"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." (Mark 10:14-15)
"One thing you still lack. Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then, come follow me." (Mark 10:21)
Walking
with Jesus is different than we may imagine.
It often leads down, rather than up.
Take the contrast in this passage, for instance. These two encounters with Jesus come one
after the other for a reason. Mark is
very intentional in this way throughout his entire gospel.
The
disciples thought the kingdom of God was about power and position, influence
and importance. They wanted to be rulers,
while Jesus was trying to teach them to be children. They wanted to be high and mighty, while
Jesus was trying to teach them to be least and lowly. They wanted to be independent and
self-sufficient, while Jesus was trying to teach them the necessity of dependence
and desperation.
Enter
the children. They were small, lowly,
and innocent. They were needy, weak, and
dependent. They were unimportant and insignificant,
the least of these from a societal perspective. Yet they were first in the kingdom of God. They were open and trusting and receptive. They were the ones Jesus blessed.
The
rich young ruler, on the other hand, was the direct opposite. He was wealthy, successful, powerful,
influential, and self-sufficient. He had
no need, just a gnawing feeling inside that there was something he still lacked. And in response to his question, Jesus looked
at him and loved him. In fact, Jesus
loved him enough to tell him the truth: he must give up everything and come
follow Jesus. In essence, Jesus told him
he must become like a little child if he wanted to enter the kingdom of God. But that was too much to ask of this
powerful, important man. So instead of
being blessed, he walked away sad.
Where do you find
yourself in this story? Who can you
relate to most? What does becoming like
a child
look like for you? Are you willing to do
it?
