When Jesus said that it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of an eel than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God, was he? commending poverty as a means for entry into heaven? Alastair Begg examines Jesus' response to the rich young ruler today on Truth for Life. He's teaching from chapter 18 in Luke's Gospel. Jesus is teaching them here: let the lens come back far enough and look at this.
He told a story concerning those who were confident in their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else. They walk away from that, presumably saying, Okay, we passed that test. They walk right into the circumstances where people are bringing children to Jesus and they say, Hey, Move along. Jesus doesn't have time for you. Jesus has time for the marginalized of society, doesn't he?
Jesus has time for the woman at the well. The religious hypocrite has no time for the woman at the well. The religious hypocrite who looks down on everybody else isn't even prepared to welcome over to his house a lady who's had five husbands and has a live-in lover. Sinful woman living down the street. Sinful woman in the office can believe that.
She's a hussy. Have nothing to do with her. To those who were confident in their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told the story. They thought they passed the test, they didn't pass the test. Because immediately the next incident arises and they blow it completely.
Do you see yourself in this at all? You see, in Roman antiquity, children were abused. They were susceptible to all kinds of adverse conditions. Child mortality was uh infant mortality was exceptionally high. They were the marginalized of society.
They were regarded as just out there. Infanticide was a large part of the culture. They were regarded as what they were not. The only value of a child ultimately was in the fact that they may become an economic producer in time. They may be able to walk behind the plow.
They may be able to stand in front of the sheep.
So that is the background in which children at this time are viewed. Therefore, without immediately jumping onto the side of the disciples, we can at least see why it is that they would respond as they did. Children are not the priority that we regard them as being today. And so they're saying, hey, folks, if you could just move along, please. Jesus has a lot of people to talk to, he has a lot of people to see.
For example, there's a ruler over here that I noticed earlier. Please don't go away, sir. Please. Make sure, John, that we keep a hold of this guy. He looks, he's a prime opportunity for following Jesus.
He may even be a foundational member of a church somehow. I think he has the look of a trustee about him. He's rich, he's asking the right questions, and he's a very obedient legalist. I think. Just don't go, sir.
No, we'll be with you. As soon as we get rid of these kids, we'll be with you. That's fine. Just wait there. Thank you.
Okay, now, Mrs., could you move along, please? Just get these kids out of here, Jesus.
So Jesus says, Hey. Cut it out. Let the children come to me. Don't you hinder the children. The kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
Not that the kingdom of God belongs to children, but the kingdom of God belongs to the childlike. Not a childish. The childlike Because verily, verily I say unto you, I miss that, don't you, from the King James Version: Verily, verily I say unto thee, I tell you the truth. Anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God, like a little child, will never enter it. See, what were the disciples doing?
They were denying children access to Jesus. And they were in turn refusing to welcome children themselves. And Jesus had already told them. Whoever welcomes a little child Welcomes me.
Now they're not welcoming the children. Therefore, they're not welcoming Jesus. Therefore, they need to hear the story all over again.
So that they might see, so that we might see how quickly we become confident of our own righteousness and look down. On Other people. Anyone who won't receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. Children can do anything to merit the kingdom of God. What are they going to do?
The amazing thing about a child in its infancy like that is its receptivity. And even when it grows to be able to trundle along and to walk and to talk, it becomes apparent that they will take virtually anything from you. They will trust you. They will reach out and take from you whatever you give them. Therefore, you have to be careful about what you put in their possession.
They're marked by a sense of just childlike trust and receptivity.
So says Jesus, if you're going to be finding yourself Talking about the kingdom, guys. Make sure that you're not turning away those who are the very emblems of what it means. to make entry. To the kingdom. I tell you the truth, he says: anyone who doesn't receive the kingdom of God like a little child.
as though one were a little child. Or, you know, it may even contain an ellipsis, and we won't delay on this, but this may be a more accurate translation. I tell you the truth: anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God. As one receives a little child. We'll never enter it.
Therefore disciples. Don't think that you can turn away the marginalized. And welcome me. Because those who welcome me Welcome the marginalized. Those who welcome me know that they have no basis upon which to approach God.
And those who know they have no basis upon which to approach God will then be exceptionally keen to welcome those who are the marginalized of society and realize that they have nothing at all to offer in their defense. Receiving the kingdom and receiving the children. are somehow intricately linked. in the instruction of Jesus.
So, from the children to the ruler there in verse 18, I don't think there's any reason for us to stop and go away and have a coffee and come back and say, Now, in the second half, we will be dealing with another subject altogether. We'll be moving on from the story of the children to the story of the rich young ruler. Look. records these in this way. Introducing us to this man, and I've tried to paint the picture.
It may be accurate, it may be inaccurate, I don't think that it will do you any harm to think in these terms, but rather than thinking that somehow or another the incident with the children happened, and then Jesus moved down the road 450 yards, and then he encountered the rich young ruler, I think probably we have legitimate right to. Imagine that the ruler has been on the fringes of this encounter. Jesus has just said, then anyone who tries to enter the kingdom of God without receiving a little child is never going to enter it. This rich young ruler who has been exceptionally concerned about eternal life, which is why he sought out Jesus, then takes what he has just heard and he applies it to what he's thinking and he comes up with the question with which verse 18 begins: Well, in light of that good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?
So, how does this principle, Jesus, work for me in as much as I'm a ruler?
Now, the response there in verse 19, why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone, is simply Jesus' way of making clear that if you think you're coming just to a mere man, then you shouldn't give him the ascription good because only God is good. And if you realize that you're coming to God, Then of course any kind of superficial flattery in your assignation is completely irrelevant. But the man wants to know what he should do.
Some of you are here and you want to know what you should do as well. Because you've been a doer all of your life. You have done very, very well. And it's understandable that you would then think, now that you've given yourself to the interest of spiritual things, that there is clearly something that you need to do, something that you need to contribute. And if someone will just set you in the right direction, you'll go for it, gangbusters, the way you've done in sports, the way you've done in your studies, and the way you've done in your career.
Now you are finally at this point in life deciding that you need to do something in this matter of the kingdom of God of eternity.
So just let me know, you're saying what I need to do to inherit eternal life.
So Jesus says, Well, if you want to talk about doing things, why don't you keep the Ten Commandments? And he iterates the closing five, the second half of the table of ten. And the young man says, Well, I've actually been keeping these since I was a boy. I haven't committed adultery. I haven't murdered anyone.
I wasn't stealing. I wasn't telling lies. And I've tried my best to honor my father and mother. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, Well, There's just one thing I'd like to mention to you. I'd like you to go and sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and then you can come and follow me.
And look at what happens when he heard this. He became very sad because he was a man of great wealth. He didn't have to become very sad, did he? He could have become very glad. He could have said fine.
If that's what's involved, let me do that. The reason that he becomes sad is because when Jesus puts his finger on the one thing that prevents him from giving up his life to Christ, he determines this matters more to me than entering your kingdom. And some of us are here this morning, and we have at least one thing that matters more to us than entering the kingdom. And Jesus, with masterful skill, puts his hand on our lives and he says to us, listen, this is what I want you to do. This is the thing that is preventing you from the childlike trust that will see you a member of my kingdom.
Clearly, Jesus doesn't ask everybody in the New Testament to sell their belongings and to leave their family. If that were the case, then this would be the message of the gospel. Sell your belongings, leave your family, you will have treasure in heaven, then become a follower of Jesus.
So everybody would be like Francis of Assisi. And then you would be able to become a follower of Jesus. Until you got there, then you couldn't follow Christ. There's another message.
So what is the principle? The principle is this, that while Jesus is not calling everybody to sell their belongings or to leave their family, he is calling everybody to surrender to him unconditionally the first place in my heart and in my life. He comes along the roads this morning and he says to you, I want you to surrender unconditionally the arms of your rebellion. The relationship that you have with Miss X is illicit and wrong. It prevents you from entering my kingdom.
Get rid of it. The preoccupation with who you are and what you've achieved is self-focused and it is wrong and it is detrimental. You're going to have to admit that you're nothing before you become anything. Get rid of it. Your intellect, whereby you are determining that you cannot trust in me, is a stumbling block to me.
Therefore, do not get rid of your intellect, but sacrifice your mind upon my altar and allow me to instill you with the wisdom that comes down from heaven. What is it, my dear friend, this morning, that prevents you from actually unconditionally, unreservedly trusting in Christ? and being welcomed into his kingdom.
Now, when the people heard this little dialogue, somebody jumped forward and said, Well, then, who in the world can get saved? You notice how all of these phrases are interwoven. Entry into the kingdom, treasure in heaven, being saved, eternal life. They're all just talking about the same thing. Life only goes on for so long.
This is the entree. This is not the main course. We're heading for an eternal destiny. That will be The end of it all, the sum of it all. Therefore, the question: how do we enter into eternal life?
How do we enter the kingdom? How are we saved? How do we have treasure in heaven? is a very important question. And if you're even asking it, it is an indication of the fact that God is at work in your heart and in your mind.
Because the average person right now is not asking that question. The average person right now is is reading The Plain Dealer. The average person right now is stuffing their face with donuts and drinking vast gallons of coffee. The average person right now is devoted to their family, is devoted to their freedom, is devoted to their boat, is devoted to whatever they're devoted to. And the fact that you're here and you've got an inkling in the back of your mind that you haven't answered the question about how do I enter the kingdom?
How do I discover eternal life? How do I have treasure in heaven? What does it mean to be saved? I have good news for you. God is at work in you.
He it is who is prompting you to these things, because by nature you don't even think of them. Isn't that a miraculous thought? And now he's saying to you, And to you in a way that I can't even understand, because I don't know you. He's saying, here comes a man all these years ago. He asked Jesus, What must I do to inherit eternal life?
Jesus said, If you could keep the commandments perfectly, you could do it. He said, well, I did them. Jesus says, no, you don't understand that your wealth is an idol. Therefore, you've broken the first commandment. You shall have no other gods before me.
Mm. Yeah.
So you're not going to be get there on the basis of what you do.
So the people say, Well, I don't know how anybody gets saved. Goodness gracious. If poverty is not the way you get saved, you know, if you throw up everything and you just bust then God saves you because you're Derelict? No. And you can get saved if you're rich relying on your stuff.
Then who can get saved? Is it as easy as a childlike Entry? Is it as difficult as is represented here in the story of the rich young ruler? Is it even possible? No.
Not with man. But with God. Because God saves people. We don't save ourselves. I mean, if we saved ourselves, what kind of salvation would that be?
If you saved yourself, how could you be ever sure that you'd done a good enough job of it? And if you saved yourself one Sunday, maybe you unsaved yourself on Tuesday. In which case you need to save yourself again the following Sunday. How would you ever know? It's impossible.
But when God saves, Ah, that's the business you see.
So you stand back from it all and you realize what Jesus is saying. To some who were confident in their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, he told a story to point out how easy it is for us to wear the shoes of a Pharisee. He made it absolutely clear that if we anticipate making an entry into the kingdom of heaven on that day when we enter into it in all of its fullness. Then we then need to live the principles of the kingdom now by God's enabling, whereby the marginalized of society, the poor and the women, and the lost and the widows and the prisoners and the children, Are the focus of our love and our devotion that they might come to hear the message of the gospel? Failure for us to welcome those on the margins of society calls in question whether we really understand what it means for Christ to welcome us.
Unless of course We've got such an eagle. That we've assumed that it's obvious why he would welcome us, because after all, you know. He knows who I am. He knows what a job I've done. He knows how well I've done with the commandments.
You should be pleased to have me. Oh, we may not say it so crassly, but that's what goes on inside of us. And then along comes the Bible. Hits us right on the back of the head. It says you're never going to heaven that way.
Give it up. It may have got you into your country club because you had five people write letters on your behalf. Even though you're a vagabond and a rascal and we all know it. It may have ensured that you got special treatment in your bank because of the amount that you've got in deposit somewhere else. You can use all of those things in the kingdom of man.
But none of these things matter a rap. in the kingdom of God. That is why. It is so hard. for rich men and women to be saved.
In fact, says Jesus humorously, You've tried to thread a needle? You've been stitching some tents. You've been putting that leather through the eye of the needle. Let me tell you something. It's easier.
for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. than for a rich man. to enter the kingdom of heaven. Why? Because we depend upon ourselves.
I can handle this. I can get those tickets. I can speak to someone. I'll be able to take care of it. Don't worry.
Don't worry. Because money is the universal passport to everywhere in a capitalist culture. It's the universal passport to everywhere except heaven. And it is the universal introduction to every pleasure except peace.
So, feeling the sting of it all, Peter jumps up and he says, Hey, Jesus. You know, we've left everything to follow you. Jesus says, let me tell you something. The people who leave this earthly journey in terms of parents and children and family and friends and resources for the sake of the kingdom will receive many times more in this age and in the age to come. Who Those who give it up for the sake of the kingdom.
But those who begin to follow Jesus for lesser motives, may have no assurance of such a promise. What if I gave it all up because of what I thought Jesus might give to me? What if I gave it all up because I thought of the accolades that may come as a result of hanging with Christ? What if I gave it all up simply because I thought that I would end up with more cash this way than I would have got any other way? What if my name was Judas Iscariot's?
So, the promises do not accrue to all who simply wander in the wake of Christ. Judas was there, and so was Peter. Nor do the promises accrue to those who give all these things up out of a selfish desire for their own peaceful, tranquil existence. In other words, monasticism is a dead-end street. Oh, look at him.
He gave it all up for the kingdom. He lives in a box. He doesn't have a wife. He doesn't have children. He doesn't have any.
Listen, if he didn't give it up for the kingdom of God, if he gave it up for all of the accolades that would come, or for the fact that he didn't really like people and he wanted to live in a box, then he has no prospect of the reward coming in the way in which Jesus said.
Now it's time to put the camera away. Yeah.
who would inherit life in the future. Must enter the kingdom of God. in the present. And those who involve Enter the kingdom of God in the present will be embraced by the topsy turvy values. of the kingdom Of a life that is energized by God's Spirit.
That is galvanized by God's Word. And that is responded to. Not on the adult nature. Of my doubts. But on the basis of the childlike nature.
of my trust. Listening to Truth for Life, that is Alistair Begg with a message titled How to Enter the Kingdom. Alastair returns in just a moment to close today's programme. Truth for Life, one of the things we care about deeply is the local church and the men who are called to lead it. In fact, our mission statement reflects that passion.
We're committed to teaching the Bible with clarity and relevance, so that unbelievers might hear and respond to the gospel, and believers in local churches would be strengthened. Do you lead a local church, a ministry, or maybe a Bible study? If you do, let me encourage you to check out the newest release of Truth for Life's feature for pastors and churches on our website. You'll find free and at-cost teaching you can use in your church's Bible studies to help you with your congregation's evangelistic efforts. And for pastors, we're featuring a six-lecture series from Alistair to encourage junior ministry.
You can work through the series and companion study guide at your own pace. You'll find our Four Pastors and Churches page online. Go to truthforlife. org slash churches.
Now here is Alastair with a closing prayer. Father, I pray. that out of an abundance of words we might hear your voice. Calling us away from self-confidence. Calling us away from making ourselves feel better because we can look down on others who look worse.
Failing to see ourselves as we stand before the majesty and Glory of Christ. Bereft of anything to plead in our defence, As helpless as a tiny child. As messed up as the tax collector. as self-confident. as the wealthy ruler I pray that you will accomplish your purposes in each of our lives.
bringing men and women to an end of themselves and to trust in you. Bringing those of us who have been slipping back on the shoes of religious hypocrisy. To kick them off and to run away from them, to run into your embrace. Those of us who have begun to embrace the values of the kingdom of the earth. who are deriving our satisfaction and our peace and our security From our bank balance and from our portfolio and from the things that we've put around us.
Help us, Lord Jesus, to realize that you've given us all these things in order that we might share them. In order that we might give them away. In order that we might embrace. The upside-down values.
So that we might choose humility and discover exaltation. rather than choosing exaltation. and finding ourselves abased. Here are our prayers. And may the Lord Bless and keep us.
May His grace and mercy and peace. From the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit rest upon and remain with each one. Until the day when we receive an abundant entry into the kingdom of God. But we pray in Christ's name. Amen.
Thanks for listening today. Tomorrow we'll find out what it takes for someone who is spiritually blind. to see. The Bible teaching of Alastair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life. Where the Learning is for Living.
