Mark Chapter 10 Verse 13

• A lot going on here in this first verse. First that word “they” there as in “they brought little children to Him,” that word is specifically in the masculine in the Greek and so check this, it was the fathers who brought their children to Jesus!

• And the English does us no justice here because we simply read that “they brought their little children to Him, that He might touch them,” but in the Greek the whole idea changes. What Mark wrote was much more powerful than simply our word “touch.” The word he uses literally means to fasten one’s self to, to cling to, to adhere to…to embrace in such a way as to permanently affect…

• And so here is a powerful and beautiful picture as the fathers of little ones were setting aside their projects, laying down their cultural conjectures…I mean remember, the Pharisees, the religious leaders, the political rulers…they had just a moment ago publicly accosted Jesus in an attempt to discredit Him and make a fool out of him and here in the next moment…fathers press past them to bring their kids to Jesus!
• But now it’s the disciples standing in their way! Wow, they got past the religious elite, past the world, past the haters and yet now they are faced with another obstacle standing in their way of Jesus…Christians! HA! Oh man how this happens even today! Christians who begin to think that they’ve got it going on…that they’ve figured it all out and they’re good to go ya know…no you’re not…Jesus said very clearly, “Apart from Me you can do nothing!”   We either stay entirely dependent upon Jesus and the Word of God or we become…well…nothing…or worse yet, a stumbling block.

• Now this scene is practically understandable. There were multitudes requesting Jesus’ attention and touch. But what is practically understandable isn’t always eternally correct…don’t rely on what you “think” or “feel” is right. Rely upon the Word of God man…

• Watch this. They rebuked the fathers, the little ones, they act, take action based upon their practical, situational understanding…Jesus rebukes them…

Mark Chapter 10 Verses 14 – 16

• Ernest Hemingway once said, “As you get older, it is harder to have heroes…” As a kid. No problem. Everyone is a hero in a way to them. Why? What have they done? What have they accomplished? Nothing! They are entirely dependent. And so characters are larger than life! Places like Disney World have an air of fantastic intrigue…and now we take our kids there what do we see? All the flaws, all the long lines, all the food prices…the heat, the false facade architecture…what does a child see? Wonder and belief, right?
• You see we adults are often childish, not childlike…two completely different ideas. We’ve experienced much. We’ve come through, gone through, made it through…much. We’ve learned to depend on…ourselves…especially as you get older and older and older and finally Chin’s age! HA!
• I noticed this week, Link never locks the front door before bed. He never balances the checkbook. He’s only held money a hand full of times in his life. He finds a penny and it’s like MONEY!! You can hear him screaming as he runs down the hallway talking’bout, “I’m rich.” He’s never asked me if there will be food in the fridge next week. He just has absolute confidence that when it’s time to eat dinner, April and I will feed him…and not carrots and beets and disgusting horrible evil foods like that! But man crispy French fries…warm soft baked breads and clean fridge filtered ice water or *gasp* soda!
• You see children can’t explain a lot…but they sure enjoy a lot. As we get older, on the other hand, we want to explain everything and we end up enjoying almost nothing, very little if anything. (Kaylee’s prayers) The way of the Kingdom of an infinite God is not the explanation of a finite man or finite woman. That doesn’t even make sense…The way of the Kingdom of God is not explaining, it’s enjoying. Just trusting that Dad will see us through, that He’s good, He loves us and that come what may…He’s locking the front door, He’s stocking the fridge, He’s balancing the books…and we simply are alive in Him!
• And as Jesus explains this wonderful concept perfectly, He takes the little one into His arms and blesses them…And as you drop your demands and quit being so childish and step a bit more into childlikeness…He does the same to you…

Mark Chapter 10 Verse 17

• Now check out this emerging pattern. This man runs to Jesus, bows to Him, we’ll find out in just a moment that this man is very religious and knows the Word of God, yet something is missing…he still thinks, feels, senses there’s more to do…but he’s got it all, done it all right, what gives?…lets watch…

Mark Chapter 10 Verses 18 – 22

• What a crazy scene. Let’s break this down step by step. The man, Luke tells us he is a ruler, Mark tells us he is rich, runs to Jesus, elbows through the crowd…he’s got it all and yet he lacks and he calls Jesus Good. Now, Jesus is not rebuking him when He corrects Him here…”Why do you call me good, no one is good but One…” What Jesus is doing is placing the same decision before him that He does to everyone. The starting point for everyone when the discussion is eternal life…now and forever…”Am I good…or Am I God?” He’s saying, “Either I am God…or I am no good…” WOW.

• Then Jesus presents the earthly commandments…the commands that pertain or are relevant to mans relationship with man…religion really...and the man says, “Yes, I’ve kept all of that since I was a kid.” Jesus looks at him. In the Greek the word is “intensely stares” at him. And Jesus’ response…”Time to return to being a kid man…”

• Jesus met him right where he was at…He wasn’t trying to condemn him…or even strip him of all his lovelies…Jesus was trying to set him free and this man was so far gone…so far into religion and self righteousness that Jesus called for a total reset…”Make Me the center of your life…in the place of your lust for money…”
• This man showed a decision at that moment that he had made a long time ago…that money would be his master and so we never hear from him again…why? Because he had great possessions? NO! But because they were his god…

Mark Chapter 10 Verses 23 – 25

• Notice God’s call to understanding. Jesus looks around and makes a statement…folks can’t understand. So He calls them to understanding…calls them to trust Him as He addresses the crowd again…put down your cultural, your finite understanding…your demand for explanation and just listen to me…”Children, how hard it is for those who trust....” See that there in verse 24?
• A camel can go through the eye of a needle mind you….if it’s broken in small enough pieces. Fact.
• With men, salvation, eternal life…impossible. No rituals, no good deeds, no following a method or set of rules…but trust in God…possible…
• Leave it all behind…eeeeerything…and when you do…man that is when you actually gain it all!!!! A hundredfold!!!