Mark 10:1-31, How Do I Get In?

our chapter 10 be reading from verses 1 to 31 hear the word of the lord And he left there and went to the region of judea and beyond the jordan and crowds gathered to him

And again, as was his custom, he taught them And pharisees came up and in order to test him ask

Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife? He answered them What did moses command you?

They said moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away And jesus said to them

Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment, but from the beginning of creation god made them male and female

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife And the two shall become one flesh so they are no longer two but one flesh

What therefore god has joined together let not man separate And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter and he said to them

Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her And if she divorces her husband and marries another she commits adultery

And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them and the disciples rebuked him

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

And he took them in his arms and blessed them Laying his hands on them And as he 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 kept 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 saying

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 Then who can be saved? And 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 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 hundred fold 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 But many who are first will be last and the last first May the lord add his blessings to the reading of his holy word.

Well, have you ever wanted to get into something? And couldn't Maybe like a club or a fraternity or sorority a university a country a relationship

Now there's entrance requirements Twice in singapore. I was denied a permanent resident status, even though I was married to a singapore citizen

Now they let me stay in the country. They didn't prohibit me from the country, but they let me stay as long as I was

Working and so I was given a what's called a work permit as a foreigner you give a foreigner a work permit

So if he becomes a nuisance like if I became a nuisance to the country, they don't want me around anymore They can easily get rid of me by revoking the work permit and then

I am legally declared in legal terms persona non grata persona person non without Grata grace literally a person without grace

Foreigners are in other countries by grace And so if they become a persona non grata, they have no grace they can't be in the country anymore

So they'll take you and they'll throw you out of the country Foreigners are around the countries by grace not by right like citizens are so when mary and I were seeking to go to ethiopia

We were first denied a visa which is the entrance requirement From their embassy in singapore.

And so we went to kenya Where the ethiopian embassy there gave us a visa and we finally got in to ethiopia

What about you? Ever had a hard time getting into something you wanted into Some of you here had a hard time getting in or staying in this country

There are entrance requirements like having to show for the u .s To get a permit to get a visa or to get a permanent resident status

You have to show that you won't go on welfare anytime soon universities sports teams orchestras

Some occupations have entrance requirements. We probably all accept the reality that you have to meet requirements to get in To some of these things we probably accept it

Even if we're disappointed if we're we happen to be the one where that's excluded by them And we know if only we had we worked harder, you know studied harder

Get by the entrance exams. We had trained harder to make the team or whatever If we had said the right thing at the interview that we could have gotten in we think

Or that we think that The entrance requirements we accept them if we if we think they're fair Even if we don't have what it takes, but we recognize they're fair and it's not my you know

I just didn't have what it takes to get in. We weren't good enough to make the team Was a good enough basketball player.

I couldn't play the instrument well enough to make the the band orchestra We're disappointed if we don't get in but we know it's fair and so we accept it.

We could have done it if only Whatever Now in the past some institutions kept people out because of race

Because being of the right race was an entrance requirement the chinese exclusion act of 1882

Excluded people because of race no chinese allowed Schools universities some professions excluded people based on race this

Building that we're in right now was built by a school that excluded people because of race

This building was built to keep out black people You could be one of the smartest people around like ben carson or neil degrasse tyson the famous astronomer uh, kondoleeza rice

And you not be allowed entry Because you're black That's just unjust that's just unfair because you can't really do anything about that So we think we don't like those kind of interest requirements.

You you understand interest requirements that are fair That are just They're, you know, you understand having to make to be a good basketball player to make the team

And you if you couldn't make it You know, it's your fault You you don't have this talent or you didn't work out hard enough or you have to score high on the sats to make it

Into some college or do you have to show that you won't go on welfare to make it into the country? those make sense because they're achievable

They're what you can bring to the institution or to the country Those make sense because you can you can do them with enough effort or at least they're fair Uh, we like to think we can always earn our way in with enough work or talent

Or maybe buy our way in We like to think that we could have gotten in if we if we tried harder

We don't like to think that we can't that it's just impossible It is beyond what we can do

That it'll take a miracle What do you want in How about to the kingdom of god to what we often call inaccurately

Heaven what's better called eternal life like we see in this passage here paradise god's family

Also here the kingdom of god. How are you going to get in? We see that in three parts here in this passage how you get in covenant

You receive and you rely On a miracle Well, jesus here is on his long march to jerusalem

Starting in galilee in the north going south Toward jerusalem and this whole passage here occurs

On that march on that trip as he's heading to jerusalem He crosses the jordan river up in the north just south of the lake of galilee, you know, he runs runs north and south

He goes south to the lake to the area east of jericho And crosses the jordan river again, which is the usual way of people from Galilee going to jerusalem and enters judea

Heading west into jerusalem on the way crowds are gathering around him and he taught them

So a group of pharisees comes to says to test him Now we're we've already been told in mark all the way back in chapter three verse six that these pharisees they're plotting to kill him

And so we know that what they're asking these aren't sincere questions Like they're just really debating.

Y 'all they want to be taught They're they're looking for an opportunity to catch him in something. He says and some aren't guarded comment so they can accuse him

That the word test there is like an army patrol kind of being sent out to test the enemy lines

Where it's weak or where it's fortified a reconnaissance mission To try out the defenses now their trick question

Is about divorce They must have known that jesus had very high standards strict requirements

Into the kingdom of god be perfect as your father in heaven is perfect Maybe higher than the law of moses so if they can catch him contradicting the law they can accuse him a blasphemy

And so they ask in verse two. Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife? Now he responds by asking them what moses commanded in verse three

Interesting. Did you notice the way put jesus put it? When he returns the question back on them.

He says what did moses command? you Wait, why you?

Why didn't he say? What did moses command us? himself part of those who are commanded why

Command you like the command Like the command wasn't for him

It's like he's putting himself above the law Like he's implying that He gave it

But the pharisees don't catch that and they just repeat the command back from deuteronomy chapter 24 Jesus's response comes in three parts

First there's the concession second. There's the creation and third. There's the culpability

And he says in verse five because of your hardness of heart. He wrote you this commandment

That's the that's the concession Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you again this commandment wait again

How does jesus know the motivation behind the command? Right because the statement's about a motivation because of your hardness of heart.

This is the motivation. How does he know that? He says the command if you want a divorce write a certificate give it to her and then you can send her away

It was a he says it's a concession To their hard hearts. How can he possibly know that?

unless like before He's the actual lawgiver He's saying yes, the command is there but it's there it's a concession to your heart heartedness because at heart

You're self -centered The command about a certificate of divorce is a concession in other words is something granted

To people who aren't able to do any better If you can't do any better than this then getting divorced

Okay, you do it this way to regulate and mitigate what was going to happen No matter what they were going to get divorced because they had hard Selfish dead hearts they used marriage for themselves that confused what marriage was for How do you get into the kingdom of god?

By a covenant A covenant with god

And if you're in a covenant with god, you should now be able to understand what marriage is supposed to be

Marriage is for marriage for all people whether believers or not marriage is for all people But divorce is a concession for people who are not in a new covenant

With the lord a covenant that gives a new living tender hearts

Marriage is a covenant and he says from creation in verse 6 notice in verse 6 jesus started talking about creation

The the way people were intended to be from when they were created Before that sin twisted everything and gave people hard hearts

Creation shows that people were made male and female For the married and jesus here is teaching as a single man, but he can do that Because they are created male and female then in verse 7 a man leaves his parents and clings to his wife

Jesus here shows that that the marriage relationship is the central relationship.

It is the center Of the family it's at the core If a family is like a solar system

The marriage is the sun Okay, so the marriage is the most important relationship More important even than parent child

I don't think this prohibits the traditional chinese practice of married couples Living with their parents or their in -laws when

I lived in singapore. My mother -in -law lived with us But it does mean that the parents or the in -laws can't be allowed to interfere or undermine or overwhelm

Because there's just so domineering The marriage here. Jesus says that creation shows that in marriage we leave our parents and cling to our spouse

Maybe we don't have to leave physically actually distance ourselves from our parents, but we do have to leave spiritually

As a priority in our hearts and mentally where our time our money and our attention goes the marriage comes first it comes first because It's a covenant

It's a covenant in which in verse 8 the two become one flesh Which is first literally I believe an allusion to sex

It shows why sex must be restricted to marriage because sex is from creation Intended to be what first literally and then spiritually makes a man and a woman one flesh

Notice how jesus insists on the the one fleshness Of a married couple in verse 8.

He first quotes the passage from genesis chapter 2 verse 24 And then says so That's the original creation there from genesis chapter 2.

So that is as a result of creation the implication for us now By being married they are the man and the woman

No longer two but one flesh God has designed it that way to join a man and a woman together

Notice in verse 9 god does it Right the the state

Doesn't do it. The government doesn't do it. We don't do it God does it so the state can't redefine marriage.

We can't redefine marriage. It's already defined Right god does it god has joined a man and a woman together by marriage marriage was created to be his tool

To make them one So don't you? Try to separate them

Now the stun the disciples These are the disciples the pharisees. We don't know how they responded the disciples are just stunned and so they ask him more

I'll be at a later time beginning verse 10. Now. They're not testing Him they they really want to know more

And so jesus clarifies about the culpability Well, it was what happens in a divorce

Who is at fault? In verse 11, he says whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her

Which is interesting that last part isn't against her like she's the victim assuming it's the man here seeking the divorce and it would be

Vice versa with the woman she gets divorced from him. He's she's committed adultery against him

Notice first who's couple that is who is guilty in this a generation or so ago

But probably still many around today many christians taught that divorce in a divorce Both both partners were guilty and neither could be married without guilt

Which I guess would be the case if they both thought divorce at the same time But that's not what jesus says. He's saying that in a divorce the one who takes the initiative

That is the one who is active to do the divorcing who is seeking the divorce

In their case the man who writes the certificate of divorce and sends the wife away now technically in jewish law

Only the man could divorce the woman Although i'm sure in actual practice Any skillful woman could manipulate her way into getting the man to get the divorce if she really wanted to but whatever

But technically only the man could divorce the woman so that's why the focus is on the man here Now in our case the one who files for divorce that is the divorcer

The one who's legally seeking the divorce Usually the plaintiff in the divorce suit The one who is somehow active to make the divorce happen

He or she according to jesus here is the perpetrator He or she is guilty and if that one remarries

He or she is guilty of adultery even adultery against The former spouse who is the victim

The one who instigated the divorce the active one the perpetrator is guilty of adultery and adultery was a capital offense in old israel

Under the law and paul will later write in first corinthians chapter six That adulterers are excluded from the kingdom of god.

No adulterer will inherit the kingdom of god They don't meet the insurance requirements Now I hate talking about divorce

And i'm only doing it here because I have to It's in this passage we're preaching through it and I hate it because in actual practice is it's messy and it's complicated and um, it's difficult to say

Direct blatant things about it And I think christians in the past were wrong To say that every divorce person was guilty

Even the one who was trying to keep the marriage together and in the other would just wouldn't listen because someone can be

Um the one who was served the divorce papers who is trying to stop the divorce

And the other spouse is just hard -hearted Maybe immoral maybe just already living with another person and is the one the other person is seeking the divorce and in our system

There's really nothing he or she can do to stop it You can try to contest it in court, but you're going to lose after a while such a person

I believe is not culpable And can be married because he or she didn't break the covenant the other one did

And marriage is a covenant it's not just a contract There's a restaurant on riverside drive

That I never go to anymore because they broke a contract with me a verbal contract, but that's a contract

About a decade ago. I ordered a steak medium rare and it came out. Well done I showed it to the waitress asked for a new steak

And they took so long to bring the new one and the old well -done one was still lying there in front of me So I took a few bites of it and then they tried to charge me for that, too

No You broke the contract I ordered medium rare.

That was the contract. The contract is you give me medium rare steak. I give you money That's the way it works.

Now. There were rabbis in jesus's time who taught that you could divorce for the same reason She burned the food.

I ordered a medium rare and she brought me a well done cancelled Well because they thought marriage was just like a contract it's about functions you perform you do these tasks

I'll give you this back up for you. It's an exchange like business It's just like many people today think so if they're if they're not keeping their side of the bargain

They're giving me a well -known steak when I want a medium rare the contract is broken and i'm going to go elsewhere

Made a china dragon get some chinese food there But that's not what marriage is

It's a covenant To be in a relationship It's not a contract just to perform certain functions

Like you might have with a contractor in your house, right? He comes in he's a contractor, but he doesn't perform the functions, right?

You you fire him and you get another one You're not in a covenant with him. You're not a relationship with him But a covenant is about a relationship that you enter into and it can only be broken if the other partner

Has already broken it It's abandoned the relationship Broken the covenant and entered into a covenant with someone else

Now, how do you get into god's family by him making a covenant with you?

Now if he does that he will never break it He will never abandon you He will never be hard -hearted

He'll never get tired of you Because you're not performing the functions, right? You're giving him well on stakes

You're never meeting up to his standards now that he's he's faithful and he's tender -hearted

And he's committed to you Can't you be in a covenant with someone else like that How do you get into god's kingdom

By a covenant Well in this way to jerusalem parents brought their kids to jesus to be blessed by him

He's the famous rabbi and the disciples kind of his handlers like his entourage They rebuked and they scolded them.

They corrected them for their error what they thought was the parents error You know, don't you see that? Jesus is a very important person

He doesn't have time to be distracted by your little kids get out of here But when jesus saw that in verse 14, he was angry

The same story is told in although in matthew and luke But only here in mark does it tell us that jesus is angry.

Usually the word translates indignation Like it's kind of fancy and sanctified sounding word. It just literally means he's angry

And jesus is has anger um Because they violated

His mission what he came to do jesus indignation shows how deeply the disciples had violated jesus's mission jesus was angry because the disciples were excluding people for the wrong reason here because Because they're lowly

In the world's eyes, they're insignificant They're unimportant They have no power.

They have no they can't give you money. They can't do anything for you So he gives two commands let the children come to me

Let them have jesus's time and attention then put another way Do not hinder them don't put anything in their way to be near jesus

Now throughout church history many people have done mischievous things with this passage Like first assuming that we come to jesus through baptism and so we shouldn't prohibit small children even babies from being baptized

In fact, I bet I don't have any proof for it. But I just I just I'm, most willing to bet that way back like in the in the second century when infant baptism first started

I bet it started when someone brought their baby to church said baptize my baby after all jesus said don't prevent the babies from being

Coming to him being baptized. Of course, we don't come to jesus through baptism. We get baptized

Because we've already come to jesus and this passage has absolutely nothing to do with baptism What it's about is how you come into god's kingdom

They thought some people have a right to be in at least they have kind of priority boarding to get through the door

They're the big shots. They're the somebody's They get to be first in line. They get priority

And jesus tells him in verse 14 No to such like these children

It belongs to the kingdom of god What are the children doing

That is how you get into the kingdom of god They're showing us the children are showing us something about how to get into the kingdom of god.

How what are they doing? Well, jesus says truly I say to you whoever does not receive

The kingdom of god like a child shall not enter it children

Receive They're not too proud simply to be given something They're given their dinner.

They're given their clothes And he said be like a child and receive

Not like an adult, you know, he's always got to pay his way Just show that he can pay his way who won't receive a gift because he has to assert his

Self -sufficiency To show that he or she you know i've earned it and I got to show that i've earned it

If that's your attitude But you don't you don't need grace That you're you're noble enough

You're good enough. You've earned enough to get in You deserve your way in you think?

If that's your attitude You'll not get in you'll be persona non grata

We enter god's kingdom by receiving entry like a child And so jesus received the children

In verse 19, he takes them in his arms And he blesses them. He's laying his hands on them and playing a blessing and playing and he's praying for them.

We cherish children from the womb to youth Now today is sanctity of your life sunday

Remember the children who can be legally killed in this country as much as our self -righteous and selfish culture wants to deny it

Follow the science some say the fact is the science shows that there is no objective There's no biological reason to say that a child before birth is any less a person than a child after birth

That a child before birth should have fewer rights than a child after birth say whether the child in the womb is depending on his mother

You know, there's at least two babies here, you know very well These babies still depend on their parents for several years after they're born

We live in a culture now that no matter what they say Radically devalues children.

We've seen that in the pandemic children's education and once -in -a -lifetime experiences for for them You know like sports or socializing or church even they have been sacrificed by adults

Because of the adults fear of a virus That we've known from the beginning rarely harms children

But we don't care because we this culture doesn't care

About children we can even kill them Now imagine since jesus is angry with the disciples here.

There's barring children Imagine how angry he is with this country

For what we do to them. Well here jesus says do not hinder them including by It seems to me including by cutting them in pieces

Or locking them down Value them bring them to jesus and like them that is like the baby who all he or she can do

Is receive Like them Receive How do you get into god's kingdom?

Well, that's what a rich young man wanted to know Other gospels tell us that he was a ruler too. So he's he's got a lot going for him doesn't he's powerful

He's rich. He's young. He's religious. He's probably good looking too. It doesn't say But he seems to have everything going for him here.

He meets jesus as jesus continues his long march to jerusalem To give his life and he meets him one morning as just jesus is starting to set out for the day

He comes running to jesus Kneeling on the ground now you normally wouldn't expect a rich ruler to come running

Right running is not really dignified and rulers would be dignified looking but he is he's running and then he's kneeling down But that's exactly what he does in verse 17 and we would think

Well this man again, you know, he has everything going for him. He's a he's a big shot He has lots of cash his whole life is ahead of him.

He's a good guy, too He's not cocky or uppity. He's well mannered. He's humble here.

We see he's respectful. He's earnest He even believes in jesus at least to some extent.

He respects jesus What's not to love about this guy? Indeed verse 21 says that jesus loved him now we would think surely he

Is going to get into the kingdom of god And that's what he's asking for in verse 17 notice by the way that the rich young ruler asks how he can inherit

Eternal life and jesus says later down in verses 23 and 24 That that the man was seeking to enter the kingdom of god and this shows us that inheriting eternal life

Is the same thing as entering the kingdom of god that there are different ways of talking about the same experience

To have eternal life is to enter god's kingdom and vice versa Now surely of all people he meets the requirements doesn't he?

He's running to jesus he's kneeling on the ground he's humble he's asking he's not just testing he's sincerely asking

Good teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life? Now jesus catches on the word good

Why do you call me good? Jesus isn't saying he's wrong to call him good.

He's not implying that He's saying think about why are you calling me good? Only god is good.

You're right to call me good So, what does that mean? Another one of those hints

About who he is But back to the question. How do you inherit eternal life? How do you get into god's kingdom this man really wants to know?

Notice what jesus does A couple of weeks ago a prominent evangelical pastor said that for 2022 on a new year's resolution

He said our new year's resolution should be that we not tell people should for this year

You know like you should do this or you should not do that Telling people should he said was the law

And we should ironically We should be about the gospel Now that's horrible advice

It's unbiblical and it shows that he doesn't fully understand the gospel in the first place Look what jesus does here, right?

This man is coming to him. How am I get it into the kingdom of god? And jesus gives him the law

He tells him shoulds In verse 19 you you know the commandments and jesus starts with the sixth commandment goes in order

Uh, don't murder don't commit adultery. Don't steal don't bear false witness Don't defraud kind of a combination of the last two lying in order to steal

And back to the fifth commandment honor your parents. Jesus is telling him the law He's using the law what he should do to make him aware of his sin to see his need for grace

This is what in reform theology is called the first or the evangelical use of the law

Evangelical means of the gospel. It's using the law to prepare the way for the gospel The way the law prepares people for the gospel is by making them

See that they need the gospel, you know in james. He says the law is like a mirror You know, it shows us that our hair is messed up or whatever.

We got something dirt on our face The the law shows us that about ourselves

You should do this it tells us you should be perfect, but you can't It's to wake people up to the fact that they don't have eternal life

That they fail the insurance requirements to make it into god's kingdom. And so they're they're not going to get in as they are

Now this risk this rich young man is still not aware He's deluded by his religion his morality

Teacher which is a term of respect. Like I said, he's respectful all these I've kept from my youth really really

He's really kept all the law So he really loves the lord with with all his heart and his mind and his strength

He obeys all the lord's commands. Well, really let's see Let's apply more of the law more of god's insurance requirements more shoulds

Until we see this apply enough until we see what's really in his heart

And jesus looked at him says he loved him. And so he tells them the truth you lack one thing

Sell all that you have and give to the poor And then you will have treasure in heaven

And come follow me Um, those are the requirements Everything but being rich Having so many things here nice houses luxury cars the newest tech stuff

Every day probably luxury clothes probably silk everything you could want Being rich He couldn't

Let it go He was willing to keep some rules sure But he wasn't willing to give everything to follow jesus and so it goes away sad excluded from the kingdom

As he's slinking away frowning Jesus looks around at his disciples notice this interesting.

There's like an eyewitness This is why eyewitnesses talk even members telling us this story.

Jesus looking at them Jesus looks around his disciples and says how difficult it will be for those who have wealth

To enter the kingdom of god Now that they can't understand they just assume somebody has wealth

God has blessed them and god has blessed them because he approves of them. So the wealth is proof That that god likes them loves them.

He's going to accept them Well, but he jesus says the rich can't buy their way in the rich are too attached to the things

They have their possessions possess them If the rich young ruler or any rich person is to have a childlike trust he must they must we must

Loosen our grip on our money on our things And not be possessed by them

But that's bewildering to the disciples Who have been keeping children away from jesus? While letting big shots like this guy get right there.

You notice they didn't keep this guy from jesus. Did they? If the rich can't get in that's what they're thinking the disciples

I think if the rich can't get in the rich who god has blessed and so he must approve of them they think

Who can get in? Well, jesus tells them in verse 24 look at that verse 24 children

Wait, you're jesus saying your children you disciples Your children like those you were trying to keep out

You thought those little kids were a lot different than you not really children your children How difficult it is to enter the kingdom of god the interest requirements are forbidding

It's difficult It's easier for a camel how difficult is it? Well, it's easier for a camel now camel would be the the largest animal that was around in that part of the world

Otherwise if you just live normally and you didn't travel back to africa to see alberts The camel was the largest animal you would have ever seen

So you imagine otherwise you say get think of the biggest animal you've ever seen It's easier for that huge animal like a camel to go through the eye of a needle

That is the smallest opening they know of but you Will you thread the needle sewing needle? It's easier for that To happen than for a rich person

Even if blessed by god with all their money and their things For a rich person to enter the kingdom of god

They can't believe it They're astonished They still don't get it

They still think there must be interest requirements that they can meet there must be standards that they can achieve

Something they can do some status that they can earn that gives them priority to get in and so they ask

If the wealthy can't make it Then who can be saved? In verse 26

It's got to be worse for us. God hasn't favored us with a lot of money. He must not really like us He's favored them and he's they're still not gonna make it we can't make it

And so the second time in verse 27 is jesus looked at them This is another touch of an eyewitness, right?

I think about 30 years later and mark was written peter telling this to mark peter remembers

Peter remember I remember jesus looked at us and he said with man

It is impossible It's difficult to enter the kingdom of god with man. It's not just difficult. It's impossible with man with you people

But you people who can be saved? Well, no one it's impossible. Just forget it.

You can't do it You'll never be able to meet the interest requirements But not with god

For all things are possible with god even you

You Getting into the kingdom It takes a miracle

How do you get in? You must rely On a miracle

God must do it. Well peter thinks he's in See in verse 28 jesus look what we've given up we've left everything and followed you of course they didn't have so much to leave but Maybe that was god's mercy on them not letting them get possessed by their possessions

By not letting them have so many possessions in the first place It's easier to leave everything if everything

Is it very much? But yes still If you're willing to leave everything

Houses brothers sisters mother Or father or children that is your family

Are you willing to stand up to your family if they are undermining Your following jesus or your real estate your houses your property

You're willing to leave it For the sake of jesus and for the gospel if you are

He will reward you and some of that reward he says here Is now it's not all just heavenly in the future.

It's now in this age It's before the kingdom of god comes over everything you will get you'll get better homes and relationships

Even better Brothers and sisters and mothers because they're in the church although with persecutions from the world and finally

Finally you'll get in the age to come finally You'll get what that rich young man couldn't get because he wouldn't let go of his things finally

Eternal life You'll be allowed into the kingdom of god because you've relied on a miracle

Believing in what only god could do you were willing to loosen your grip on the all the things of this world

But many who are first now Who get priority? now

Like that rich young ruler the big shots the elite the successful Those who make it into all the exclusive institutions the right universities and fraternities and so forth they have too much invested in the here and now and so we'll

Be the last They will be the least the excluded

Persona non grata later While many of those now like peter

Later Like you maybe Will be first later

How do you get into god's kingdom? How do you get into his family?

Well, you're in a relationship with him You're in a covenant with him Not a contract that stipulates how you can earn your way in if you you keep your end of the bargain

But a covenant a tender -hearted committed covenanted relationship

Relationship You receive it If you receive the grace to enter you are a person with grace a

I guess persona grata And then you're welcome in If you rely on a miracle something naturally impossible something you could not possibly do like getting a huge camel to fit through the needle's eye

Something that you could never make happen If you rely on god then yes

You're in so how about you how are you going to get in?