slide it into your robe. But here, the rich young man is very impressed with his righteousness and his wealth, and he even impresses the twelve. When he is rejected, they don't say, well, yeah, that seems like a good, reasonable conclusion, Jesus. They say, if the rich guy can't get in, who can be saved? This man has access to every other realm in the world, but he can't get into the kingdom. Earlier I noted that the question that the rich young man asked could use a little bit of tweaking. And what tweaking am I referring to? Well, you see, the rich young man needs to ask this question like a child. This is one of the cases where children ask the better question. The rich young man, he's asking this question based off of what he has and what he can do. Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? And if I've been sufficient for every other task in this life because of my riches and my standing in the kingdom of man, why should the kingdom of God be any different? But children don't ask questions that way. Mom and dad, you know this. But children ask questions based off of what you have. Based off of what you can do. In fact, our passage this morning would be a lot shorter if Jesus was talking with the child. Verse 17 wouldn't have been, a good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? It would be, Jesus, give me eternal life. Jesus, I want eternal life. Of course, then the mom and dad would nudge the child and say, you need to say please. And then the little boy or girl would say, Jesus, please give me eternal life. Nothing in that request about what that child has or can do. But it's all about Jesus. And if you are not willing to make everything all about Jesus like this rich young man, you will find yourself outside of the kingdom. As I was preparing for this sermon, I thought about a recent trip I had to the craft store. I was doing a craft with my daughters, and we needed a hole puncher. So we're standing in line, and jokingly I say to my daughters, did you bring your wallet? and some parents around who were laughing. One of my daughters said, Daddy, kids don't need wallets. Kids don't need wallets. And it's silly because, friends, what kingdom do we know of where you don't need a wallet to get into? If you're going to get into the best schools, if you're going to be a part of the elite, the best of life, you need to be able to pull out a wallet and show something. Something that you have, something that you have done that gives you that stamp of approval. But with the Kingdom of God, we are able to say, I don't need a wallet. I can stand in the line. with expectancy that the Lord will provide what I need. Jesus is the way that God has made this possible. If the guy who has the biggest wallet can't get in, well, who can be saved? And what does Jesus say to His disciples? God has made it possible. He has given His Son And this is why this seemingly maybe unimportant note about Jesus' travel is crucial. Verse 17, and as He was setting out on His journey. Friends, Jesus is not on a nice stroll, trying to take in the sights and get better breathing out in the fresh air, but He is going to Jerusalem. He is on His way to take up your sin. to receive the punishment that you deserve, to taste the wrath of God that you show yourselves worthy of, to pay this penalty for you, so that you could be loved by the Father and enter into His presence with thanks, with worship, not reaching for your wallet to show yourself approved, but reaching for the Lord Jesus. Give me your righteousness. Give me eternal life. Give me your Spirit. Congregation, this week, would you like to feel better about not having it all together? Would you like to have comfort in knowing that you are not perfect? Would you like to know how to answer the times where you are reminded of the many things you can't do, the things you don't have? Here it is. Be like a child. Go into this week with deep confidence about what Jesus has and what He can do. I would urge you, go into the week this way. We've talked about who gets into the kingdom, and who doesn't get in. But what if you are in the Kingdom of God? This is the case for the disciples. They see the interaction with Jesus and the children. They see the interaction with Jesus and the rich young man, and so they're saying, well, Jesus, we've left everything and followed you. Remember that Jesus told the disciples earlier in Mark's Gospel that they had received the secrets of the Kingdom. And so they are asking Jesus, what about us? And you'll notice that when Jesus responds, he's not just answering the twelve, but he's answering all believers, all disciples who would ask this question. Jesus says, no one, right? He doesn't speak directly to the disciples, but he says, 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." What does it mean to live according to the Kingdom? There are a couple of ways you can say it. One, it means to live according to the King. Remember, the Kingdom of God is not so much about a location, a region, but a reign. but living according to the King who has brought you into the Kingdom of God. Another way we could say it is that living according to the Kingdom is to follow Jesus and imitate your older brother. You know, we can keep with the children idea. Being a child is how you get into the Kingdom. And you live according to the Kingdom by being like a child, imitating your older brother. Again, parents, you've seen this. I'm experiencing this a little bit now. Seeing my son try to do things that his older sisters are doing, and sometimes it's cute, and sometimes it's absolutely dangerous. But there is no danger in following the Lord Jesus. There is no danger in looking to your Savior and being directed on how to live, what you should pursue, embrace, reject, and resist against. And as Jesus answers the what about us presented by the disciples, we see four ways that we are urged this week to imitate our older brother. The first is his mission. Jesus is situating the loss that his disciples experience in the context of the gospel. Devotion to the Lord, those who have left these things for my sake and the Gospel. This is what you are living for in the Kingdom. The advancement of the Good News, the Gospel of the Kingdom. You are living in a way to bring glory to God and to see more people put down their wallets and become like children. And this is our calling, this is how we imitate our older brother who lives in this world, not for his own gain, but to obey and to complete the will of the Father. The next two, we wouldn't necessarily view these as rewards, because they're difficult, they're hard, and they're a little bit of an inconvenience. But notice that Jesus presents two things as rewards. The people of God, and persecution. You will receive, this is gift language, mothers, brothers, sisters, mothers, and persecutions. Of course, we want to say to Jesus, Lord, I'm not going to correct you, but something seems out of place in your sermon outline. That part about persecutions needs to either come before the blessings or after. You're telling us we're going to receive land, right? That we will inherit the world in the age to come. You're telling us we're going to receive the people of God. And people are hard, but I get it. But persecutions? Well, how's that a reward? Well, friends, should we ignore the witness of Scripture? That suffering, that persecutions, for the sake of Christ and his gospel is a reward. Here's Philippians 1 verse 29. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him. And that's why Peter and the apostles are flogged by the order of the Sanhedrin and Peter and the apostles rejoice because they have been counted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ. I don't stress this point to lead you to believe that when I'm not with you all, I'm praying, Lord, send as much persecution and suffering as you can to the United States, because I am not. But what I would hope, and allowing the scriptural witness to weigh on us this morning, that in the kingdom of man, when you suffer, all you get is shame, loss, You are not advancing in life, but in the Kingdom of God, when you suffer, when you face persecutions, you are not taking steps backward, but you are doing a grand and glorious thing, sharing in the sufferings of Christ, showing that what I am experiencing, either from outside persecution or the weakness of my body, these sufferings are not worth that they are light in comparison to the glory of God. That's a wonderful thing. But let me get back to the Church, briefly mention that. There is this very interesting thing going on in studies right now, and I've been reading some articles and listening to some podcasts, about the growth of Christianity. Is it declining? Is it growing? And one of the factors that I've heard experts talk about is this increase of those who say, would hear Jesus and say, yes, Jesus, I want your righteousness. Please give that to me. I will be a child to receive eternal life. Yes, Jesus, in my individual and personal life, if I suffer, I will know that I'm sharing in your suffering and will be assured that I will share with your glory in the age to come. as Jesus reaches into the benefits, the blessings of our salvation, and begins to hand to you brothers and sisters and mothers, well, it seems statistically that there's a growing number of people that say, absolutely not, you can take that back. Give me Jesus, but not his brothers, not his sisters, not the people of God. Friends, you are not just in pews with people who you happen to know at church, but they are blessings that the Lord has placed in your life to be encouraged by. To encourage. This morning, I wasn't expecting to be able to say this, but something that has been praying for a very long time, I heard God answer that prayer in somebody else's life. What an encouragement that was. And that encouragement didn't come through me scrolling through articles or something on the internet or reading devotional books, as useful as those things may be, but it came from being with the people of God. This week, friends, be a child. Don't live according to wallets, but live according to what the Lord has and does in your life faithfully, consistently. And imitate your older brother. We'll respond by singing Psalm 147, Selection A. Would you please stand for Psalm 147, Selection A.