Luke 18:15-30
15 Now they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them.
16 But Jesus called for the little ones, saying, “Allow the children to come to Me, and do not forbid them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
17 Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”
18 A ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
19 But Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.
20 You know the commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not give false testimony, Honor your father and mother.’ ”
21 And he said, “All these things I have kept since my youth.”
22 Now when Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
23 But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely wealthy.
24 And Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!
25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God!”
26 Those who heard Him said, “And so who can be saved?”
27 But He said, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”
28 Peter said, “Behold, we have left our own homes and followed You.”
29 And He said to them, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house, or wife, or brothers, or parents, or children for the sake of the kingdom of God,
30 who will not receive many times as much at this time, and in the age to come, eternal life.”
A Faith of a Child and the Rich Young Man
A faith of a child
It is not entirely clear why the disciples rebuked those who were bringing children to Jesus. Perhaps they thought Jesus should not be bothered any further. Or maybe they assumed that children would not be able to understand what Jesus was saying. But Jesus highly valued the simple trust and the capacity to receive love that children possess. Let us remember that children are given a kind of spirituality that adults often lack and let us speak to them with words of faith from an early age. Even if results do not appear right away, let us continue speaking without losing heart.
The rich young man
In contrast to the faith of a child is the faith of the rich young man. To put it plainly, there are two major misunderstandings found in him. (1) A misunderstanding about who God is. He addressed Jesus by saying, “Good Teacher.” However, the term “good” was meant to be used only for God and was not to be spoken lightly. This young man had not deeply considered who God was nor who Jesus was. He was merely using words of flattery. (2) A misunderstanding about what the Law truly is. To correct this, Jesus first brought up the commandments related to human relationships from the Ten Commandments. The young man replied, “All these things I have kept since my youth.” Then Jesus told him to sell all he possessed and distribute it to the poor. Upon hearing this, the young man became very sad. This passage is not teaching salvation by works. Rather, it reveals that the heart of this young man was not set on God, but on his possessions. Though he claimed to be keeping the Law, he did not understand the spirit of the Law, which is to put God first. Jesus said, “For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God!” (v 25). It seems that Jesus was also rich in humor. Indeed, those who are wealthy, talented, or hold positions of power often find it difficult to fully rely on God’s grace. However, whether one is poor or rich, the truth remains unchanged: all people are saved by grace through faith. Is there anything within you that hinders you from receiving God’s grace? Let us return those things to God. He will give us even better things (ref. Phil. 4:19).
Today's prayer
Father God of Jesus Christ, please search my heart to see if there is any “pride” that hinders me from trusting in You. May I place my trust in You alone, the One who supplies all my needs. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.